Ketchikan school board approves FY 2026–27 budget in first reading after public outcry to protect social workers and counselors

The Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District Board of Education approved the proposed FY 2026–27 budget in a 6–0 roll‑call vote during a special meeting on April 15, after more than two hours of public testimony and extended discussion about personnel cuts and nonpersonnel costs.

Members of the public, district administrators and teachers urged the board not to eliminate social‑work and counseling positions and to avoid across‑the‑board cuts that would weaken programs in smaller or vulnerable schools. Jason House, a district administrator, told the board, “The school board is a governance body, not a management team,” arguing that micromanagement of staffing harms retention and district stability. In written remarks read aloud, school social workers cited more than 260 student contacts this year — including 79 involving suicidal ideation — to underscore the services’ role in safety and crisis intervention.

The board’s vote came after Superintendent Bollard and Business Manager Lisa Pierce presented a budget prepared under previous board direction to cover roughly $1.2 million in nonpersonnel…