The White Cliff building is seen on July 19, 2024. (Michael Fanelli/KRBD)

The Ketchikan School Board on Wednesday postponed a vote to restructure the district’s elementary schools. That came after dozens of community members spoke out against the issue, and some educators said if the decision was going to be made, it needed to happen soon.  

During a listening session before the meeting, teacher Jolene Thomas said teachers and students need time to prepare for such a big change.

“I don’t know that tonight’s the best time, but I just really want to stress that,” Thomas said. “Because having been a person that found out at the end of May that she had to move her entire classroom, it was extremely stressful.”

Since early December, the board has been considering restructuring the island’s three elementary schools by grade level — making two of them Kindergarten through third grade, and the other fourth through sixth grade. The plan was developed with on-site school leaders as a way to help cover a budget deficit currently estimated at about $1.6 million and expected to grow in future years. The superintendent has said restructuring would even class sizes and reduce the number of paraprofessionals needed by consolidating students. 

Parents and educators have spoken out against the plan since it was presented, with many of them concerned about the increased distance young students would be from their schools. Multiple parents have threatened to homeschool their children if the plan goes through.

Later in the meeting, as board members were discussing making appeals for more state funding, Superintendent Michael Robbins expressed his frustration with the legislature and governor’s approach to schools.

“Communities are literally getting ripped apart based upon the lack of funding that exists within this structure,” Robbins said. “If this is how government is going to operate, we will be in a continuous cycle of distress and anger. And what happens is it puts our students in the middle of this, year in and year out.”

After an extended debate, the board voted to postpone the vote on restructuring until their next meeting on Feb. 12. They also directed staff to return with explanations of why a handful of other cost-saving plans are not being considered. The board president said she would compile that list of alternatives and share it with the superintendent in the coming days.