EXCLUSIVE REPORT: A Republican candidate for Alaska’s gubernatorial race has voiced strong criticism against the Anchorage School District for its decision to exclude Veterans Day from its official calendar. Instead, the district referred to the day meant to honor U.S. military service members as a “student release professional development day.”

Bernadette Wilson, who is running to govern the state known as the Last Frontier, expressed her disapproval, labeling the omission of Veterans Day as “absolutely unacceptable.”

Wilson asserted that indoctrination and so-called “woke” ideologies remain pervasive in today’s educational landscape.

“There’s undoubtedly a significant push to indoctrinate our children,” Wilson stated in an interview with Fox News Digital. “This is evident in the declining test scores of our students and the enforced woke ideologies emerging from our school districts.”

The GOP candidate further criticized the Anchorage School District for not only leaving out Veterans Day but also for what she described as misguided disclaimers on America’s founding documents.

While the school district did not recognize the holiday on their calendar, they did post on social media on Veterans Day, saying, “the Anchorage School District extends our deepest gratitude to the veterans in our schools, families, and community for their courage, sacrifice, and dedication,” and that “your service and example inspire our students every day.”

Despite the school district’s public post, Wilson was quick to point out that this was the same school system that recently attached disclaimers to pamphlets of the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence saying the district “does not endorse” the viewpoints held in America’s founding documents.

The Anchorage School District later told the Anchorage Daily News that the disclaimer was added as a mistake. 

The Anchorage School District in Alaska admitted it mistakenly added a disclaimer distancing itself from “the viewpoints expressed” on a flyer that only contained the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. (Karen Waldron)

Wilson then slammed the school district over their claim the disclaimer was an accident, telling Fox News Digital they “don’t get the luxury” of mistakenly avoiding allegiance with the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

“The very fact that you have educators who are in this sphere that are saying, well, that was an accident, you don’t get the luxury,” Wilson explained. “It wasn’t an accident. They got caught, and that’s where this so-called apology comes in.”

“The same school district that is taking Veterans Day and renaming it is now trying to say, well, [the disclaimers were] an accident,” Wilson added.

Veterans Day was celebrated on Nov. 11, 2025. (iStock)

The Anchorage School District did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

As for what Wilson would do should she be elected governor of Alaska, she noted the many options that would “embolden parents” and strengthen schools.

“We need to be empowering parents, whether it’s with educational savings accounts, we can look at ‘no more lines’ legislation,” Wilson explained. “Any number of different charter schools, home-school co-ops, I mean, there’s a whole host of things out there where parents have options.”

“I think that we need to continue the conversation to embolden parents to be able to utilize those options in front of them,” Wilson added.

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston