School board restores counselors, tutors and music staff in FY27 budget amid tense line‑by‑line debate

The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District board spent much of its March 17 meeting debating and approving a string of amendments to the FY27 recommended budget, restoring dozens of staff positions the administration had proposed for partial or delayed return.

School finance staff opened deliberations by presenting a baseline “balancing act” scenario that assumed $64.55 million in local contribution and outlined a set of restorations and a modest top-line surplus for the board to allocate. “Virtually zero of you are going to agree 100% with this scenario. That’s not the point,” the finance presenter said as he framed the tool the board would use to make trade-offs.

From that starting point the board approved a series of motions by roll call or voice vote. Key approved amendments included restoring additional school counselors (.5 FTE positions at several sites as part of a broader equity effort), raising the budgeted vacancy rate from 0.85% to 1.25% to provide more margin for hiring, and adding classroom tutors and behavior support technicians at the elementary level. Trustee Miss Dulian, who moved to add eight classroom tutors, said the positions were intended to let schools place targeted support where students need it most and that tutors would be easier to fill than certified teacher slots. “This is going to make a difference and I would like us to go to 10,” she said in support of the amendment.

The board also restored several music positions after public testimony urged investment in band and orchestra. Public speaker Aaron Janoso told the board the answer to whether music is a priority “is emphatically and of course yes,” and trustees responded by restoring four elementary music FTE and two secondary instrumental music FTE in the adopted changes.

Other staffing restores approved included an additional 10 elementary behavior support technicians to help manage post‑pandemic increases in student behavioral needs, the restoration of a communications/recruitment specialist to support enrollment and outreach, and partial restorations for Barnett magnet exploratory staffing and the district’s Extended Learning Program (ELP) after several amendments and compromises.

Board members repeatedly pressed administration for implementation details and cautioned about sustainability. Some trustees argued for a cautious approach because several positions are certified, full‑year hires and because the district’s state revenue assumptions can change. In several cases administrators said they would work with principals after the vote to place staff where they best meet student needs and to avoid Title I comparability issues.

Votes were taken for each amendment (roll‑call votes recorded in the meeting minutes). Notable roll calls included the vacancy‑rate increase (carried by a 6–4 vote) and unanimous or near‑unanimous approval for the classroom tutors and the communications specialist. After completing the line‑by‑line work, the board recessed and set a reconvened meeting for March 18 at 5:30 p.m. so administration could finalize the resolution documents required to enact the recommended budget.

The board’s actions adopt targeted restorations while leaving several implementation details — exact school assignments, hiring timelines and comparability checks for federal programs — to administration. Trustees emphasized that final budgeting and any additional adjustments will be finalized at the reconvened meeting and in the subsequent approved budget in June.