By SHARON LURYE and JOCELYN GECKER of The Associated Press, LILY ALTAVENA of Chalkbeat and RUTH SERVEN SMITH of AL.comMODESTO, Calif. (AP) — Before every important test, teacher Nancy Barajas dims the lights, turns on a disco ball and blasts music from her playlist. Her sixth graders dance toge...

Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District school board meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. (Bill Roth / ADN)PALMER — A proposal to pay some Mat-Su teachers and school staff to carry handguns on campus could cost about $700,000 to roll out, even as the school district grapples with a major budg...