Education
Education is overseen by the NSB School District Board of Education which firmly believes that the schools belong to the people. NSB schools offer a standard curriculum blended with classes on Iflupiaq language, history and culture as well as an elementary school level Inupiat Immersion Program. The district's goal is to provide students with the education necessary to excel in college, vocational training or work; as well as engage in the traditional Iflupiaq lifestyle.

There is a school in every village with classes from Early Childhood Education (for children ages 3 and 4) through 12th grade. All schools have multi-purpose gym facilities, wood/ metal shops, computer labs and community education programs; most schools also have swimming pools. On an annual basis, the North Slope Borough spends more than $20,276 per student for educational programs and services. During the 1999/2000 school year, there were approximately 2,259 students enrolled in the district, and 531 school district employees.

Municipal Services
The borough maintains a wide range of municipal services in all the villages to ease the challenge of arctic life. The Municipal Services Department maintains water and systems, operates power plants, plows roads and runways, maintains landfills and provides bus service. The borough's Capital Improve-ments Program (CIP) oversees the planning and construction of public facilities. Since establishing the basic infrastructure of the region, the CIP program now emphasizes maintenance and repair of existing facilities.

Health and Social Services
The borough operates a health clinic in every village, which provides quality medical, dental and vision care. For more extensive medical needs, residents use the Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital (SSMH) in Barrow staffed by doctors employed by ASNA. Doctors at the SSMH are able to exchange graphic and video images with village health clinics and assist in long-distance diagnosis of injuries or illness.

The borough also maintains a range of social services to meet the mental, emotional and social well being of residents. Some of these services include: housing, meals and trans-portation for senior citizens; mental health counseling, day care services, and programs for women and youth.

Housing
The NSB Housing Department offers modern comfortable and affordable rental units to all residents of the North Slope. The high cost of construction in the Arctic and scarcity of available land make this program a vital one for borough residents. The Housing Department also acts as the agent for the TNHA Housing Authority through management of its low income HUD subsidized housing programs.

Culture
The North Slope Borough realizes that preserving the Iflupiat culture is as essential as providing other services. The NSB Inupiat History Language and Culture Commission (IHLC) documents and promotes Inupiat life through activities, research and celebrations. IHLC has played a pivotal role in the devel-opment of an Inupiaq writing system and dictionary. They currently maintain an archive for local oral histories and assist in the operation of the Inupiat Heritage Center. The borough sponsors a biennial Elders Conference and a semi-regular winter cultural celebration called Kivgiq. The borough is also a strong supporter of other cultural organiza-tions such as the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission and the Inuit Circumpolar Conference.

Wildlife Resource Management
Since the region's subsistence economy depends on the health of animal populations, the North Slope Borough has assumed manage-ment of its wildlife resource - the only local government in Alaska to do so. The borough undertakes scientific research and monitoring of wildlife stocks. Studies on bowhead whaling funded by the borough have helped turn international scientific option in favor of subsistence whaling.