Rural News Network https://www.kaxe.org/tags/rural-news-network Rural News Network en-US Copyright Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:05:14 GMT In south-central Alaska, neighborhood schools double as community hubs. Closing them has sweeping impacts. https://www.kaxe.org/rural-news/2026-10-14/common-ground-alaska-neighborhood-schools-community-hubs-closing From emergency shelters and food banks to sports and church services, school buildings across the Matanuska-Susitna Valley serve as important community connectors, residents and officials said. Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:05:14 GMT https://www.kaxe.org/rural-news/2026-10-14/common-ground-alaska-neighborhood-schools-community-hubs-closing Amy Bushatz, Emily Forstner | Mat-Su Sentinel When rural districts combine, wins for budgets and students come with identity loss https://www.kaxe.org/local-news/2026-09-18/when-rural-districts-combine-wins-for-budgets-and-students-come-with-identity-loss The Iron Range offers a window into communities reckoning with how their identities must change for the betterment of future generations as schools increasingly collaborate. Fri, 18 Sep 2026 14:43:41 GMT https://www.kaxe.org/local-news/2026-09-18/when-rural-districts-combine-wins-for-budgets-and-students-come-with-identity-loss Megan Buffington