Three Mat-Su Borough School District (MSBSD) schools face potential closure due to a $22.5 million shortfall.
PALMER, Alaska - Three Mat-Su Borough School District schools face potential closure, as the district looks to close an anticipated multimillion-dollar budget shortfall. On Wednesday, the district’s superintendent will present it’s proposed budget to the MSBSD School Board.
According to the district, that budget will include closing three schools. Right now, the district said, Glacier View School, Meadow Lake and Larson Elementary School could face the chopping block to help fix its anticipated $22.5 million shortfall. This is the first time in over a decade that a school closure has been proposed. “It’s a real problem,” Randy Trani, MSBSD superintendent, said. “It’s the last thing that we would like to do. And so for us to be suggesting that this one of the cuts we should make should kind of demonstrate the gravity of the situation that we’re in.” According to Trani, the district is seeing the shortfall due to resources going into K-12 education not keeping up with inflation. If all three schools close, Trani estimated that it would make up $3.8 million of the shortfall. “If they go through with these three schools, then we’ll start the process immediately of redrawing the boundaries to decide where each student’s address, where their new boundary school will go,” Trani said. He added the district could see dozens of staff layoffs. He said laid-off positions would range from reductions in nursing and secondary librarians to administrative positions. The district also said it could see changes to its transportation funding. “The transportation funding that we get from the state of Alaska, we have to supplement that between $4 million and $5 million a year. And that’s only expected to get worse next year,” Trani said. “And we also have some shifts on transportation relative to athletics. That will garner attention from people who are interested in that.” Trani will present his proposed budget on March 4 during the 6 p.m. regularly scheduled MSBSD School Board meeting. The meeting will also include a section for public testimony. The school board will then vote on the budget in two weeks. Alaska’s News Source reached out to Governor Mike Dunleavy for his response regarding the proposed school closures, but have not heard back as of publication.Eagle River family stuck in Mexico as cartel violence eruptsAt the pump: Alaskan oil prices spike after Middle East strikes, lawmakers temper expectations for returns‘Like a jet blasted you in the face’: 85 mph Arctic storm winds trap 150 people at Alaska basketball tournament
MSBSD SCHOOL BUDGET POTENTIAL MSBSD SCHOOL CLOSURES WHAT SCHOOLS IN THE VALLEY MIGHT CLOSE SCHOOL FUNDING LEADING TO SCHOOL CLOSURES IN THE V EDUCATION FUNDING ALASKA MAT SU BOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT FUNDING SCHOOL CLOSURES ALASKA
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
2 Melissa ISD students hit by car on the way to schoolTwo elementary school students in the Melissa Independent School District were hit by a car on the way to school on Monday morning.
Read more »
Tarkington ISD canceling school for Tuesday, March 3, 2026The Tarkington Independent School District has announced they are canceling school for Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Read more »
Mt. Holly Springs leader voices financial concerns over the borough’s partnership with ICEMount Holly Springs Borough council are revisiting the area’s 287-G agreement with ICE after one leader expressed her concerns
Read more »
School bus workers strike in Mat-Su as contract negotiations stallSchool buses in the Matanuaka-Susitna Valley will not be running starting Monday, according to Teamsters Local 959.
Read more »
Residents evacuated as firefighters battle fire in Steelton Borough: policeThe fire was reported around 4:11 p.m. Tuesday at a home in the 600 block of South 2nd Street.
Read more »
Bucks County Coroner ID's woman killed in Bristol Borough fireOne person was killed after a two‑alarm fire damaged six homes on Monday night in Bristol, Pennsylvania.
Read more »