Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District Explained

Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District
Motto:	Preparing Students for Success
Budget:	$150,531,684
Grades:	PK - 12
Superintendent:	Randy Trani
Teachers:	1,200
Staff:	about 100
Students:	15,969^[1]
Location:	Palmer, Alaska and surrounding communities
Country:	United States
Schedule:	August to May^[2]
Website:	http://www.matsuk12.us/

Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District (MSBSD) is a school district based in the city of Palmer, Alaska. It serves 40 schools across Mat-Su Borough, which each enroll from 15 to 1300 students.^[3] The estimated sum of the total number of students attending schools in this district is 15,969.^[1] MSBSD is the second-largest school district in Alaska,^[4] with the largest district being Anchorage School District.^[5]

In the 2007-2008 school year, Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District had an expenditure of $150,531,684, which is a $9,426 expenditure for every student.^[6]

The current superintendent is Dr. Randy Trani.^[7]

History

In April 2020 the school district board deemed five books, Catch-22, The Great Gatsby, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Invisible Man, and The Things They Carried, to be inappropriate for use in the classroom.^[8] Among the reasons cited were "anti-white" sentiments. A local attorney responded with a "book challenge," asking students to read all five works.^[9] In May of that year the school board restored the books to the curriculum.^[10]

Schools

K-12 schools

• Beryozova School, a public K-12 school in Willow
• Correspondence Study School, a public K-12 school in Wasilla
• Glacier View School, a public K-12 school
• Twindly Bridge Charter School, a public K-12 school, in Wasilla

6-12 schools

• Susitna Valley Junior/Senior High School, a public secondary school, serving grades 6 - 12, in Talkeetna
• Joe Redington Senior Junior/Senior High School, a public secondary school, serving grades 6 - 12, in Knik

High schools

• Burchell High School, a public alternative school in Wasilla
• Colony High School, a public secondary school near Palmer
• Houston High School, a public secondary school in Houston
• Mat-Su Career and Technical High School, a public secondary school in Wasilla
• Palmer High School, a public secondary school in Palmer
• Valley Pathways High School, a public alternative school in Palmer
• Wasilla High School, a public 9 - 12 school in Wasilla

K-8 schools

• Academy Charter School, a charter school, serving grades K - 8, in Palmer
• Fronteras Spanish Immersion Charter School K-8, a public charter school in Wasilla

Middle schools

• Colony Middle School, a public middle school in Palmer
• Houston Middle School, a public middle school in Big Lake
• Palmer Middle School, a public middle school in Palmer
• Teeland Middle School, a public middle school in Wasilla
• Wasilla Middle School, a public middle school in Wasilla

Elementary schools

• Big Lake Elementary School] in Big Lake
• Butte Elementary School in Palmer
• Cottonwood Creek Elementary School in Wasilla
• Dena'ina Elementary in Wasilla
• Finger Lake Elementary School in Wasilla
• Goose Bay Elementary School in Wasilla
• Iditarod Elementary School in Wasilla
• Larson Elementary School in Wasilla
• Machetanz Elementary School in Wasilla
• Meadow Lakes Elementary School in Wasilla
• Pioneer Peak Elementary School in Palmer
• Sherrod Elementary School in Palmer
• Snowshoe Elementary School in Wasilla
• Sutton Elementary School in Sutton
• Swanson Elementary School in Palmer
• Talkeetna Elementary School in Talkeetna
• Tanaina Elementary School in Wasilla
• Trapper Creek Elementary School in Trapper Creek
• Willow Elementary School in Willow

See also

• List of school districts in Alaska

References

• Web site: Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District 2007  - 2008 Adopted Budget . 2009-01-15 . Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District . 2007-06-06 .

External links

• Official website

Notes and References

1. Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District 2007  - 2008 Adopted Budget p.16
2. Web site: Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District Transportation . 2009-01-15 . Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District . 2007-06-06 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090520174552/http://www.matsuk12.us/matsu/lib/matsu/_shared/MSBSD_Forms/Transportation/Schedule%20and%20Routes/RegularEducationTransportationSchedulefy08.pdf . May 20, 2009 .
3. Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District 2007  - 2008 Adopted Budget p. 11
4. News: Eric . Fry . Alaska's schools seek more money . . 2005-02-09 . 15 January 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120225061436/http://juneauempire.com/stories/020905/loc_20050209002.shtml . dead . 2012-02-25.
5. Web site: Mat-Su Borough School District . 2009-01-15 . Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District . https://web.archive.org/web/20090212215712/http://www.matsuk12.us/173310101794536783/site/default.asp . dead . 2009-02-12 .
6. Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District 2007  - 2008 Adopted Budget p. 56
7. Web site: Mat-Su Borough School District . 15 January 2009 . Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090916061633/http://www.matsuk12.us/17331082913527383/site/default.asp . 16 September 2009 .
8. Web site: Li, David K.. Alaska school board removes 'The Great Gatsby,' other famous books from curriculum for 'controversial' content. NBC News. 2020-04-28. 2020-04-29.
9. News: Taylor . Derrick B.. Alaska School District Votes Out 'Catch-22,' 'Gatsby' and Other Classics . 30 April 2020 . New York Times . 29 April 2020.
10. Web site: Alaskan school board lifts ban on Gatsby and Catch-22 after protests . The Guardian. 2020-05-22. 2020-05-22.