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Assembly discusses North Star Elementary's future after district consolidation; seeks cost, capacity data
Summary
After the school district voted to consolidate North Star Elementary into other schools, the borough assembly discussed options for the vacant building, including temporary community uses, sale, lease or preserving it for future school needs. Members asked staff for operating-cost estimates and capacity projections before any decision.
The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly discussed the future of North Star Elementary on Feb. 13 after the Kodiak Island Borough School District voted on Jan. 22 to consolidate North Star into Main and East Elementary schools.
Borough Manager Amy Williams said two capital items will need attention if North Star is vacated: a planned roof design that preserves a skylight to keep light in the library, and the Otmalai Road sidewalk/pathway work previously tied to a Safe Routes to School program. Williams said state contacts signaled interest in savings because earlier project funding was not inflation adjusted.
Assembly members and staff raised several immediate considerations: preserving the gym for community sports, continuing custodial and heating maintenance if the borough accepts responsibility, short-term leasing options, and the risk of creating long-term costs that would fall to borough taxpayers. Assemblymember Scott noted the gym at North Star is a full-size facility used by community groups; he recommended exploring partnerships to keep the gym available. Assemblymember Larry Ledoux emphasized preserving the building as a district asset, noting that replacement cost estimates discussed in the meeting were about $30 million compared with a 2024 assessor figure of about $7.6 million (an assessment figure that is exempt property and may not reflect market value).
Assemblymembers also stressed the need for data before any binding course of action. Manager Williams said the borough would obtain five years of operating data (utilities, fuel, water/sewer, garbage) and confirm how long the district plans to retain furniture and equipment; the district had indicated August as a possible vacate date but storage logistics remain unresolved. Williams also said the borough and district have a March 12 joint work session scheduled where the topic could be discussed further.
Members warned against selling the property if future enrollment increases require school capacity. Assemblymember Larry Ledoux said any re-use should allow the borough or district to restore the site to a school if needed, and recommended against multi-year leases that might preclude reopening. Others urged that if the borough retains the building for community programs, leases should be structured to be cost-neutral (for utilities, maintenance and custodial costs). Several assembly members observed that the building could serve emergency-shelter functions and community services if properly managed.
Manager Williams said staff would collect operating costs, maintenance records, and school-capacity analyses for the March joint work session and for the borough's upcoming FY26 budget discussions.
