October is the month school districts conduct their official count of students, which determines the amount of funding they receive from the state. The per student funding formula or Base Student Allocation (BSA) is the largest contributor to Fairbanks North Star Borough School District’s budget.

Halfway through the count period, enrollment data for the FNSBSD shows a decrease of almost 500 students, according to FNSBSD Chief Operations Officer Andy Degraw. He told the school board budget committee on Thursday the number is just an estimation for now, the final count day is the last Friday of October.

Because of the drop in enrollment, the district could face up to a $5 million deficit next year. That number isn’t final and is impacted by a variety of factors: the passage of House Bill 5

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