Fairbanks school board approves closure of three elementary schools after heated public testimony

The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District school board voted Wednesday to close Midnight Sun, Pearl Creek and 2 Rivers elementary schools at the end of the 2024–25 school year, following hours of public testimony and a series of amendments that left Hunter and Saltcha off the final closure list.

The board approved the final consolidation motion in a roll-call vote after extended discussion. The meeting record shows board members Miss Charlie (yes), Allen (yes), Carol Hubbard (yes), Mr. Doran (no), Ms. Hardy (no), Miss Maple (yes), Mr. Burgess (yes), Miss Julian (yes) and President Burnett (yes) among those recorded on the final roll call; the motion was carried.

The vote followed a packed public-comment period in which parents, students, teachers and community members urged the board either to keep neighborhood schools open or to adopt alternative models such as magnet or STEAM-focused options. Speakers who testified against closures included Chelsea Davis, coordinator at 2 Rivers; Christina Turman and other Pearl Creek advocates; and multiple Barnett students who described the disruption consolidation would cause to their school communities. Eric Schoen, a fisheries biologist and parent, described multi‑year community science partnerships tied to Pearl Creek, saying the relationships would be hard to relocate.

“Closing these 5 schools and making massive disruptions will only make [the district] weaker,” Chelsea Davis said in testimony recorded in the meeting transcript. Student speakers also appealed directly to the board: “They hold a special place in our…