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North Star News - February 2024
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Photo: Welding student at Hutchison High School
What's inside?
- FY25 Proposed Budget
- School Climate Survey
- Black History Month Contest
- and more!
Dear Students, Families, and Staff,
I wanted to take this opportunity to share information from the fiscal year 2025 proposed budget with you. Due to inadequate education funding, the school district faces making unprecedented cuts to balance its budget.
Balancing the budget means making painful tradeoffs that affect the education our students receive. My own children attend school here in our district and I want them, and all our students, to have the best education possible. Please know that we explore every option before resorting to the reductions you’ll find in the proposed budget and that the reductions were not made lightly. The school board and I welcome input from stakeholders as we work through creating a recommended budget to send over to the borough in the next month. By working as a team, we can navigate these challenges while still empowering students’ growth and achievement. Read the full letter here.
Dr. Luke Meinert
FNSBSD Superintendent
FY25 Proposed Budget Video
Superintendent Dr. Luke Meinert and Chief Operations Officer Andy Degraw share about the budget process and challenges the school district faces this year.
Advocate For Public Education
How can you help advocate for public education funding?
Share a public opinion message with all legislators
- Encourage the borough assembly to pass the ordinance calling for a special tax cap election
- Engage in the tax cap election process that could bring $10 million to the school district
School Climate Surveys are OPEN!
You are invited to participate in the annual School Climate Parent Survey! The survey is anonymous, takes about 10 minutes, and results are used to understand and improve the educational climate of our schools. Thank you for participating!
The parent survey closes on Sunday, March 10, 2024.
Earn a free college credit with UAF School of Education!
Don't miss your chance to earn a free college credit and start your journey toward becoming a teacher! The UAF School of Education is offering a one credit course open to all FNSBSD support staff, substitutes, and community members. Limited seats available! Interested applicants must be fully registered with UAF before the class starts on February 19. Register online here.
SchoolCafe/Free & Reduced Meal Applications | Nutrition Services
If you previously had a free and reduced meal application processed and feel your children might qualify for a better meal eligibility, please complete a new meals application and send the following information to foodservice@k12northstar.org:
- Income documentation for the prior 30 days
- Student(s) names and meal application number (if completed online)
Teacher Honored as One of the Nation’s Best with Surprise $25,000 Milken Educator Award
Congratulations to Megan Eilers! Eilers was named Alaska’s sole 2023-24 Milken Educator Award recipient winning $25,000. A registered nurse, Eilers has dedicated her life to both the healthcare and teaching professions, drawing from her experiences in the field to educate students about the realities of modern-day healthcare. Whether students are learning about CPR, First Aid, or the inner workings of a pharmacy technician’s responsibilities, her engaging classroom practices have yielded continuously growing class enrollment. Read more here.
2024 NAACP Black History Month Contest
The local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the FNSBSD are proud to sponsor the 2024 Black History Month Contest. We invite all K-12 students to participate in this annual contest. This contest is an opportunity for students to showcase their knowledge, encourage the study of Black History, and show excellence in creativity. Entry submission deadline is Friday, March 1, 2024. View the details here.
North Star College Enrollment Lottery Open!
North Star College is accepting applications from eligible sophomores and juniors! The 2024-25 school year application lottery closes February 23, 2024. Students enrolled will earn a FNSBSD high school diploma from North Star College and college credits towards a certificate or a degree. Learn more and apply for the lottery here.
Upcoming informational nights:
- Tuesday, Feb. 20, 5:30 p.m. at Nordale Education Center
- Wednesday, Feb. 21, 7:00 p.m. Join online via ZOOM
Alaska EdVenture Podcast: Navigating the Budget and Impacts to Classrooms with Andy Degraw
K-5 Student Poster Contest for Fairbanks Waste Reduction Week
Parent-Teacher Conferences | Alaska Reads Act
At the February Parent-Teacher Conferences, February 19–20, teachers will share important information regarding parent or guardian rights and responsibilities regarding student grade level placement. The state allows parents or guardians to make the determination, once, to hold their K-3 grade child back, or repeat a grade, if they are below or well below grade level in reading based on the benchmark testing. Parents also have the right to decide to move their child on to the next grade with their peers.
