North Slope School District Seeks Staff Housing, Targets Village Retention
The North Slope Borough School District issued a request for proposals on December 2, 2025 seeking two bedroom housing units at three to four village school sites to provide staff housing. The move aims to address long standing staffing and retention challenges by increasing local housing options for teachers and support staff, a practical step with direct implications for recruitment and classroom stability.
The North Slope Borough School District posted an RFP on December 2, 2025 asking qualified firms to provide two two bedroom housing units at each of three to four NSBSD school sites, for a total of six to eight units. Units may be delivered as two standalone two bedroom units per site or as one duplex per site. Proposals are due December 26, 2025 by 4 00 p.m. Alaska Standard Time, with a tentative award date of January 2, 2026.
Specifications in the RFP require Arctic ready construction and systems. Each unit must include living space, a kitchen, a full bathroom, appropriate insulation and heating for Arctic conditions, and an Arctic entry or vestibule suitable for storing gear and freezer space. Proposals must meet code compliant electrical and plumbing standards, provide a secondary heat source, adequate storage, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and preferred lighting specifications. The RFP contemplates new modular construction, design build delivery, or existing housing leases that meet the stated technical requirements.
This procurement targets a persistent barrier to staffing in remote North Slope communities. Local school leaders have repeatedly identified the scarcity of reliable staff housing as a factor in recruiting and retaining teachers and support personnel. By placing units adjacent to village schools the district expects to reduce commute burdens, lower housing insecurity for employees, and strengthen continuity for students.
The RFP packet and technical documents are available online at https://drive.google.com/file/d/18uvXe31t84Vydlq_QRsqGXAKFcYTWPUX/view?usp=drive_link. Prospective proposers should review the full packet and follow submission instructions and procedural requirements listed in the public legal notices. Questions and requests for clarifications may be directed to Barry Broome, Director of Maintenance and Operations, North Slope Borough School District at Barry.Broome@nsbsd.org or by phone at 907 852 9765.
The district s timeline leaves a compact window for firms to prepare compliant proposals before year end, and the selections early in January set the stage for construction or lease arrangements that could affect staffing decisions for the 2026 school year.
