Parents, teachers and residents oppose proposed elementary restructuring and cuts in Ketchikan budget options

KETCHIKAN, Alaska — Dozens of parents, educators and residents told the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District board at a public listening session that two proposed budget options under consideration would harm students and disrupt families, and that the board has not provided clear, reliable numbers for savings.

The listening session, opened by the board for public comment on district budget options for 2025–26, drew sustained criticism of both “Plan A,” which would cut specials such as music, physical education and library, and “Plan B,” which would reconfigure elementary schools by grade and eliminate some neighborhood school choices. Speakers repeatedly called for more transparency about projected savings and the full size of the district shortfall.

Why it matters: Speakers said the proposals would remove services that parents and teachers consider essential to students’ academic, social and physical development; could force long daily bus rides for young children; and risk legal exposure if special-education needs are not met. Multiple commenters urged the board to delay any vote until state funding and audit information are settled and the community has had additional input.

Parents and educators said cuts to ‘specials’ would be damaging. Lisa Delett, who identified herself as a parent, said, “we need to let our needs drive our budget, not our budget to drive our needs.” Multiple parents and…