Your input is necessary and valuable at the February Parent-Teacher Conferences. Please expect to see communication coming soon from your childs’ school. We encourage you to participate in the conferences and learn more about this important learning decision for your child.
Every Day Counts! | Attendance Matters
Some of the most significant benefits for students of regular attendance are in the daily connections and community building that happens every day throughout our schools. To learn more about our district’s goals for decreasing chronic absenteeism and find resources, visit our attendance website.
Career and Technical Education Month
February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, which celebrates the value of CTE and the achievements and accomplishments of CTE programs. Learn more about the district's CTE programs.
English Language Learners Testing | Teaching & Learning
All K-12 grade students identified as English Learners (EL or ELL) will be taking the ACCESS for ELLs test during the months of February and March. ACCESS for ELLs measures English Learner students’ skills in Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing English. More information about ACCESS for ELLs can be found here.
Free Online Tutoring K-12 | Teaching & Learning
Live Homework Help provides free, online tutoring to Alaskan students in grade K-12 and intro level college students. Offered Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon to 2 a.m. Alaska Time. Students can work with a live tutor or use the study resources independently. Click here for more information.
After School Programs (ASP) | Student Support Services
21st CCLC ASP Grant Funded Programs Sites: Anne Wien, Denali, Hunter, Ticasuk Brown, Weller, Ryan, and Lathrop.
Comprehensive School Counseling Program | Student Support Services
The mission of the FNSBSD Comprehensive School Counseling Program is to advocate and provide support for maximum student achievement in the areas of academic, career, and personal/social growth. School counselors work with parents, educators, and the community to provide developmentally appropriate and comprehensive services that meet the needs of all students.
Photo credit: West Valley Wolfpack Hockey
Student Activities | Athletics
Click the google sheet links below for activity calendars.
Learn more about student activities.
Eielson: https://www.arbiterlive.com/Teams?entityId=6726
Hutchison: https://www.arbiterlive.com/Teams?entityId=10685
Lathrop: https://www.arbiterlive.com/Teams?entityId=12446
North Pole: https://www.arbiterlive.com/Teams?entityId=16328
West Valley: https://www.arbiterlive.com/Teams?entityId=25400
Upcoming Events
FEB 19 | Parent-Teacher Conferences (no school)
FEB 20 | Parent-Teacher Conferences (no school)
FEB 20 | 5:30 p.m. North Star College Info Night at Nordale Education Center
FEB 21 | 7:00 p.m. North Star College Info Online Session via ZOOM
FEB 21 | Professional Development (no school)
Board of Education Meetings
FEB 12 | 5:30 p.m. Board Work Session: Budget
FEB 15 | 5:30 p.m. Board Special Meeting: Student Discipline
FEB 15 | 5:30 p.m. Board Policy Committee Meeting
FEB 19 | 5:30 p.m. Board Special Meeting: Student Discipline
FEB 19 | 6:00 p.m. Board Work Session: Policy Work
FEB 20 | 6:00 p.m. Board Regular Meeting
FEB 22 | 5:30 p.m. Board Budget Committee Meeting
FEB 26 | 5:30 p.m. Board Work Session: Budget
FEB 28 | 5:30 p.m. Board Parent Engagement Committee Meeting
The 50th Festival of Native Arts will be held at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Troth Yeddha’ Campus on Feb. 22-24, 2024.
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
Email: publicrelations@k12northstar.org
Website: www.k12northstar.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/fsdk12/
Instagram: @fsdk12
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@northstar907
THE FAIRBANKS NORTH STAR BOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY INSTITUTION, AS WELL AS A TOBACCO AND NICOTINE-FREE LEARNING AND WORK ENVIRONMENT.