From left, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education members Jason Tauriainen, Kelley Cizek, Dianne MacRae and Penny Vadla are sworn in by District Secretary Nikkol Sipes during a special school board meeting on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

From left, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education members Jason Tauriainen, Kelley Cizek, Dianne MacRae and Penny Vadla are sworn in by District Secretary Nikkol Sipes during a special school board meeting on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

School board swears in new members, reorganizes

Kelley Cizek, Dianne MacRae, Jason Tauriainen and Penny Vadla took oaths of office during the meeting

New members of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s school board were sworn in during a special board meeting held Monday in Soldotna.

KPBSD Secretary Nikkol Sipes administered oaths of office to Kelley Cizek, Dianne MacRae, Jason Tauriainen and Penny Vadla during the meeting, all of whom won their respective school board races during the Oct. 3 municipal election.

Tauriainen, who represents Nikiski, and Vadla, who represents Soldotna, are both incumbent candidates. Cizek replaces Beverley Romanin in the board’s Sterling and Funny River seat, while MacRae replaces former Board President Debbie Cary, who represented the central district.

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Also during Monday’s meeting, board members elected new officers. Zen Kelly, who represents the southern peninsula, was elected board president after receiving six votes to board member Matt Morse’s three votes. Tauriainen was made board vice president, Virginia Morgan was made board clerk and Penny Vadla was named board treasurer.

More information about the KPBSD Board of Education can be found on the district’s BoardDocs website.

Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.

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