Fairbanks North Star Borough School District

School district in Alaska, United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District is a public school district based in Fairbanks, Alaska, United States.

Coordinates64°50′31.5″N 147°43′04″W
TypePublic school district
Schools33[1]
NCES District ID0200600[1]
Quick facts Address, Coordinates ...
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
School district headquarters building in downtown Fairbanks.
Address
520 Fifth Avenue
Fairbanks
, Alaska, 99701
United States
Coordinates64°50′31.5″N 147°43′04″W
District information
TypePublic school district
Schools33[1]
NCES District ID0200600[1]
Students and staff
Students11,857 (2024–25)[1]
Teachers608.24 (on an FTE basis)[1]
Staff907.41[1]
Student–teacher ratio19.49[1]
Other information
Websitewww.k12northstar.org Edit this at Wikidata
Close

The district encompasses all of Fairbanks North Star Borough,[2] an area of 7,361 square miles (19,060 km2), which is roughly equal to the size of Rhode Island, Delaware, and Connecticut combined.[3]

History

In 1904 the first public school opened in Fairbanks.[4] This building was made of wood, and was destroyed by a fire on December 4, 1932. A replacement facility, named Main School and now known as Fairbanks City Hall, opened on January 22, 1934. Additional schools began opening circa the 1940s and 1950s.[5]

For the 2011–2012 school year, enrollment in the district was 14,260. For the 2021–2022 school year, enrollment was 12,268, down 14% from the 2011–2012 school year.[6]

In February 2022, the school board made several decisions, including one to close three elementary schools in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, which would save the district $3 million a year. The school district made the decision based a on $20 million budget shortfall. Alaska Public Media reported that "The district will also restructure district middle schools to encompass grades 6 through 8, while most elementary schools will become K-5 schools."[7] In 2022 the school district set the grade configuration of middle schools to grades 6-8.[8]

Schools

source:[9]

Senior high schools

Middle schools

  • Grades 6–8
    • North Pole Middle School (North Pole)
    • Randy Smith Middle School (Fairbanks)
    • Ryan Middle School (Fairbanks)
    • Tanana Middle School (Fairbanks)

Elementary-Middle schools

  • Grades PK–8
    • Barnette Magnet School (Fairbanks)
    • Two Rivers School (Fairbanks)

Elementary schools

  • Grades PK–5
    • Anne Hopkins Wien Elementary School (Fairbanks)
    • Arctic Light Elementary School (Fort Wainwright)
    • Two Rivers Elementary School (Fairbanks)[11]
    • Denali Elementary School (Fairbanks)
    • Hunter Elementary School (Fairbanks)
    • Ladd Elementary School (Fairbanks) PK–8
    • Midnight Sun Elementary School (Fairbanks)[11]
      • It was formerly Badger Road Elementary School and renamed in 2017.[12] The school was renamed because the previous namesake, Badger Road, was named after Harry Badger (died in 1965), who had, in 1916, been convicted of committing a criminal act against a child.[13]
    • North Pole Elementary School (North Pole)
    • Pearl Creek Elementary School (Fairbanks)[11]
    • Salcha Elementary School (Salcha)
    • Emily Ticasuk Ivanoff Brown Elementary School (Fairbanks)
    • University Park Elementary School (Fairbanks)
    • Weller Elementary School (Fairbanks)
    • Woodriver Elementary School (Fairbanks) Note: The Board of Education voted on Feb. 4, 2025, to close Pearl Creek, along with Midnight Sun and Two Rivers Elementary schools, to address a budget deficit and consolidate enrollment.[11]

Charter schools

  • Grades 7–12
    • Effie Kokrine Charter School (Fairbanks)
    • Star of the North Secondary Charter School
      • North Pole Academy (North Pole)
      • Career Education Center (Fairbanks)
  • Grades PK–8 or K–8
    • Chinook Charter Montessori School (Fairbanks) K–8
    • The Watershed School (Fairbanks) K–8
    • Barnette Magnet School (Fairbanks) PK–8

Alternative programs

  • Guided Independent Studies Home Schooling Program
  • Star of the North[14]
  • North Star College[15] 11–12

Former schools

  • Grades 7–12
    • Ben Eielson Junior/Senior High School (Eielson AFB) - The school closed in 2024.[16] The closure was due to a loss in funds.[17]
  • Elementary schools
    • Anderson Elementary School (Eielson AFB, grades K-2) - In 2022 Anderson closed.[18]
    • Joy Elementary School (Fairbanks, later a K-8 school) - Closed in 2022.[19]
    • Main Elementary School - Originally named Main School, it opened on January 22, 1934 to replace a school which had burned down. It received its final name by 1955. It closed in 1976, had several other uses, and became Fairbanks City Hall.[5]
    • Nordale Elementary School - In 2022 it was scheduled to become a facility for alternative education programs.[8]
  • Alternative schools
    • Howard Luke Academy (high school)[20] - It was named after Howard Luke.[21] Effie Kokrine Charter School is located in the ex-Howard Luke facility.[22]

Enrollment

2007–2008 School Year: 14,227 Students[23]
2006–2007 School Year: 15,017 Students[24]
2005–2006 School Year: 14,677 Students[25]
2004–2005 School Year: 14,754 Students[26]
2003–2004 School Year: 14,810 Students[27]

Demographics

There were a total of 14,227 students enrolled in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District during the 2007–2008 school year. Of these, 14,031 were enrolled in grades K-12 and 196 were pre-elementary (early childhood) students. The racial makeup of the district was 66.65% White, 14.45% Alaska Native, 8.34% African American, 5.48% Hispanic, 4.05% Asian, 0.79% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and 0.24% American Indian.[28]

See also

References

External links

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