Pearl Creek STEAM charterers press school board on budget, equity and enrollment plans

Pearl Creek STEAM Charter organizers presented a full charter application to the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District board on Oct. 6, outlining a kindergarten-through-six plan that backers say would prioritize project‑based STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) learning, indigenous language and cultural instruction, and smaller class sizes. The application proposes a target enrollment of 352 students in its first full year and a school budget that organizers say would be about $4 million the first year under current funding formulas.

Supporters told the board the proposed school grew from more than 100 community volunteers and committees and highlighted local partnerships, curriculum goals and equity measures that organizers say would expand access for Alaska Native, Title I and migrant families. "This application has just been such a labor of love," said Christina Turman, a lead organizer for the Pearl Creek Academic Policy Committee, as she introduced the team. Dr. Katie Spellman, who presented research on STEAM outcomes, said, "A STEAM model is more than just adding art to STEM" and argued the approach can raise higher‑order thinking and, in some studies, boost outcomes for low‑income students.

Why it matters: Board members repeatedly pressed charter organizers for concrete, line‑item answers about cost, transportation, nutrition, special‑education staffing and how the school would affect district finances if neighborhood students transfer to the charter. Organizers said some details depend on the school being approved — for instance, exact hub locations for busing and final grant applications — and asked to continue collaborative work with district staff before the board's scheduled action date.

Most urgent facts and debate: Organizers presented a budget showing roughly $4 million in projected revenues and…