McNeil Canyon Elementary was floated for the district's closure list, then left off it

What happened

At its February 17, 2026 meeting, McNeil Canyon Elementary's site council learned that a KPBSD board member had asked administration to add McNeil Canyon to the district's list of schools under consideration for closure or consolidation, and that three district administrators had separately written to the board urging the same. The council began compiling enrollment and repair-cost data for its own letter opposing a closure and asked the community to contact the school board and state legislators. When the board voted on April 6, 2026 to close four schools (River City Academy, Seward Middle School, Sterling Elementary School, and Tustumena Elementary School), McNeil Canyon was not one of them.

Why it matters to families

Families at McNeil Canyon had real reason to worry their school could be next, even though the board's public April 6 vote never named McNeil. It shows how a site council can become the first, and sometimes only, place parents learn their school is being discussed for closure, and how organizing there can factor into what the board ultimately decides.

The evidence

The February 17, 2026 McNeil Canyon Elementary Site Council minutes name the board member's request and the administrators' letter, and record the council's plan to gather data and mobilize letters. The district's April 6, 2026 board minutes list the four schools closed, which do not include McNeil Canyon.

The source