FNSBSD board directs staff to explore lease options for 2 Rivers building amid charter interest
Summary
Board members at the Dec. 1 work session asked administration to prepare tentative lease agreements (with and without BEST co-location), gather cost estimates and five-year financial modeling, and notify charter principals — acknowledging a statutory right of first refusal for existing district charter schools.
The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District board on Dec. 1 directed administration to explore lease options for the 2 Rivers school building after receiving a letter of intent from the 2 Rivers Homestead APC and hearing board discussion about program needs and finances.
Dr. Minor told the board he requested the conversation "to seek direction from the board in terms of how you would like administration to go forward and working with the 2 Rivers charter APC and specifically around a lease for that building." He reminded the board that state statute provides existing district charter schools a right of first refusal for the facility.
Several board members — including Miss Julian and Miss Maple — urged administration to negotiate and to provide precise financial modeling. "I am very supportive of you moving forward and negotiating a lease with the APC," Miss Julian said, noting the APC pulled its prior application to address administrative review concerns and had revised its proposal.
Board members emphasized preserving the district's BEST satellite services if a charter occupies the building. Miss Carol Hubbard confirmed 22 students currently use the BEST services at the 2 Rivers location and suggested negotiating a room or rotating teacher so BEST can continue serving high-school students in the area. Dr. Minor said the district had more than 60 students at 2 Rivers when the school was open last year and that the hub model aims to serve rural homeschooling families.
Board members sought concrete lease terms and cost estimates before committing to a path. Mr. DeGraw (administration) said a tentative lease could be prepared "in a relatively short amount of time, you know, under a week" if it were the team's priority, while also noting other approval steps would be required before any charter opens or a final contract is signed.
The board asked administration to produce two tentative lease agreements (one that preserves BEST space and one that does not), run year‑1 to year‑5 financial models, notify charter principals of availability and the right of first refusal timeline, and return with costings to inform board decisions. No formal lease or charter approval occurred at the work session.
