Parents, teachers urge Ketchikan school board to reconsider elementary restructuring; community offers alternatives

The Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District Board of Education heard more than two hours of public comment Tuesday as parents, teachers and students urged the board to reverse a recent vote to restructure elementary schools and to consider alternate budget cuts developed by the community.

Members of the public said the plan, as presented by district administration, would move roughly "nearly 40% of our district and 700 plus students and families in Ketchikan" to different buildings, separate siblings and lengthen bus rides for many children. Several speakers said the district had not adequately engaged tribes or reached out to families without vehicles.

The community presenters offered three alternative cost-saving proposals that keep neighborhood elementary schools intact: combination classrooms (split-grade rooms) at some grades, relocating district offices out of rented Whitecliff space and eliminating certain vice-principal positions at elementary schools; and a longer-range proposal to move Schoenbar Middle School into Ketchikan High School to preserve CTE (career and technical education) programs while saving building and staffing costs. Presenters said those options could save money without displacing young students across the island.

Why it matters: Parents and educators told the board the proposed specialization would add trauma and instability for young students just recovering from earlier pandemic disruptions, and would strain families who lack private transportation. Multiple speakers cited concerns about special education continuity, loss of teacher teams, expanded bus times and the effect on extracurriculars and mentor relationships.

Public testimony and the community proposal

Students spoke…