Amid declining enrollment, dismal student achievement results and a growing number of families who have chosen to leave standard public schooling, the Fairbanks School District voted on Feb. 4 to permanently shutter three of five schools that were under closure consideration.
In a 5-2 vote, the board moved to close Pearl Creek, Midnight Sun and Two Rivers schools, while keeping Hunter and Salcha elementary schools open. The decision will take effect in the upcoming school year.
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While board members blamed lack of funding and staffing shortages for needing to shutter the schools, many parents are upset with the direction the left-leaning board has embraced in recent years.
From 2002-03, Fairbanks lost 3,340 students, dropping from 15,140 to just 11,800 this year. During this time the district has been plagued by low student assessment scores, radical DEI and LGBTQ programming and heated debates about parental rights. This has coincided with a mass exodus of families who have opted for homeschool or private education options.
The district now faces a $16 million budget deficit. The vote to close three schools is expected to save the district about $10 million.
2 Comments
I think the next best step is to evaluate how many administrative staff there is and start making cuts. If schools are for teaching kids we need teachers, not administrations. Trim the fat.
Six million more dollars to go. If not more closed schools, then sport programs, teachers, teacher’s aids, para-professionals, guidance counselers, DEI staff, administrative positions have to go now. There are no sacred cows at this point. Good luck with that Fairbanks.