Parents and educators urge borough to spare Pearl Creek Elementary, propose STEAM magnet instead of closure

Parents, teachers and community members urged the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly and the North Star Borough School District to keep Pearl Creek Elementary open and convert it to a STEAM magnet school, saying the neighborhood campus is academically strong and tightly connected to local partners.

"I urge you to prioritize funding for our public schools and to consider the immense value that Pearl Creek Elementary brings to our community," said Jacqueline Muehlbauer, a Pearl Creek parent and Fairbanks resident.

School board representative Michael Burgess told the assembly the board will vote on a proposed set of school consolidations at its regular meeting on Feb. 4 and said the board has been collecting public input at listening sessions and hearings. "Our vote on school consolidations will be on February 4 at our regular meeting," Burgess said.

Why it matters: The district and borough say long‑term budget shortfalls and declining enrollment have forced difficult choices. Assembly and board presentations show closing up to five elementary schools and contracting custodial services could produce roughly $10 million in savings overall, but officials said even that would leave a multi‑million dollar deficit.

What speakers said and asked

- Muehlbauer described Pearl Creek as a "vital part of our borough" with high academic performance and existing community partnerships, including the University of Alaska Fairbanks and NASA projects.

- Naomi Pomerantz, a pediatrician and recent Fairbanks resident, said Pearl Creek is on the closure list "because of deferred maintenance on a boiler," not because of poor academic performance, and argued the school provides essential child care and community programs such as Thrive Alaska.

- Several assembly members pressed for more and clearer facilities and budget data. Assemblymember Guttenberg said he had asked the district for capital requests and found the paperwork did not convey an emergency condition; he requested more detailed capital and maintenance documentation.

District context and numbers

Burgess outlined the district's process and several financial figures discussed during the meeting: closing five elementary schools is estimated to save about $7 million, contracting custodial services could save about $3 million, and closing individual schools such as Pearl Creek was estimated to save about $1.7 million each. Even after those savings, Burgess said the district projects a remaining $6 million deficit under current assumptions.

Burgess also reported other board business: the district paid off roughly $27,000 in student meal debt through community donations, completed a winter benchmark reading assessment that showed gains in kindergarten through third grade, and is planning public hearings on consolidation (Jan. 27 and Jan. 28) in addition to the Feb. 4 vote. The district plans legislative advocacy in Juneau for an increased base student allocation and targeted transportation and program funding.

What comes next

The school board will take public testimony at two upcoming sessions (Jan. 27 and Jan. 28) before the Feb. 4 vote. Assembly members asked the borough clerk and district staff to provide clearer capital‑projects and maintenance lists, school attendance boundaries, and facility utilization data to help members answer constituent questions about specific school conditions and options.

Ending note

Speakers repeatedly emphasized that a shortfall in state education funding — not local school performance — underlies the consolidation proposals, and several public commenters urged the borough and school board to pursue innovative options such as a STEAM magnet designation that could attract and retain families.