[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6659987,"mediaKeyId","2438760-11c4b065c9eeac979540a5413fee5fde","parentId",2438760,"title","Enrollment pressures at small Denali Borough schools prompt plans for community use, CTE and homeschool co-ops","audioSeconds",131,"startMs",2139000,"endMs",2270000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2438760-11c4b065c9eeac979540a5413fee5fde&start=2139&end=2270","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2438760-11c4b065c9eeac979540a5413fee5fde/thumbnail_2139000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6659987/Denali-Borough/Alaska/Enrollment-pressures-at-small-Denali-Borough-schools-prompt-plans-for-community-use-CTE-and-homeschool-co-ops","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6659987-e7378f5eb812373b8d5bfab7e4b95f54/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204377&Signature=Tlvlatm-AkLd1Sz3sSxxLFD8qCfpESKmdpY~tMFENqEfC92Jij83OXsRh2Wcpb5vDrkWlcbun79K4Q80o4SEhgUL4wgwk1UMg~4UA92jSqtPjQjty7w9ul0AF95yt7aJWpruLnfZcytJyr~nm-fNT9j8DHHfxCoeV8~syc6TUmIbp14YHzHe9tYrsXNf6PMqkB67FtxIM9Pc8CgLFBD1HkKQoNvBx~0pubApiHXQC1xifC~Rp1ZXxBDFb3Hc5Sy0dwl0YzreINmjay7775ciSynxxDuSWoHVihKKf43LCQ7Vo9bJS3~EYIFYjcoMAzWoBb70CnirHqDnAyLSCbS8Zg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Denali Borough","date","2025-02-28T05:51:02.837Z","article","School board and assembly members spent substantial time on enrollment and how small-school demographics affect both funding and community life.

Superintendent Dan Paul and board members reviewed the district's enrollment counts used for funding. The budget front page showed an Anderson count of \"6.5\" and the meeting record noted Campbell's current counted figure at 11.75, with only nine students actually enrolled at present. Staff said if Campbell falls below a 10-student threshold in the count period, the district would face an additional funding reduction of roughly $100,000 because of how state formulas reassign small-school counts.

Panelists described a range of community responses aimed at keeping buildings active and supporting families: expanding career and technical education (CTE) and adult-education classes, hosting homeschool co-ops and after-school clubs, and renting rooms for community uses. Participants said PEAK and other correspondence programs also bring revenue: the state provides about 90 percent of a base-student-allocation amount per PEAK-enrolled student, and the program can increase the district's basic need calculations.

Assembly members and school leaders proposed practical steps: inviting vocational training partners, exploring evening adult-learning classes and pursuing grant-supported curriculum or software-based certification programs. They also discussed existing community activities that already use school space, including open gyms, 4-H and Lego clubs, and library services at Tri Valley.

A community member, Callie Bass, and local chefs have filed nonprofit paperwork to pilot a no-cost meals program for students; district and borough participants said the plan could expand to breakfast if the pilot succeeds.

Discussion points: Anderson and Campbell's low enrollments create funding pressure and motivate community reuse ideas; PEAK enrollment and correspondence programs affect how state funding is calculated; local proposals include CTE, adult education and homeschool co-ops to increase engagement and retention.

Next steps: district staff and local leaders will continue outreach to vocational partners and community organizations, evaluate facility uses that are compatible with ongoing K-12 operations, and support a pilot for community-provided student meals.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","February 27, 2025 Joint Assembly/School Board Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","Board and assembly members discussed falling enrollments at Campbell and Anderson, the revenue effect if counts fall below 10 students, and ideas to repurpose underused school space for CTE, adult education and homeschool co-ops to support community retention.","taxTitle","Denali Borough, Alaska","taxId",13632,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6659992,"District flags aging septic, seeks state reimbursements and local match for major school maintenance",1147,2469000,3616000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2438760-11c4b065c9eeac979540a5413fee5fde&start=2469&end=3616","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2438760-11c4b065c9eeac979540a5413fee5fde/thumbnail_2469000.jpg","/articles/6659992/Denali-Borough/Alaska/District-flags-aging-septic-seeks-state-reimbursements-and-local-match-for-major-school-maintenance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6659992-576dd72f9dd375ce38ce851623b26b2e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204377&Signature=gnc0H7Chs36pffNdq-Em4EhE8EhO9-41EbEoJPWMPl93z8Y4ScP3vZ~kPv5rcaRd1clOu-8lnsGY47~Q5UDX1hUpxBWn433dUuxTABy2k0cLtE42U1sKVjU~lv2cawgnXGxvN8RqIbPnNa7sC8Wv0gJu2gNPv3k6CsZCKBPew3wIQpn2a9crXZ0D4eCBTw7ppyM1Cluwr8LlHB7bSgTm1obSBFsBElPmshfc3YQ0-dCdxQohRc2dwCh1rQ~-3QcjRVni0eDVYWC~ulYGXmCXexHTz2UePAFAyv-x3Q-IjuZQUzG6y2g0EjCkLOUA2CxPHAJHwlvpyiM9ZjKr4FA6iw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District and borough officials used a joint work session to review the district's capital priorities and to discuss timing, state reimbursement and the local match required for major school maintenance funding.

Superintendent Dan Paul said the district has about $2,000,000 in its capital fund, which officials said has allowed the district to design and complete projects quickly and score well on the state's priority list. Paul and borough staff discussed the completed Tri Valley roof project and a potential transfer of the borough's portion of that project into the district's capital fund to free those dollars for another priority project.

