School in remote Alaska town needs more students to stave off closing

Enrollment at Tenakee School in Tenakee Springs, Alaska, for the coming year is just five students, which might force the school to close. KCAW Radio reports that residents are hoping to attract new families to town to keep the school open. Unless the school has at least 10 students, the Chatham School District may decide to close it. When a school in Alaska dips below 10 students, it starts losing state funding. In addition to the effect on students, closing the school would be a setback for the local economy. With seven employees, Tenakee School is the city’s largest employer. It’s also the largest consumer of utilities in Tenakee Springs.