Southwest Region
School District

Jack G. Foster, Superintendent
P.O. Box 90
Dillingham, AK 99576
(907) 842-5287
(907) 842-5428 FAX
info@dlg.swrsd.gcisa.net E-Mail

The Southwest Region School District is committed to all students receiving an education that continuously affirms human diversity, that validates the history and culture of all ethnic groups, that is based on high expectations for academic success for every student, and that encourages students' and parents' active participation in the learning process.

Location | Structure | Programs District Resources | SWRS Sites | Employment Opportunities

Our Location:

Located on the southern coast of the Bering Sea, this region of southwest Alaska is bordered by the Bristol Bay to the south, the Kuskokwim Mountains to the west and north, and the Aleutian Range to the east. The beautiful Bristol Bay region is considered the "gateway" to the Wood-Tikchik Wilderness area. More king and red salmon are harvested in Bristol Bay than anywhere else in the world. Also nearby are the famous Walrus Islands.

Located 350 miles southwest of Anchorage, Dillingham is the largest community in the region. It serves as a hub to the rest of Bristol Bay and offers banking services, a regional hospital, restaurants, stores, hotels, State police, a public radio station, and an extension campus for the University of Alaska. Jet service is available between Anchorage and Dillingham.

The villages served by Southwest Region Schools are located from 20 to 125 miles away from the Central Office in Dillingham. Of the eight villages, only Aleknagik is accessible by road. All the other villages are accessed by air, primarily using small, single engine planes. Like Dillingham, the villages receive their freight, fuel, and mail by barge and air service during the summer months, and by air only during the winter.

All of the villages are populated primarily by Alaskan Yup'ik Eskimos. Most non-native village residents are employed as teachers. The region's primary economic base is commercial fishing in the summer, and subsistence hunting and fishing in the winter.

Average seasonal temperatures for the region range from 55 in the summer to 0 in the winter, although much colder temperatures are common in the winter.

Available outdoor recreational activities include fishing, hunting, boating, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing.

Our Structure:

The District began operations as a State funded Rural Educational Attendance Area (REAA) in 1976. Supplemental funds are also received from Public Law grants, and Federal programs such as Johnson O'Malley, Migrant Education, and Indian Education. Southwest Region School District's Central Office in Dillingham, serves as support to nine village schools. Centralized services include the superintendent's office, business operations, personnel, curriculum/instructional management, special education and counseling support, preschool support, State and Federal grants management, and facility maintenance and construction.

The current District enrollment for FY2005 is 706 students, K-12. These students are served by 88 certified and additional classified staff members. The village schools are:

Village	Grades	Enrollment
Aleknagik	K-8	34
Clarks Point	K-8	17
Ekwok	K-8	31
Koliganek	K-12	65
Manokotak	K-12	142
New Stuyahok	K-12	164
Portage Creek	K-8	7
Togiak	K-12	233
Twin Hills	K-8	13

The School Board is comprised of seven regionally elected members. Serving as an advisory group to the Board, each village has a Community School Committee. Varying from three to five members, each "CSC" is locally elected and provides input to the Board and superintendent regarding the school administration, operations, programs, and general needs.

The four largest schools have full-time principals while the five smaller schools are assigned principal/teachers. The certified staff assigned to each school ranges from 1 to 25.

Our Programs:

The Southwest Region School Board is committed to academic excellence for all school children. It is the desire of the Board that students graduating from District schools possess the fundamental attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary to function successfully as citizens in their village and elsewhere in society.

The District's high school program has a very unique delivery model and was designed by Southwest Region to meet the needs of students in rural Alaska. The model provides academic and life skill development to all students. At this level too, student performance standards are critical. Our curriculum provides integrated, application-based instruction, as well as experiences in career and post secondary exploration. Our goal is to ensure that students have the academic, technical, social, and vocational skills they will need for success after graduation.

The District also maintains support programs to both the regular elementary and secondary programs. Comprehensive special education, and counseling services are provided to all sites. These services are provided for all students from kindergarten through the twelfth grade, with District graduates also receiving post-secondary follow-up and support.

District Resources | SWRS Sites | Employment Opportunities