It’s time for Page Two: News that might not make the front page for Friday April 3, 2026.
It’s a story the Mat-Su School District knows well. Warnings of cuts are followed by a last-minute rescue of one-time funding, a budget adjustment, or a fix that keeps schools open.
Board President Kathy McCollum admitted at the meeting on Wednesday that she hadn’t trusted budget warnings in the past because a fix always came. But this year, she said, no one should count on a rescue.
District projections show a widening gap between revenue and expenses in the future. The gap is $22.5 million this year.
Declining enrollment, rising costs, and uncertainty in state and local funding drive the shortfall. Superintendent Randy Trani said that gap could reach $93 million within five years without significant changes.
Uncertainty remains for the 2026-2027 school budget. Final state funding may not be known until May or June. Borough contributions are still pending. Major costs like health and property insurance won’t be finalized until late spring. Labor negotiations are ongoing. And enrollment won’t be clear until the fall.
Board member Ole Larson has served since 2008. He said, “This is the worst budget I have ever seen.”
There is no funding increase on the horizon. The district must continue planning school consolidations for Larson Elementary, Meadow Lakes Elementary, and Glacier View School.
District officials told the Borough Assembly last week that a budget increase must be known by May 15 to avoid school closures.
Draft school boundaries are complete. Placements for programs like RISE and preschool are in progress. Agreements for teacher transfers and reassignments have been approved. The district must continue with these changes until it knows otherwise about funding.
The next steps include consolidating staff and materials. This includes classroom supplies, music and physical education equipment, and special education resources.
Students will be reassigned across several nearby schools.
District officials say that over 20% of elementary bus routes already have rides near 50 minutes. School consolidations are not expected to change that.
Larson said the board ultimately bears responsibility for closure decisions.
He cannot support closing neighborhood schools at this point. Failure to keep the schools open means the system has failed.
He added that the district needs long-term planning, not just year-to-year budgeting. He called for a standing committee that includes both the board and administration to look several years ahead.
“The problem is way too big for the board not to be part of the process,” Larson said.
He expects future board policies to address budget deficits and school restructuring.
Trani has seen increased awareness in Juneau about the district budget situation.
He says that community outreach is making a difference.
However, even if some relief comes through for this year it will not solve the long-term problem.
Board member Andrew Shane notes that the issue goes beyond revenue.
He says, “We have an enrollment problem.”
Elementary enrollment in both neighborhood and charter schools is projected to decline by another 300 students by 2027, even as the population continues to grow.
That is almost an entire school.
The decline is in part because of smaller families and more childless families across the state and nation, according to school officials.
Shane said that while advocacy with legislators and assembly should continue, the district must also focus on what it can control.
For now, that means maintaining quality and building trust so that families want to attend local schools.
The next School Board meeting is scheduled for Wedneday April 15 at 6 p.m. at Willow Elementary School.
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This Page Two article was reported by Emily Forstner and produced by yours truly, Lee Henrikson. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.
That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Friday April 3, 2026.