Unalaska, AK –
Nikolski's school may have to close. The school only had an average of 9.8 students attend the school each day last year during the October yearly count. If a school has fewer than 10 students, the state cuts their funding. Last year it was cut down to 75 percent. This year, if the student numbers stay low, it will be cut to 50 percent. Aleutian Region School District Superintendent Joe Beckford said he only expects 7 or 8 students to attend.

"If there aren't 10 students this year, the funding goes to 50 percent and that's not enough money to keep the school operational," he said.

Last year's teacher has already been let go because the district cannot afford to hire one for this school year. Until the count occurs in October, a local person will help the students continue with the normal curriculum at the school building. If the count is too low, the school will start to use a correspondence course.

"In the past we've staffed the school with a teacher and a full-time aide. And I'm not sure that that will be possible this year," Beckford said. "So how it will look different is that the activities will be directed by a centralized correspondent rather than as it has been by the school district."

If the count stays low, the students will eventually be considered part of the Adak school for funding purposes.

"You go basically go to about $6,000 per student funding and with that you have to purchase whatever educational services you can purchase to provide for them. So it gets scaled back considerably. Obviously the level of services that the school district can provide will be greatly diminished."

Beckford said the Nikolski school closed in the mid-1990s and re-opened, but he said he is not sure if the school could open again with the regional population decline. The district school board will discuss the future of Nikolski's school at a meeting this week. The other schools in the district, Adak and Atka, each had about 14 students at last year's count and will maintain full funding.