A Welcome from Superintendent O’Brien

A Welcome from Superintendent O’Brien

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

A Welcome from Superintendent O’Brien

More in Opinion

A cherished "jolly Santa head" ornament from the Baisden Christmas tree. (Photo provided)
Opinion: Reflections of holidays past

Our family tradition has been to put up our Christmas tree post-Thanksgiving giving a clear separation of the holidays

Screenshot. (https://dps.alaska.gov/ast/vpso/home)
Opinion: Strengthening Alaska’s public safety: Recent growth in the VPSO program

The number of VPSOs working in our remote communities has grown to 79

Soldotna City Council member Linda Farnsworth-Hutchings participates in the Peninsula Clarion and KDLL candidate forum series, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, at the Soldotna Public Library in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
Opinion: I’m a Soldotna Republican and will vote No on 2

Open primaries and ranked choice voting offer a way to put power back into the hands of voters, where it belongs

Nick Begich III campaign materials sit on tables ahead of a May 16, 2022, GOP debate held in Juneau. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: North to a Brighter Future

The policies championed by the Biden/Harris Administration and their allies in Congress have made it harder for us to live the Alaskan way of life

Shrubs grow outside of the Kenai Courthouse on Monday, July 3, 2023, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Opinion: Vote yes to retain Judge Zeman and all judges on your ballot

Alaska’s state judges should never be chosen or rejected based on partisan political agendas

A vintage Underwood typewriter sits on a table on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022, at the Homer News in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)
Point of View: District 6 needs to return to representation before Vance

Since Vance’s election she has closely aligned herself with the far-right representatives from Mat-Su and Gov. Mike Dunleavy

The Anchor River flows in the Anchor Point State Recreation Area on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023, in Anchor Point, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Opinion: Help ensure Alaskans have rights to use, enjoy and care for rivers

It is discouraging to see the Department of Natural Resources seemingly on track to erode the public’s ability to protect vital water interests.

A sign directing voters to the Alaska Division of Elections polling place is seen in Kenai, Alaska, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
Vote no on Ballot Measure 2

A yes vote would return Alaska to party controlled closed primaries and general elections in which the candidate need not win an outright majority to be elected.

Derrick Green (Courtesy photo)
Opinion: Ballot Measure 1 will help businesses and communities thrive

It would not be good for the health and safety of my staff, my customers, or my family if workers are too worried about missing pay to stay home when they are sick.

A sign warns of the presence of endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales at the Kenai Beach in Kenai, Alaska, on Monday, July 10, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Opinion: Could an unnecessary gold mine drive Cook Inlet belugas extinct?

An industrial port for the proposed Johnson Tract gold mine could decimate the bay