Officials described three top maintenance priorities: septic work in (Bridal/Tri) Valley, district-wide electrical upgrades and generator replacement for Anderson and Campbell. Paul said the state's major school maintenance program generally requires a 20 percent local match; when officials estimated local planning for the projects, they noted a 20 percent match would amount to roughly $100,000 for one project, \"a little bit over $200,000\" for another, and \"between $300,000 and $400,000\" for a fourth project, depending on final scopes and estimates.

District staff said the existing septic/leach-field system at one school dates from the 1970s and warned that failure would be disruptive and potentially catastrophic to operations. Staff described options to test leach fields (percolation tests) and to proceed with engineering and construction in advance of state reimbursement if the borough chooses to advance local funds; that approach would allow the district to repair or replace systems before a complete failure.

Officials discussed use of capital funds, the state reimbursement process and the benefits of being able to perform complete design and construction work before state funding becomes available. Paul said that having the capital fund on hand has allowed the district to avoid long delays and to seek higher scoring projects for state funding.

Discussion points: the district capital fund is about $2,000,000; Tri Valley roof is completed and reimbursement is pending; major school maintenance grants typically require a 20 percent local match; the existing septic system was described as being original to the 1970s and may require replacement to avoid catastrophic failure.

Next steps: borough and district staff will continue to coordinate timing for state reimbursement and to consider whether the borough will transfer its portion of the completed roof project into the district capital fund to support near-term work on higher-priority projects.","School and borough officials discussed completed roof work at Tri Valley, a roughly $2 million district capital fund, and top-priority projects including district-wide electrical upgrades, generator replacements and a potentially urgent septic/leach-field replacement.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6659997,"Denali Borough leaders review FY26 budget outlook as state negotiates BSA increase",1729,347000,2076000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2438760-11c4b065c9eeac979540a5413fee5fde&start=347&end=2076","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2438760-11c4b065c9eeac979540a5413fee5fde/thumbnail_347000.jpg","/articles/6659997/Denali-Borough/Alaska/Denali-Borough-leaders-review-FY26-budget-outlook-as-state-negotiates-BSA-increase","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6659997-0af1812a4e9206606024dceb9551aefd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204377&Signature=YQ3nQckD5EkWiaKy8MYX1TouEiP~xWIQS-Pn-HyrkjJep2JMbE0Et-Fa21xd2JzmhFMSbUpi28i9TfEnm-tppxVn1ChaRYlRCTDju88kVZRyXYBGlKDO9qYHfHgdEYK~ZLF4bEsDBjcoCCmKUFNT-9KdBUJEKToCx-qEHQy-j-2kgqOdkQlQ0recSX1OnPIJ4fM8cHKicPv8NlG~8s9KVYOYeiPKFhTOd-PpJfZhplyNK8rx9NqkpgM8VFB7XNwzukxMGXbmik16HczpPS4e7APLuHsi9gLw8OhKuIY79dUGJ7MjOIacQ8lHagg6Sa~29mYpd9Z0b-2r3T93KRH2Ag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Denali Borough Assembly members and the Denali Borough School District met in a joint work session to review the district's fiscal outlook and to discuss how state and local revenue signals could affect the FY26 budget.

Superintendent Dan Paul said the district's total budget is \"a little bit over $12,000,000,\" with a local contribution \"a little bit under $3,000,000,\" and that the current draft shows about a $380,000 deficit. He said the administration plans to use unrestricted carryover and a short-term prepayment strategy to avoid breaching the statutory 10 percent carryover limit while preserving reserves to cover the projected shortfall.

The meeting centered on why the discussion matters for local services. Paul and assembly members described the borough's revenue picture as healthy, citing robust tax receipts including recent alcohol and marijuana tax revenue. That local position matters because borough contributions traditionally make up the district's primary local share; the school board approved its FY26 budget in February and is transmitting documents to the borough for formal consideration of the local contribution.

Participants discussed the state-level negotiations over the Base Student Allocation, or BSA, which determines per-student state funding. Paul said current negotiations in Juneau include proposals both to make a one-time increase and to move toward an inflation-adjusted BSA. He cautioned that the timing and size of any change matter: a permanent, inflation-indexed increase would let districts plan multi-year budgets more reliably, while one-time funding leaves districts in the same planning uncertainty.

The district and borough also reviewed federal and formula grants that affect the budget. Paul noted that federal grants account for a small share of the district's revenue (about 2.5 percent, or roughly $304,000 across programs he cited) and that federal impact aid for this district is negligible relative to total revenues. That means shortfalls or policy shifts at the federal level would be unlikely to alter day-to-day operations immediately, although panelists said they will continue to monitor federal activity.

Board members and assembly members asked about timing. Borough staff said a budget amendment will likely appear at the borough's next meeting and must be finalized by June 5 under local scheduling. Paul and assembly members said they will continue to exchange detailed budget pages and capital-project timing so both bodies can align on any local contribution and matching commitments.

Discussion points: the district's draft FY26 shows a $380,000 deficit; the borough reports healthy revenues, including alcohol and marijuana tax receipts; state BSA negotiations could materially affect future planning; federal grants are a small share of district funding.

Next steps: the district will forward detailed fiscal documents to borough staff for formal consideration; the borough expects to consider a budget amendment at its next meeting; both bodies will monitor state BSA negotiations and follow up if the legislature or governor proposes changes that affect local contribution calculations.

Sources: Superintendent Dan Paul (district budget figures and reserve strategy); borough staff (revenue outlook).","Officials at a joint Denali Borough Assembly and school board work session reviewed the district's FY26 budget draft, discussed a roughly $380,000 projected deficit, and flagged ongoing state negotiations over the Base Student Allocation that could change future planning.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Enrollment pressures at small Denali Borough schools prompt plans for community use, CTE and homeschool co-ops

District flags aging septic, seeks state reimbursements and local match for major school maintenance

Denali Borough leaders review FY26 budget outlook as state negotiates BSA increase