[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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],{"_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":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6124615,"mediaKeyId","2681143-271648561b438e8c667914a0ad264883","parentId",2681143,"title","School board trims and holds decisions as FY26 budget debate continues; Barnett exploratory staff cut, LAD kept K‑8","audioSeconds",2912,"startMs",6570000,"endMs",9482000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2681143-271648561b438e8c667914a0ad264883&start=6570&end=9482","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2681143-271648561b438e8c667914a0ad264883/thumbnail_6570000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6124615/Alaska/School-board-trims-and-holds-decisions-as-FY26-budget-debate-continues-Barnett-exploratory-staff-cut-LAD-kept-K8","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6124615-8fb1c9727b8469b7e55cc982226ca851/orig.mp4?Expires=1771129379&Signature=eeO0pW~7aBOY-McMHWWVZEXTV88ZbK7EcbrMxTAmwh9vYdJiQruUCBU-XbpqusGTcg1y8681SaB1pukKsq~RZMo5e20tOXJJNmW5Ie4rCC91KaVZb8Pg4CxqwbH8TJH1WySQBPszzKEt~rQ~VNiDQbMbx90q1YwKmRxCE6~UsAcrymtoI6GvRDNolQoyCF990WeV4KUj33ubpQm4L6oz63dDi3lSepTyQCcUoM5q7ccBwkpdUz1b0roOFuMFCh8musobibxvXgqxjP3JeCrTXca~UyjhhtzXACyqZFsWIZbBZQKfp9NRMcFWSYVLsMNzcX~pObK0dtVg4mb2WYvDnQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-03-19T01:00:31Z","article","The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District Board of Education on March 18 made a set of provisional budget decisions and deferred final approval of the fiscal year 2026 recommended budget until it reconvened, moving the district further toward a balanced plan amid a projected shortfall.

Board actions included a formal vote to reduce Barnett Magnet School’s exploratory certified staff by 2.5 full‑time equivalents (FTE), a separate vote to keep Ladd (LAD) as a K‑8 model rather than switch it to K‑5, and several unanimous or “without objection” agreements to hold other positions and programs in the proposed budget. The board recessed to continue deliberations the following evening.

Why this matters: The board is balancing a roughly $230 million district budget that assumes a $60 million local contribution from the borough, a projected enrollment of 11,626 students (a 1.5% decline) and a 6.8% BSA‑equivalent increase (about $16 million). Those revenue assumptions still leave a baseline deficit the administration estimated at about $1.3 million before further votes and add‑backs.

Key votes and outcomes
- Barnett Magnet exploratory staffing: The board voted to reduce exploratory certified staff by 2.5 FTE (motion carried). The measure passed on a roll call (Yes: Colonel Cole; Miss Charlie; Shannon; Burgess; Julian; Warren; Maple; and others; No: Carol Hubbard; Hardy; Burnett recorded as No in the roll call sequence). Board members said the decision was difficult and suggested the cut be prioritized for an add‑back if funding permits.

- LAD (Ladd) program model: The board voted to retain LAD as a K‑8 program rather than convert it to K‑5. The motion to keep the K‑8 model carried on a roll call (majority recorded as Yes; Mister Doran voted No).

- Elementary PTR and related staffing: The board agreed without objection to hold elementary pupil‑teacher ratio (PTR) targets at 25 in the proposed budget. Board members repeatedly cited prior consolidation commitments and literacy priorities in support of maintaining those staffing levels.

- Library associates and kindergarten aides: After public testimony and discussion, the board kept 12 elementary library associate FTE and retained kindergarten aides as proposed; administration warned that cutting library staff would reduce teachers’ prep time and affect Alaska Reads Act interventions.

- High school counselors and secondary librarians: The administration proposed a reduction of 2.5 high‑school counselor FTE in the recommended budget. Board members debated this at length; an outcome recorded in the meeting record left the proposed 2.5‑FTE reduction in place (the district will treat restoration as an add‑back priority if revenues allow). Secondary librarians were retained.

- North Star College and activities funding: The board voted to retain North Star College and to keep middle‑ and high‑school activities funding as proposed; members cited program benefits, community partnerships with UAF and student engagement reasons for maintaining those allocations.

Administration briefing and budget context
Business official Andy DeGraw walked the board through a new baseline and the balancing‑tool adjustments he had implemented for the meeting. He said the board’s selected baseline items had created roughly a $1.3 million shortfall and urged careful, auditable changes: “I hate mistakes. So, we wanna make sure we we put lots of eyes and and double and triple check things as we're finalizing things,” he said.

Public testimony and community impact
Speakers who addressed the budget included teachers and parents from Barnett Magnet, who described the possible impacts of cuts to exploratory classes and to middle‑school staffing; several said cuts would damage a model that draws students from across the borough. Ben Loeffler and other commenters presented alternate estimates of charter and program costs; staff and board members said district calculations factor in multiple variables including school‑size funding and hold‑harmless rules.

Next steps
The board recessed the March 18 meeting and voted to reconvene at 6 p.m. the following evening to continue budget deliberations and finalize recommended numbers to submit to the borough. Several items were designated as high‑priority add‑backs if further revenue becomes available, including restoration of counselors, exploratory FTE for Barnett and other student support positions.

