Do you have polar bears?
Polar bears return with the winter pack ice to coastal areas. Because the winter months are the harshest and generally the most difficult to find food, bears may be searching for food or moving along coastal areas as they travel. Polar bears also move with the retreating pack ice in the spring. Bears are occasionally seen in town, remote sites or on the ice during the winter and near shore leads in the spring.

Where do you see polar bears?
Village public safety officers or wildlife department employees are aware of all polar bears in their area and regularly conduct bear patrols to keep bears away from populated areas. Occasionally, a bear will be seen in or near a village. As a rule, bears avoid people; however, caution is advised when traveling in remote areas during the winter and spring months.

What type of clothing do I need?
When you first arrive on the North Slope, any type of fall wear will be sufficient (light to medium weight jackets). It may be wise to wait a few months before buying any type of winter clothing to allow time for acclimation. Winter clothing may be ordered from a variety of catalogs.

What do the teachers wear to school?
While the District does not have a formal dress code, teachers are encouraged to dress appropriately for school. Principals usually wear a shirt and tie or a suit. Teachers may dress up or down, depending on the schedule for a particular day. Dresses are not uncommon nor are jeans.

What do the students wear to school?
Students on the North Slope wear exactly the same clothing as their counterparts in the Lower 48. The girls wear dresses or skirts and the boys wear t-shirts and jeans. Sports and team oriented clothing is common.

Is it really dark for six months?
Beginning in late September, the sun is up for shorter and shorter periods of time until it sets for the last time in late November. During this time, there is still light but no sun. The sun comes back up in late January and the process is reversed. The days get longer and longer until the sun doesn't set at all beginning in late May.

How dark does it get?
The change of light is a gradual process. It is never middle-of-the-night dark all the time. In the deepest part of the winter, there are approximately two to three hours of dusk or twilight during the middle of every day.

How cold is it?
In the winter months, the temperature varies from 20 to 40 below zero; however, the wind chill factor drastically lowers the temperature.

Will I see the Northern Lights?
Although, Barrow is touted as the prime-viewing site for the Aurora Borealis, the Aurora appears frequently across the North Slope skies in the winter months.

Are there grocery stores in all the villages?
Every village has a local grocery store. Some stores are larger and have a moderate selection of grocery items while others are small with a very limited selection. Ordering non-perishable items through the mail from Anchorage or Fairbanks is an option. Items may also be ordered and mailed from Barrow.

Are housing units provided?
District housing is available to all certified employees and some classified employees. Rent is deducted monthly. District housing units are furnished with the larger furniture items—refrigerator, stove, dinette set, sofa, chairs, beds, dressers, nightstands and overhead lighting. Some units also have lamps. Microwave ovens and televisions are NOT provided. You must bring your own cookware, dishes and bedding. Please feel free to contact the Personnel Office or your Plant Manager if you have specific questions regarding furnishings.

What size are the beds?
Most units have a queen size bed in the large bedroom and a double or twin bed in the small rooms. Sometimes there is a double/twin bunk bed. Again, please feel free to contact the Personnel Office or your Plant Manager if you have specific questions about bed sizes.

Do the housing units have a color theme?
Furniture in District housing units is generally in brown or blue tones (sofas, chairs, carpet). Occasionally, a unit will be furnished in another color but not often.

What is my new address?
You may send your initial moving boxes to the address in your "Welcome Letter." If you wish to forward your personal mail to an address other than the school address, please use General Delivery. When you arrive in your village, General Delivery mail can be picked up at your local post office and if available, a PO box will be assigned.

Can or should we bring our pets?
Pets are allowed but discouraged because they severely limit housing options. If you bring your pet, there is a $300 deposit for the first pet and $50 for each additional pet. The total pet deposit is deducted from your first paycheck. Any pet damage, including extra cleaning, will be charged against your pet deposit. The deposit is for all inside or outside pets. Pets include dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, etc. Additionally, transporting pets to and from your site is expensive and may be inconvenient. This is especially true for the outlying villages.

What is there to do for recreation?
Village school libraries are open to the community and the Tuzzy Library in Barrow will do inter-library loans. The school swimming pools and weight rooms are also open to the public after school and on weekends. Some village schools offer an occasional weekend movie. Cable television is available in all villages although not provided by the District. Most villages also have video rentals. There are numerous school and community activities as well.

How do I get to my new school?
You make all travel arrangements to your new site. You will fly Alaska Airlines to Fairbanks, Kotzebue or Barrow. Travel from these three main hubs to a smaller NSBSD village is via a small commuter plane. The Business Office will process your airfare reimbursement shortly after you submit your travel receipts.

What if I need extra money for travel?
A pay advance against your first paycheck is available to new hires needing extra money to travel to the North Slope Borough School District. Contact the Business Office at 907-852-5311 to request a pay advance.

Do I need a car?
Most villages have a public transportation system or taxi companies. Residents can and do get around by using a four-wheeler or snow machine for transportation. Because the only way in or out of nearly all the villages is by air, the cost of flying a vehicle in may be prohibitive. Gasoline is also very expensive.

How do the children get to school?
There are school buses Barrow and all of the villages.