Low enrollment is threatening state funding for Klukwan School and stressing an already strained relationship between Chatham School District administrators and Klukwan parents and staff.
Currently at eight students, if Klukwan’s enrollment stays below 10 by Oct. 23, the school might be in danger of closing based on Alaska Department of Education and Early Development funding requirements.
“We’re a little concerned at this point,” said Klukwan School secretary Frances Leak. “It’s possible we could close this school year, but it’s more likely that we might close down next year. It’s been tough for the past three years. We’ve never been down to this few.”
Part of the Chatham School District, the Klukwan School is funded by the Chatham school board. No members of the board live in Klukwan. The Chatham district also includes Tenakee Springs, Angoon and Gustavus.
“The school board is responsible for the budget. The district has had schools drop below 10 in the past and sometimes they have been kept open for a year in the hopes of enrollment coming back up again,” said Chatham school board president Elizabeth Hooge. “Closing is a possibility, but I believe the board has talked about, if enrollment does stay low, it would be better not to close the school but perhaps be able to transform it like Tenakee Springs did with their school.”
Tenakee Springs’ school enrollment fell below 10 several years ago. The town partnered with Chatham to pay utilities and keep the building open as an “independent learning center.” Although there’s no full-time teacher, the former school offers classroom space for homeschooling, computer and internet access, tutors, special education services and music lessons, Hooge said.
Hooge said that if Klukwan does stay below 10, it’s possible that no hard decision, like transitioning the school along the lines of Tenakee, will be made this year. But the count will influence how the district is funded by the state.
“Our budget this year is based on last year’s numbers, but that is not how we are funded. We are funded this year based on this year’s numbers,” Hooge said. “If you have well above 10 students or fewer than 10 you’ve already issued teacher contracts, but you will not be funded as if you had more than 10. You would be funded for less than 10. It’s a difficult juggling act and a crystal globe gazing act.”
Klukwan School has also had difficulty this year retaining a teacher. It lost funding for a second teacher in 2019. The district hired a new head teacher this year but the person never showed up to teach.
“And our second teacher came for one day and didn’t come back again,” Hooge said.
Klukwan has hired a temporary substitute teacher.
Maggie Hotch has three school-age children. Her two daughters both attended Klukwan until they were old enough to participate in activities like sports. She transferred her youngest daughter to Haines this year. Her son still goes to Klukwan, but Hotch said the school hasn’t had reliable bus transportation since last year when the district-owned bus was damaged in a fire. The school has also gone without a school lunch program. The Chilkat Indian Village has been providing transportation for students. Hotch blames the district’s administration for reduced enrollment.
“We have time to get there before count but without a lunch program and without consistent transportation and without a teacher hired, I don’t know,” Hotch said.
Klukwan principal Brad King, who lives in Gustavus, and other administrators met with Klukwan parents last month. “I think there’s been a lot of things that have happened with the school that put it in a position of difficulty,” King said. “I would also say there’s communication problems, but they don’t only come from one side. I have my cell phone on me all the time. I rarely get a call from the office over there.”
But not all Klukwan parents have King’s cell phone number. Like other Klukwan parents, Melissa Blaine told the CVN she is also frustrated by what she says is a lack of communication from Chatham administrators.
“I’ve hardly received any communication. They have not called or sent out any emails stating what is happening, what may happen,” Blaine said. “It’s awful.”
Blaine transferred her daughter Abby, a seventh grader with a learning disability, to Klukwan this year.
“It’s very upsetting because this is all Abby has for an opportunity for schooling. She had a hard time with bullying in Haines,” Blaine said. “She doesn’t want to go back to that school.”