The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District plans to eliminate 167 jobs in response to a $16 million budget deficit for Fiscal Year 2026. Officials unveiled the proposal Tuesday night, outlining reductions in education staff, support personnel, and counselors.
The district previously avoided mass layoffs by not replacing departing teachers, but that strategy no longer suffices, Fairbanks Education Association President Danette Peterson said. “In the past, we’ve been able to avoid those big pink slips by simply not replacing those educators who have left our district for a variety of reasons,” Peterson explained.
The district has already closed three schools for FY26, and educators fear more losses are coming. Non-tenured staff members now face anxiety and uncertainty about their futures. She warned that teachers affected by Fairbanks school budget cuts could seek jobs in other states.
The proposal includes eliminating 18 full-time elementary teaching positions and 15 full-time secondary teaching roles, along with a career education teacher. District leaders also plan to increase class sizes by 2.5 students per teacher, raising concerns about safety and education quality.
Peterson emphasized the difficulties of managing overcrowded classrooms. “If you have a student that has any type of disability … it gets really tricky to provide the needed space,” she said.
Counseling services will also be reduced, with 2.5 counseling positions set for removal. Peterson noted that schools like Anne Wien Elementary, which is expected to enroll 390 students, would have just one counselor, far above the recommended ratio of 250 students per counselor.
According to Education Support Staff Association President April Johnson, support staff reductions will affect about 75 positions, including classroom aides and special education assistants. Three jobs will also be cut from nutrition services.
The school board will finalize the budget in March. With the impact of Fairbanks school budget cuts looming, educators and families remain deeply concerned.
This news article was originally published by Alaska´s News Source.
