It’s time for Page Two: News that might not make the front page for Wednesday February 4, 2026.
Mat-Su school district officials want input from residents on budget cuts for next year. They encourage residents to take an online survey.
The three-question survey is open through the end of February. It asks users to rank district programs and topics. One question asks users to rate which items are important to them. Another question asks which items users believe the district can reduce or cut.
The Mat-Su Borough School District is facing an estimated $23 million shortfall in funding for the next school year. The gap is being driven by two things. Operational costs for items like classroom supplies and staff salaries continue to rise. And funding from the state and borough has not kept up with inflation.
District leaders emphasize that substantial cuts are necessary. Otherwise, the financial strain could jeopardize the district’s ability to operate schools effectively.
The district implemented more than $10 million in budget cuts for this school year. They also used about $3 million from reserves.
District officials recommend widespread reductions rather than another one-time fix using reserve funds. Relying on reserves again would reduce the district’s ability to respond to future emergencies or unexpected expenses. And the district would face the same budget challenges next year.
The cost-cutting options presented in the survey include measures that affect students, families, and staff. The options include consolidating neighborhood schools, reducing bus routes, increasing facility usage fees, cutting teaching and administrative positions, raising class sizes, and slashing extracurricular activities.
District spokesperson John Notestine said the survey is designed to prompt residents to consider the difficult trade-offs the district faces. These trade-offs are unavoidable given the size of the shortfall.
Survey responses will be compiled and shared with the School Board before its March 4 meeting. A preliminary budget for the 26–27 school year is expected to be presented at that meeting. Officials say the survey rankings will help guide how reductions are distributed across the district.
In addition to the survey, the district plans to launch a second public engagement tool called “Balancing Act.” This interactive platform will allow participants to experiment with budget adjustments and submit comments and ideas.
These efforts aim to involve the community directly in shaping how the district navigates financial challenges while maintaining essential educational services.
This article was summarized from the Mat-Su Sentinel.
The school board meets tonight at 6 p.m. You can listen to the meeting on bigcabbageradio.org.
Angela Wade of the Chickaloon Village Traditional Council talks about culturally modified trees for the Castle Mountain Coalition Matanuska River Watershed Series tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Sutton Library.
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This Page Two article was written by Mike Chmielewski and read by Lee Henrikson.
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That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Wednesday February 4, 2026.