A Message from the Superintendent

Kimberly Hankins
Superintendent Kimberly Hankins

Camai and welcome to the Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD)!  As the new Superintendent for LKSD, I look forward to continuing to serve the students, staff, parents, and communities of our district while working to ensure a positive and productive school year. 

LKSD is the largest REAA in the State of Alaska in terms of numbers of schools, communities, and students. With just over 4100 students, LKSD spans an area the size of the state of West Virginia, or approximately 21,000 square miles. LKSD services 23 remote village schools plus the hub community of Bethel, for a total of 29 schools. LKSD’s student population is primarily Alaska Native of Yup’ik or Cup’ig heritage. 

The mission of LKSD is to ensure bilingual, culturally appropriate and effective education for all students. LKSD is one of the last remaining places where the indigenous language is still relatively intact. This is a huge source of pride for our schools, communities and district. To this end, the LKSD Board of Education has adopted a Dual Language instructional model, implemented in 19 LKSD schools. 

The LKSD Board of Education has also adopted four “Key Measures of Success” as part of their Strategic Thinking Model of school improvement.  These Key Measures drive the work of the district.  The Key Measures are:

  • Academic Achievement: 45% of LKSD students will be proficient on the Spring MAP assessments in reading, language, and math, with a long-term goal of 75%
  • Attendance Rate: The LKSD chronic absence rate will decrease to 25% or lower
  • Graduation Rate: The four-year graduation rate for LKSD students will reach 80%
  • Yugtun and Cugtun Proficiency: 75% of LKSD students will score within proficiency level 4 or higher on the Yup’ik/Cup’ig Proficiency Test by 12th grade

During this time of a global pandemic, LKSD’s mission remains a central focus. In addition, the district aims to provide equitable educational support and opportunities for all students, all school year. The district is always looking for ways to improve our educational system and values stakeholder feedback.  Please feel free to provide input on how we can further improve our system through the surveys that are available throughout the year.  

Kimberly Hankins
Superintendent


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