Enrollment is down by almost 600 students in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District this year compared to last as recorded according to a preliminary tally from the district’s count period.

This is a 5% decline in enrollment over the past year and marks a 23% decline over the past 20 years.

The count period determines the funding the district receives from the state, a majority share of their overall budget. Each student receives an amount from the state, based on a per student funding formula which incorporates other factors that vary by child.

The district’s Senior Research Analyst Ellis Ott gave a breakdown of where students were coming and going and possible reasons for the decline.

Ott said 2,533 students left the district between last year and this current year, 29.8% o

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