Ending
The board left several decisions provisional and moved some targeted reductions into the recommended budget while preserving items the administration and community had asked the board to protect. Final FY26 adoption was deferred pending continued discussion and staff updates.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025-03-18 | School Board Regular Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","At a lengthy March 18 meeting the FNSBSD board moved several budget items: it approved a cut of 2.5 exploratory teacher FTE at Barnett Magnet, kept Ladd (LAD) as a K‑8 model, preserved elementary PTR at 25 and retained library associate staffing; final approval of the FY26 recommended budget was postponed until the board reconvenes.","taxTitle","Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, School Districts, Alaska","taxId",12912,"location","Alaska","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":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6124618,"Pearl Creek supporters press board to act on charter as state guidance remains unclear",3225,1231000,4456000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2681143-271648561b438e8c667914a0ad264883&start=1231&end=4456","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2681143-271648561b438e8c667914a0ad264883/thumbnail_1231000.jpg","/articles/6124618/Alaska/Pearl-Creek-supporters-press-board-to-act-on-charter-as-state-guidance-remains-unclear","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6124618-70555b08513229698fda1d1a4668bad5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771129378&Signature=gRd4MvSy9ydUbcbAIH5r3DmSDiYq7v4grz3VZrdhb9WEOXkvoSlyWFk2TrcFuDysZLBmaV1ODg6CO8v244YFB5cTQsw-9fbyc8awbP6~5Qa6Klt1iEsR~RyRLc50gpDycFAYot4Vg5vaqiz5C7ZuxOVIzvED5FaJ7PPpXs8PrOpmbK2eCGKfSFYcQF5qmP79e0G7ku4s9Tx0U9ropW5KbBMdx4XkxWWjkTkB9981y2WgzrwbwtZ4W4tR3NQf25vwUfT4mwu0vaCazD6C5L~E2l89Y9RKS1cRNNYdKgwQdgAPbiV~7hn~y1lNB09NWBfyvf0PeD61EF0gyseLdF1c6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Supporters of a proposed Pearl Creek STEAM charter urged the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District Board of Education on March 18 to accept and act on their application within a 60‑day timeline they say the state provided — even as district leaders said they have no written direction from the state and the statutory question is unresolved.

The public comment period at the board's regularly scheduled meeting included multiple speakers who said the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) had told the district in writing to take up the charter application within 60 days. Blake Esig, a Fairbanks resident who read from an email he said came from DEED, told the board: “Deed believes that the issue, school closure, which led to the proposal being out of sync with the local timeline, were not regular. Hence, it would be prudent for the FNSBSD, to hear the charter as it has been received. The district slash board has 60 days to do so, end quote.”

Why it matters: If the board delays or declines to hear the application and DEED later takes a different view, the state could intervene and approve the charter for the next school year, supporters warned, while the district said that would raise legal and fiscal risks.

District and board responses
Superintendent Mike Meinert told the board he had discussed the issue with Commissioner Bishop of DEED and said the commissioner “acknowledged the ambiguity in state statute” and that the question is unprecedented. Meinert corrected statements made in public testimony by saying no written direction has been provided to the district: “No direction has come from DEED to the district in writing,” he said. He added that Bishop told him it was ultimately up to the board to decide how district policy aligns with statute.

Pearl Creek advocates pressed for a prompt board review. Heidi Wood, who identified herself as a Pearl Creek APC representative, gave a timeline of the group's filings and said the APC had requested a board work session per district policy 935.2. “We are inviting you formally and in public to engage and participate,” she said.

Other public testimony and district detail
Several speakers described the Pearl Creek program as a place‑based STEAM model they say has produced districtwide programs and urged the board to either approve the charter or hold a work session with APC representatives. Emily Potter, a parent, said the charter is “not a saying we are better. It is saying we are different. An alternative option for families that want to choose a STEAM focus.”

Community members also raised procedural concerns. Blake Esig asked why the district was relying on an oral explanation from a March 4 conversation instead of the written DEED communication he cited. Allison Mohenson, who spoke in favor of considering grant revenue available to charters, invoked Alaska Statute 14.03.255, saying a lease is not strictly required for an application to be complete.

Board action and next steps
The board did not take a final vote on the Pearl Creek charter at the March 18 meeting. The board recessed and agreed to reconvene the following evening; no formal action on the charter application was recorded before the recess. Several board members said the situation is legally ambiguous and that DEED’s written position — if provided — would be decisive.

The superintendent said staff will continue to pursue clarification and that the board may decide whether to hear the application within the statute’s 60‑day period or take other options that can be legally justified. Dr. Meinert also told the board he had arranged further conversations with DEED and would report back.

Ending
Pearl Creek supporters urged the board to move quickly; district officials said the lack of written state guidance complicates the decision. The board recessed the meeting to continue budget work and planned to reconvene the next evening, leaving the charter's timeline unresolved.","Residents, Pearl Creek advocates and district officials clashed over timing for review of a Pearl Creek STEAM charter application, with public commenters saying state Department of Education guidance requires the board to act within 60 days and district officials saying no written direction has been received.","actionData","errors"]

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School board trims and holds decisions as FY26 budget debate continues; Barnett exploratory staff cut, LAD kept K‑8

Pearl Creek supporters press board to act on charter as state guidance remains unclear