Ketchikan School Board Delays Approval of Reduction in Force Plan

The board voted 1-6 to reject the plan in its current form, citing the need for further input from the local teachers' union.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 1:03am

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The Ketchikan Gateway Borough School Board delayed adoption of a reduction in force (RIF) plan during its Wednesday night meeting, likely pushing approval to later this month. The board voted 1-6, failing to pass the plan in its current form, which includes how the district can implement staffing cuts. They plan to revisit an amended version at their next regular meeting.

Why it matters

The school district is over $5 million in debt and enrollment is on the decline, making a RIF plan necessary to outline why and how staffing cuts might happen. However, the board wanted more input from the local teachers' union before approving the plan.

The details

Interim Superintendent Sheri Boehlert said the RIF plan is necessary to outline the 'why and the who and the when' of potential staffing cuts due to the district's financial and enrollment challenges. The board had initially approved the plan on first reading, but most members acknowledged it needed input from the Ketchikan Education Association (KEA) union before final approval. The district and KEA met to make changes, but ran out of time to get the updated plan reviewed by the district's legal team before the Wednesday meeting.

  • The school board voted on the RIF plan during its Wednesday, March 12, 2026 meeting.
  • The board had previously approved the plan on first reading at a special meeting last Saturday.
  • The next time the RIF plan is likely to be considered is at the next regular school board meeting on March 25, 2026.

The players

Sheri Boehlert

Interim Superintendent of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District.

Jordan Tabb

Member of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School Board.

Katherine Tatsuda

President of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School Board.

Lindsay Tucker

President of the Ketchikan Education Association, the local teachers' union.

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What they’re saying

“It talks about the the why and the who and the when. Basically, it outlines that we have a decrease in enrollment, that it may impact our teachers, and that that would come into play once we are talking about our budget.”

— Sheri Boehlert, Interim Superintendent

“I'm not certain whether the proposed changes are grammatical or material. Or if they're going to impact the actual layoff or reduction in force and how that's going to be operated, or who might be impacted if it really just is, 'hey, we made some changes to the graduation requirements because we recognize that there was an error there.' That doesn't seem like something that it's worth holding up this process on.”

— Jordan Tabb, School Board Member

“I agree that some of it may just be language and wordsmithing. But like we all say, it's very important that we're following the process and making it right.”

— Lindsay Tucker, KEA President

What’s next

The school board plans to revisit an amended version of the reduction in force plan at their next regular meeting on March 25, 2026.

The takeaway

This delay highlights the importance of collaboration between school districts and teachers' unions when making difficult decisions around staffing and budget cuts. The Ketchikan School Board recognized the need for further input from the local union before finalizing the reduction in force plan.