Mat-Su Central School celebrates ribbon cutting.

Members of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District (MSBSD), Matanuska-Susitna Borough (MSB) Assembly, community members, and alumni joined students and staff of the Mat-Su Central School (MSCS) to celebrate the ribbon cutting for the new campus building April 4.

“This moment has been years in the making. A long endeavor built on an unwavering commitment to do what is best for kids,” said MSCS Principal Stacey McIntosh.

“This beautiful new facility is not just a building. It is the embodiment of that history, of that vision, and of the countless people who have shaped this school over the years,” McIntosh said during the ceremony. She talked of the history of the school as a place of innovation, creativity, and community that has also embraced unique learning pathways and honored students’ different journeys.

“We have always sought to make the system fit the child, rather than the other way around.”

She said that the continued goal of the school is for education to be dynamic, flexible, and student-centered. “We will continue to partner with families. We will continue to empower students to take ownership of their learning in ways that makes sense for them.”

“It’s an incredible milestone for Mat-Su Central and for our entire community,” said MSBSD Superintendent Dr. Randy Trani during the ceremony. He then thanked the MSB Assembly, the MSBSD school board, and the staff at Mat-Su Central for their collaboration. “From the earliest planning stages to today, this has been a shared effort built on a common vision of what education can be.”

He commented that the school has also been recognized across the state as one of the most comprehensive and successful correspondence programs in Alaska. “This facility ensures that we will continue to lead, to innovate, and to support families in personalizing education in ways that work for them.”

“The Governor has been working nearly his whole life for what this building represents,” said Todd Smoldon, regional director of the Governor Mike Dunleavy’s office in the Mat-Su Valley, adding that Governor Dunleavy, a former educator and school board member in both urban and rural Alaska, recognizes that every child learns differently. “Because of that, education needs to be flexible, needs to be accommodating, and needs to be in a form tailored to each student, not the system.”

While there is still some work to be finished, students and staff are enjoying the new facility and looking forward to the future.

“We’re building for the future,” said Dr. Trani.