Board approves five charter contracts; members urge closer academic oversight

The Fairbanks North Star Borough School Board voted Tuesday to approve five charter-school contracts covering fiscal years 2026–2030, adopting administrative agreements for Boreal Sun, Chinook Montessori, Discovery Peak, Effie Cochran and Watershed Charter School.

Board members praised aspects of the schools while also expressing concern about student achievement metrics. Board member Missus Doolian said she supported the approvals but pressed for more frequent accountability reviews, noting that “when I look at Boreal Sun in particular, I’m concerned about the amount of students that are well below proficient, both in math and language arts.”

Several board members cited initiatives the charters are pursuing to improve outcomes. Doolian noted Discovery Peak’s reported partnership with Watershed on a new math curriculum and said she hoped the district would “work with Watershed and see if there’s an opportunity in the future to expand the number of seats” at high-performing schools.

Board members framed the contracts as administrative five-year agreements that sit alongside the ten-year charters granted under state law; Mr. Dorn reminded colleagues that those longer-term charters contain the primary accountability framework while the contracts address operative details such as auditing, enrollment and district support.

Watershed’s contract drew particular praise: Missus Doolian said Watershed has a waiting list and “is doing tremendous things” on academic measures; the board discussed whether to pursue opportunities to expand successful place-based programs in the district.

Why it matters: The approved contracts keep five charter schools operating under district oversight. Board members signaled they will monitor academic performance closely and consider additional check-ins next year for schools with larger populations of students below proficiency levels.