EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --
To our Eielson parents:
The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District voted to close Ben Eielson Jr./Sr. High School Tuesday night. I share your disappointment with the decision to close our school. We did our best as a community to influence the final decision but the inability of the district to find a solution to the budget shortfalls ultimately drove the closure decision.
You all have my commitment to continue to work to find the best outcome for our students. I know there are still a lot of unanswered questions on what the school year will look like next year for our Ben Eielson students. Unfortunately, I do not have those answers right now. As a community, we owe it to our children to provide a transition plan that minimizes the impact to their education. We will need your participation to make sure we get the transition plan right once the district develops their engagement strategy.
This process has been difficult for my family and our community. I share your disappointment and frustration but ask that we now focus our collective efforts on the way forward. We all want the very best for our children, and I am confident that if we work together, we can make the most of this difficult situation.
Sincerely,
Paul Townsend, Col, USAF
Commander
354th Fighter Wing
Eielson AFB, AK
Eielson AFB School Liaison Program Manager:
Mr. Earnest "K" Kincade
Earnest.kincade.1@us.af.mil
907-377-7490