Possibility of Closing Glacier View School

Announcement Copy and Pasted from Superintendent: We need to share important information about the proposed 2026-2027 budget and its impact on Glacier View School. The Mat-Su Borough School District is facing a projected $22.5 million budget shortfall. To close this gap and present a balanced budget, the administration will recommend several significant reductions to the School Board, including the closure of three schools. Glacier View School is one of the school recommended for closure. I want to be clear that this is a recommendation. No final decision has been made.

The School Board will discuss the proposed budget on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. During that meeting, the administration will present recommended reductions along with community input gathered to date. The administration is continuing to collect and
review feedback prior to that discussion. On Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., the Board is scheduled to take action on a preliminary balanced budget. That action will provide additional clarity, but it does not represent final budget adoption. The budget will be formally adopted later in the process, after final revenue amounts from the State of Alaska and the Mat-Su Borough are confirmed. This recommendation is not a reflection of the quality of Glacier View School. It is a strong school with dedicated staff, supportive families, and students achieving at high levels. The recommendation is based on a combination of factors, including declining enrollment, transportation considerations, staffing challenges, and overall system efficiency in light of the district’s financial realities.

We understand that Glacier View School is more than a building. It is a community. We know this news is difficult and personal for many families. Please know this recommendation was not made lightly. A detailed School Closure FAQ, including information on timelines and next steps, will be available on the FY27 Preliminary Budget site after the affected schools are notified this week. We encourage families to review that information as the Board continues its discussion. We are committed to communicating clearly and respectfully throughout this process.

Sincerely,
Dr. Randy Trani
Superintendent
Mat-Su Borough School District

Email sent from Michael Bowles to Superintendent:

Dr. Trani,

I send this email with the hopes that the school district will reconsider closing Glacier View School. Although Glacier View School does not fall inside of District 1 there is a deep rooted connection with the Chickaloon and Sutton communities so I send this on our behalf.

Looking at things from a tax payer perspective, Glacier View residents pay their areawide property taxes and in reality get very little in return compared to the core areas of the borough. I can understand closing Larson and Meadow Lakes in an effort to decrease tax spending however in the case of Glacier View this decision would actually do far more harm than good. Closing schools and consolidating students in a more populated area that are only at half capacity makes fiscal sense. Closing the one school in a rural area that services everyone in the community is a disregard to every taxpayer in the Glacier View community.

I would appreciate your reconsideration of closing Glacier View School and respect their voice on how they want their tax money spent in their community.

Respectfully,
Michael Bowles
Assemblyman
Mat-Su Borough, District 1
(907) 355-1355