Rural schools in Alaska are crumbling. The state is the likely culprit

The Sleetmute school in Alaska is in critical disrepair, with a leaky roof and rotting beams threatening the safety of its students. For 19 years, local requests for repair funding have been consistently declined by the state, leading to severe damage, including a buckling wall and decayed footings. Residents like Taylor Hayden highlight the urgent need for state intervention, as Alaska's rural schools, predominantly owned by the state, face widespread neglect and inadequate financing for essential maintenance.

"Just like someone took a jackhammer to it," Hayden said, revealing the severe structural decay beneath the school as years of neglect led to significant damage.

For two decades, the state has consistently denied requests for funds to repair the crumbling infrastructure of the Sleetmute school, leaving local communities in a dire situation.

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