Every summer a fleet of teenagers spreads out across the Mat-Su Borough School District. They mow lawns, trim trees, paint hallways, and tackle small repairs. It’s part of the district’s Student Worker Program. And it saves the district a lot of money.
This year, the work includes something unusual: helping with the behind-the-scenes work as the district consolidates three schools this summer.
Crews helped Birchtree Charter School move into the empty Larson Elementary building. Those same crews are now packing up Glacier View School. It will become a community center.
Behind all this work is Tony Weese. His job has a long title: Capital Planning and Construction Manager for the District’s Operations and Maintenance Department. He laughs about the title and says he wears many hats. One of those hats is overseeing the decades-old Student Worker Program.
The idea is simple: students do real maintenance work, and in exchange, they earn money, gain job experience, and get credit through the district’s CTE program. 120 hours of work earns a one-half CTE credit.
The savings to the district are dramatic. Two years ago, student crews painted the interior of Wasilla Middle School for about a fifth of what it would have cost to hire the job out.
Weese notes that the program saves the district money. But more importantly, he says it gets things done.
He said, “We would not be able to do the stuff we’re doing without the students.”
That value matters even more because the department runs lean. Operations and Maintenance covered 47 schools this year with fewer than one maintenance staff member per building. Weese says the ratio is among the leanest in the state.
The student worker program is smaller this year because of budget cuts. A typical summer brings 50 to 60 student workers and 10 supervisors.
There are 30 students and 7 supervisors this year. Three ground crews cover the district’s east, west, and central regions, and one tree crew handles windstorm cleanup. Fewer workers mean no construction crew this year. Two crews are working consolidation instead.
Crews work 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students earn slightly above federal minimum wage of $11.73 an hour. Weese says he’d like to see the budget allow for Alaska’s minimum wage.
Hiring supervisors from district staff happens almost entirely through word of mouth. There’s a waiting list for the positions. The supervisor job is seasonal and hourly.
Student workers jobs are advertised at the district’s high schools and at a spring job fair. Applicants must be at least 16 years old and pass an interview.
Year-to year turnover is low. Most supervisors return every summer. About a quarter of student workers return for at least one additional summer.
Weese says he’s impressed by how prepared most students are on day one. Discipline is rarely an issue. Two unexcused absences mean dismissal and firings are rare.
Some students stick with it well beyond high school. Weese remembers one student who worked two summers, came back as a district employee, and is now a lead maintenance worker.
This summer carries personal weight for Weese. He graduated from Glacier View School. His niece was a Larson Elementary student. She’ll move to Tanaina because of the consolidation.
In the meantime, the grass is mowed on all the fields, boxes are getting packed, and students are learning job skills, building their resumes and earning money.
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This Page Two article was reported by Emily Forstner- and produced by yours truly, Lee Henrikson. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.
That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Friday June 26, 2026.
Image: Mat-Su Borough School District summer workers help box up Glacier View School. Credit: Amy Fisher