Education

A commissioner of education appointed by the state board of education supervises the state department of education. The board is appointed by the governor. Alaska enacted a compulsory school attendance law in 1929. Children must attend school from age 7 to 16.

The University of Alaska, a land-grant school, was founded in 1917 and opened in 1922 as the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines. The name was changed to University of Alaska in 1935. The main campus is in Fairbanks. There are other campuses at Anchorage and Juneau. The University of Alaska system also includes several community colleges.