My name is Kadyn Cross, and my hometown is Koyuk, Alaska, which is located in the Bering Strait Region. I’m an upcoming 3rd-year student at Mount Edgecumbe High School and the Student Body President for the coming school year. I serve on the temporary ad hoc committee for the school. I’ve been highly involved in aspects of school life, decisions and processes — and have testified in front of state lawmakers in the House and Senate Education Committees while they discussed MEHS. I’ve seen what’s happened firsthand at Edgecumbe, and wish to make others aware of what the situation is actually like.
This last year, Mt. Edgecumbe High School has faced a year of challenges and problems. It is in a spotlight that no other school would wish for. Following staff turnover of nearly the entire administration and many staff positions, the vacancies and the already-leaking boat essentially imploded in front of Alaska, leaving many stunned and questioning our state’s education priorities.
So, when did the boat, or Edgecumbe, start leaking?
During COVID, MEHS received $5.3 million dollars in funding, according to the Department of Education and Early Development.
But what did Edgecumbe spend those funds on exactly? Well, it turns out a lot of it went into temporary programs, staffing and selective support rather than one-time purchases or investments. That came back to bite the school once the funding dried up and it had to let go of teachers and staff, and remove the recreational activities paid for with COVID aid. As a result, class sizes increased and the overall quality of life for students decreased. The school was unable to afford basic supplies at the end of the 2024-25 school year, causing teachers and staff to have to improvise. This may be your first time hearing of this; well, that’s because none of it came to light, with the school ensuring that the situation was handled as calmly and effectively as possible to streamline the end of the year, preventing any panic or discourse.
Following a change in contractors for the 2025-26 school year, NANA Management Services became the main contractor for the school and took over management of the dorms and the cafeteria. Many students were skeptical and unsure of whether to place their trust in NANA or not. Thoughts on NANA among students are divided following this school year. Let’s just say that at the end of the year, students had had enough of the entire situation and organized a protest in the rain to object to certain changes being implemented without student input.
Student satisfaction with the cafeteria was extremely low at the start of the year, with concern coming from the Student Advisory Board Representative, Martin Karmun, and a cafeteria advisory council of students was formed following the beginning of the year. Still, throughout the year, students slowly warmed up to the contractor as they fine-tuned services for the students, with satisfaction being higher at the end of the year.
Edgecumbe students can take whatever’s available and make it work, just like any other Alaskan, but when the facilities are subpar, staff and teachers are being laid off and changes are being made faster than any other school year, you can expect students, especially freshmen and first-year students, to be unsatisfied and leave.
When I think of Edgecumbe, I think of a close-knit community that strives to live up to our motto to challenge, value and inspire — even through hardship, limited funding and a lack of support. Many people say Edgecumbe will close, but from my perspective, MEHS will not be closing any time soon.
But not all is bad. The future is looking bright for Edgecumbe, as the Alaska Legislature has approved millions in immediate funding for MEHS, and the funds were officially approved in the FY2027 budget, which was just signed in June.
I can’t cover everything that has, will, or could happen in one commentary, but I’m trying to make a point. Mount Edgecumbe High School isn’t just a boarding school; it’s a community and home for many. It’s a school where kids such as myself, can take advantage of the opportunity to become someone who can help change and improve our state, with an environment that encourages growth and independence.
A majority of MEHS students and I look to the future with hope, a hope that is also in every other supporter of MEHS.
Only time will tell whether Mount Edgecumbe High School can rise to the occasion.
