The 2019 – 2020 school year is here and we are ready. The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District team is thrilled to welcome back students, staff, and parents to another exciting school year. As a district, we focus on meeting the academic and social emotional needs of every student, every day. This means providing a safe, supportive, and caring learning environment for students and staff. We take this awesome responsibility seriously and look forward to working with our parents and communities.

This coming year we will need to navigate a variety of challenges at the local and state level. Predictable and sustainable revenues are essential to ensure that KPBSD can continue to provide a high quality education for all students. Therefore, we all must remain actively engaged with elected officials to make clear to them what our priorities are for our children and communities, in the present and future. It starts with making wise and informed decisions at the ballot box. So please do your homework.

We welcome back our teachers, instructional aides, nurses, custodians, secretaries, bus drivers, and food service professionals—they are the backbone of the district’s success. I am pleased to welcome the following school administrators to new assignments. In the southern peninsula: Josh Hinds, Chapman School; Michael Crane, Port Graham School (and Nanwalek); Jeff Ambrosier, Susan B. English School in Seldovia (and Ninilchik School). In the central peninsula, we welcome Janae Van Slyke, K-Beach Elementary principal; Elizabeth Kvamme, K-Beach Elementary assistant principal; Brianna Randle, Kenai Central High School principal; Will Chervenak, Kenai Central High School assistant principal; Curt Schmidt, Soldotna High School assistant principal; and returning to Tebughna School, Pam Potter. In Seward, Trevan Walker, the Seward High School principal, will also become the Seward Middle School administrator.

We hope that parents, business partners, and community members will join us to volunteer in the schools and become involved in partnerships to support students. Our community schools are better when we have the help of parents and community members in order to support every child. I can’t wait to talk with you in the coming months and wish you a great start to school. Connect with the district through our mobile app, and on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. Together we can and will make this another outstanding year.

Sincerely,

John O’Brien

Superintendent of Schools

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District