Relocation of Newtok village school delayed until 2019

BETHEL, Alaska (AP) - The Newtok Village Council says a lack of housing has delayed the relocation of the village school until the fall of 2019.

KYUK-AM reported Monday that the Lower Kuskokwim School District had hoped it would be able to make the temporary move to a building at Mertarvik by summer.

Superintendent Dan Walker said he’s concerned about teachers getting stranded without housing at the new village site. He said the district’s lobbyist has been in touch with federal and state agencies to fund housing.

Walker said the district is trying to get one of the retrofitted military barracks being barged in from Anchorage for village housing set aside for teacher housing at Mertarvik, but that won’t happen until 2019.

___

Information from: KYUK-AM, http://www.kyuk.org