Activities Updates

Mustang Families,

I’m writing to inform you of some recent changes that were made at the district level in order to address the budget shortfall for the 26-27 school year. First, I encourage you to read this knowing that the original proposal had sweeping cuts to high school activities and completely eliminated all middle school sports. These adjustments are not ideal, but are necessary in order to retain sports as closely as possible to years past. To the coaches, athletes, and community members whose programs were cut, your commitment and dedication are greatly appreciated. I hope that we can continue to collaborate and redirect your energy towards other CHS opportunities that fulfill our students’ high school experiences. Finally, next year is going to look different. All sports were impacted by this change, at all ASD  high schools,  in order to bring sports and activities back to our district. We will adapt and continue to use our resources to maximize the potential of our student athletes. Here is an overview of the changes that will be made:

All Sports:

Activity Fees: Participation fees will increase and be organized into two tiers.

• Tier 1: Football, Flag Football, Cheerleading, Tennis, XC Running, Volleyball, Wrestling, Nordic Ski, Basketball, Track & Field, Soccer

• Tier 2: Hockey, Swim & Dive

• E-Sports and Riflery have been cut, and Gymnastics will be outsourced.

Gate Entry:

• Spectator entry fees will be collected at all sporting event levels (Varsity, JV, C-team). 

Sport-specific Changes:

Reduction in Sub-Varsity Teams: With the exception of Volleyball, programs will not be able to roster a C-team. Volleyball can roster one C-team depending on the number of participants. Hockey will be limited to only a Varsity roster. This does not include sports that have open divisions such as cross-country running.

Transportation: Use of busing and transportation to non-conference tournaments/games will need to be more cost effective. For example, if two teams are traveling to the same location on the same day, sharing a bus may be prioritized over two separate buses at different times. Effectively, students may be spending more time working on homework (hopefully) while waiting for the other team’s competition to conclude if they do not have a ride from a parent.

Reduction in Facility Use: Facilities not run by ASD such as the ice rinks, pools, and the Dome will be used sparingly or not at all. This may impact the number of competitions and practices at these facilities. We will work with our coaches to make the best of these changes.

Moving forward, it is my aim to continue and build our athletic programs in a manner that sets our students up for success. Even with these changes, I’m confident our Mustangs will remain competitive and our programs will continue to thrive.

Mustang Strong!                              

 

Mustang Families,

Beginning with the 2026–27 school year, the Alaska School Activities Association (ASAA) will transition to a new School Activities Reporting System (SARS) powered by Arbiter Registration. While we are excited about the improvements this new platform will bring, we understand it may be frustrating to learn another new system after becoming familiar with the previous one.

Because existing BigTeams (PlanetHS) account information cannot be transferred, families will need to create a new shared Family account beginning July 6, 2026,through https://students.arbitersports.com/chugiak-high-school or the ASAA SARS registration portal.

We sincerely appreciate your patience, flexibility, and continued support during this transition.

 

Sincerely,

Andrew Baalerud, M.Ed.

Assistant Principal, Activities