Anchorage School District Superintendent Dr. Jharrett Bryantt issued a second high-drama letter to families and staff on Friday, continuing to sound alarm bells over budget cuts but offering little accountability for his own role in spreading initial misinformation about the scope of the financial crisis.
In the new letter, Bryantt accuses others of “false claims” and “deliberate disinformation,” while failing to acknowledge that his first letter earlier this week contained inflated figures and exaggerated impacts. That first communication painted a bleak picture that suggested the district was facing a $98 million deficit, an inflated number that included federal funds that were never intended for recurring expenses, as well as one-time vetoes that are still under legislative review.
Nowhere in his latest missive does Bryantt disclose how many layoffs the district was actually able to avoid after reassessing its finances. Instead, he vaguely credits the use of “vacant positions and limited alternative funds” to reduce layoffs, while insisting that the cuts will still lead to “real and lasting impact” on programs ranging from after-school activities to literacy support…