Photos: Families, friends say goodbye to three closing Mat-Su schools
Events at Glacier View, Larson and Meadow Lakes celebrated students, staff and school legacies ahead of the campuses’ final day Wednesday.
Community members, staff and students gathered at events at three Mat-Su district schools this month to say goodbye as the facilities close their doors for the last time Wednesday.
Glacier View School, about 55 miles northeast of Palmer, and Meadow Lakes and Larson elementary schools near Wasilla are closing as part of a series of budget cuts that Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District officials said are needed to address a $28 million funding shortfall.
About 400 students who attend Meadow Lakes and Larson will be dispersed to different elementary schools in their area. About 15 students expected to enroll at Glacier View next year will instead be bused about an hour down the road to Sutton or Palmer.
The Mat-Su Sentinel joined families at Larson Elementary and Glacier View School this month to capture evenings celebrating the legacy of each school and the achievements of students and staff.
Note: Mat-Su Sentinel’s coverage of Meadow Lakes Elementary was cut short when we were denied entry to the school’s community night May 13. School administrators told us the event was for school families only; a district spokesperson said media may attend only events that are “specifically open to the general public.”
A social media post shared by Meadow Lakes on May 14 thanked “families and friends” for attending the event. The images below from Meadow Lakes were captured by Mat-Su Sentinel contributing photographer Elise Giordano before we were told to leave. Mat-Su Sentinel is pursuing a legal review of whether the district may deny entry to such public gatherings on school property.
Left: Chalk art decorates the pavement during Larson Elementary’s farewell luau on May 20, 2026. (Photo by Elise Giordano/Mat-Su Sentinel) Right: Leftover food from a food bank hosted at Meadow Lakes Elementary sits near the front entrance on May 13, 2026. (Photo by Elise Giordano)
Nora Bishop, left, and Morgan Dowling look through yearbooks during Larson Elementary’s farewell luau on May 20, 2026. (Photo by Elise Giordano/Mat-Su Sentinel)
Left: Trophies sit inside a glass display case at Glacier View School on May 5, 2026. (Photo by Elise Giordano/Mat-Su Sentinel) Right: Concrete barriers decorated with encouraging messages sit in front of Meadow Lakes Elementary on May 13, 2026. (Photo by Elise Giordano/Mat-Su Sentinel)
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