Campbell STEM School Fight: Judge's Ruling Decides

0:00A group in Anchorage just took the school district a court to save Campbell-Stem Elementary from shutting down. They're fighting a decision tied to the district's $90 million budget hole. The Campbell-Stem Preservation and Education Foundation sued back in early April, saying the district didn't give enough heads up before recommending the closure. Earlier this week, a superior court judge heard their push for a temporary halt. The foundation wants the judge to block the closure right now and force the district to explain his reasons in detail within 30 days. Their lawyer argued that just five days between the recommendation and public testimony wasn't fair for such a big issue. Meanwhile, the district's attorney's shot back that 11 days was plenty for folks to speak up, especially since state rules for rural spots only need 10 days. This hits hard for families because Campbell is Alaska's only nationally accredited Stem Elementary School. Closing it means losing specialized programs, scattering trained teachers, and disrupting

1:00kids' learning paths. Parents and supporters call it irreparable damage to a one-of-a-kind setup. The district warns a 30-day delay can mess with their May 15th layoff notices. Still, they plan to shift the Stem accreditation to nearby Clad Elementary and let former students lottery in. The superintendent even promised no new closure ideas next year. We'll keep an eye on the judge's ruling, which could decide if this stem gem stays open or gets folded into the budget cuts. Stay tuned as this plays out for Anchorage Kids. From your city, powered by AI, this is Anchorage News Today. I'm Corey with The Story.