The West Valley High School auditorium was packed with students and faculty on Wednesday morning, and a tiny press scrum had gathered in front of the stage. The candidates for two seats on the Fairbanks North Star Borough School board were seated at a table in front of the crowd, which was split by a big bouquet of red and gold flowers — West Valley Wolfpack colors.
On one side, there was Sam Spencer and Audra Hull, both running for school board Seat C. And on the other, there was Naomi Hewitt and incumbent school board president Melissa Burnett, running for seat D.
Fairbanks high school students were hosting a candidate forum for the borough’s Oct. 7 school board election. The candidates mostly agreed about core issues like discouraging bullying and considering later start times for classes. But a question about class sizes proved tricky to answer.
West Valley Senior Lena Wiegand stepped up to the mic with a couple other students, who collectively posed a question about how the candidates would address larger classes in the district.
“Budget deficits have led to increased class sizes, which creates more stress for teachers and students and makes for a less productive learning environment,” Wiegand said to the candidates. “If elected, how would you use the $2.7 million budget to remedy increased class sizes in schools?”
The district will receive an additional $2.7 million in state funding after the Alaska Legislature raised the base student allocation by $1,000 this year.
Audra Hull said she’d start by restoring a few positions that were recently cut at Barnette Magnet School and then focus on lowering the pupil-teacher ratio in the district’s secondary schools.
“Smaller class sizes support stronger outcomes for students and help reduce burnout for educators,” she said. “I'd also look at how we can use the funding to protect and strengthen programs like career and technical education, which offer real world pathways to success.”
Hull’s opponent for seat C, Sam Spencer, said her expectations are tempered by her business experience.
“I manage budgets for the oil and gas industry here in Alaska and for the Department of Defense of over $100 million. So, $2.7 million is not enough money to undo all the damage that has been done.”
School districts across the state have faced cuts and closures after years of flat funding. That includes the Fairbanks North Star Borough school district, which faced deep budget cuts in recent years. Low enrollment numbers added to the district’s financial woes because the state funds schools on a per-student basis.
Over the last few years, the district has closed several schools and phased out hundreds of jobs. Earlier this year, though, the Alaska State Legislature overrode Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of more than $50 million for public school funding.
Spencer said, to keep the district out of the red, she’d avoid spending money on what she called unnecessary contracts, investing in tutors instead to give teachers room to breathe.
Melissa Burnett, who is running for reelection, noted that the Fairbanks area is experiencing heavy enrollment loss — so the school district doesn’t have a lot of room to reinvest.
“If we did, my first priority would be absolutely to our teachers in classrooms,” Burnett said. “I would direct those funds towards hiring additional teachers to help bring class sizes down and give both students and teachers the support that they deserve.”
Her opponent, Naomi Hewitt, agreed that lower enrollment constrains how the district can spend money to fix its high student-teacher ratio. She said she’d focus on retaining and recruiting quality teachers.
“Then I’d work with existing teachers and staff at our schools to see what their recommendations are for creating better classroom sizes that fit the needs of each individual student at each grade level,” Hewitt said.
Though most of the students in the crowd won’t be able to vote this year, the candidates thanked them for their participation and thoughtful questions.
Fairbanks North Star Borough residents will decide who will sit on the two contested school board seats during the Oct. 7 municipal election. Early voting starts on Sept. 22.