The four candidates running for Fairbanks North Star Borough School District Board of Education took some tough and topical questions last week on Sept. 18 from students at West Valley High School (WVHS).
Topics ranged from budget cuts and start times to school shootings and hate speech. Many answers from candidates were unanimous, while others differed greatly.
Two seats, A and B, are open on the school board. Seat A candidates are Loa Carroll-Hubbard and Tamara Kruse Roselius. For Seat B, the candidates are Morgan Dulian and April Smith.
School start times
At the forum, a ninth grade WVHS student presented the candidates with data suggesting that a majority of students do not get a healthy amount of sleep due to early school start times, and asked what they would do to change start times.
Dulian said she would look at adjusting start times as part of consolidating schools, which she said must be done over the next budget cycle.
“That’s something I will prioritize because I get it,” she said. “I see how difficult it is, and I think that the board is responsible for making sure you have the best opportunities to learn and succeed and thrive.”
Smith’s answer differed from her opponent.
“I approved early start times when I was on the board before, and I will continue to defend them,” Smith said. “When the community was surveyed nearly all the respondents chose the start time option that had their student starting earlier.”
Smith added that West Valley students who completed the survey also chose an earlier start time.
“Late starts for secondary schools do not match our community values no matter what national research says,” she said.
The threat of school shootings
Another WVHS student referenced the Sept. 4 shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia where a 14-year-old killed two teachers and two students — and asked the candidates what they would do to keep Fairbanks schools safe from similar violence.
“Everything that can be done to keep kids safe must be done,” Roselius said. “What we need to talk more about is our mental health crisis in our schools. The best way to address this is proactive, not after something is happening. Our counselors need support. Let’s make sure nobody is left out.”
Carroll-Hubbard referenced her time as an educator in California, where she said she was in three school lockdown situations.
“They were all three very scary and very severe,” she said. “We had police officers that were assigned to our high schools. I would promote that.”
Hate speech
An eleventh grade student shared her experience of being subject to hate speech at West Valley.
“Students use racial slurs, such as the N Word and other derogatory language towards Indigenous people and Asian Americans — as well as plastering swastikas everywhere they can,” the student said. “How would you strive to educate students on the harms of hate speech, punish those saying hate speech and empower students and teachers to speak up against hate speech?”
Smith cited the district’s existing policies regarding hate speech and said she found them adequate.
“I would spend my time educating parents and students about the current policies, their rights and the proper channels to report the bullying and harassment,” Smith said. “The things are in place for your problems to be solved. Students and parents need to be empowered to follow through with their rights.”
She added that she would also follow up on any inaction in addressing bullying concerns, to include filing complaints against the certifications of educators who fail to act.
In her answer, Dulian said she has always tried to seek out voices different from her own.
“Through gaining that understanding of where somebody stands , and how somebody thinks, I’ve been able to develop empathy and also an understanding,” Dulian said. “I try to bring that forward everyday in leadership capacities.”
Dulian concurred with Smith that the current policies are “robust”, but said the district should invest in professional development for educators so they can learn to deal with hate speech in the classroom.
Funding and budget cuts
One topic each of the four candidates agreed on was the need for more funding.
“We have to work with all of our partners from the state, assembly and school district to get the per student allocation we need,” Roselius said. “We got so close to that this past legislative session.”
Earlier this year, the Alaska Legislature overwhelmingly passed a major increase to the base student allocation formula, the money each district receives on a per-student basis. But Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed the bill citing the need for education reforms.
A subsequent veto override failed by one vote — causing school districts across the state to continue operating with one-time funding. In Fairbanks, school district leaders cited the failure of the veto override as the reason for Eielson Jr/Sr High School’s closure.
“We also have to look at the 20-year decreasing enrollment in our school district,” Roselius said. “We have to talk consolidation, but we also have to talk increased opportunities.”
Carroll-Hubbard said budget cuts will definitely be necessary.
“School consolidation is one thing that’s on the chopping block and I know everybody doesn’t like that,” she said. “It’s just the reality. We have less people. We have fewer students. We have schools that are at half capacity.”
Additionally, Carroll-Hubbard suggested cutting down on book expenses.
“I would be willing to bypass brand new books,” she said. “We spent like $300,000 on brand new books one year when we had books that were just fine.”
Carroll-Hubbard added that she would also work with the legislature to increase the BSA.
Lighting round
The West Valley forum also included two lightning rounds where candidates were asked shorter questions and told to hold up “Yes” or “No” signs. Some of those questions and answers are reproduced here:
Are you in support of certified teachers carrying a weapon on school grounds?
Carroll-Hubbard (Seat A): Yes
Roselius (Seat A): No
Dulian (Seat B): No
Smith (Seat B): Yes
Do you think a four-day school week, instead of a five-day school week, would be more beneficial to students?
Carroll-Hubbard (Seat A): No
Roselius (Seat A): No
Dulian (Seat B): No
Smith (Seat B): Yes
Do you support educating students on different sexual orientations and gender identities?
Carroll-Hubbard (Seat A): No
Roselius (Seat A): Yes
Dulian (Seat B): Yes
Smith (Seat B): No
Should schools start drug education awareness programs as early as elementary school?
Carroll-Hubbard (Seat A): Yes
Roselius (Seat A): Yes
Dulian (Seat B): Yes
Smith (Seat B): Yes
Do you plan to improve teacher retention in our district?
Carroll-Hubbard (Seat A): Yes
Roselius (Seat A): Yes
Dulian (Seat B): Yes
Smith (Seat B): Yes
Do you believe that the Fairbanks school district is receiving sufficient funding?
Carroll-Hubbard (Seat A): No
Roselius (Seat A): No
Dulian (Seat B): No
Smith (Seat B): No
Do you support the Alaska School Activities Association ban on transgender girls competing on sports teams that match their gender identity?
Carroll-Hubbard (Seat A): Yes
Roselius (Seat A): No
Dulian (Seat B): Yes
Smith (Seat B): Yes