Education

KPC enrollment flat for 2017

Enrollment at Kenai Peninsula College is changing by staying the same, after years of increasing enrollment followed by years of decreases, the college welcomes the… Continue reading

Sterling Elementary receives grant for community project

Sterling Elementary School is now home to an ‘Unsung Hero,’ thanks to a grant given to school principal Denise Kelly. The Voya Unsung Heroes Grant… Continue reading

Students dismissed 90 minutes early on Wednesday

Students will be heading home 90 minutes earlier on Wednesday. The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District will release all students early in order to allow… Continue reading

First-year PEAKS results show peninsula students ahead of state

The first year’s results of the state’s new standardized public school assessments show that students in general aren’t doing as well as they could, but… Continue reading

Alaska’s students failing, state tests show

More than half of Alaska’s schoolchildren are not proficient in math, science and English, according to the results of the state’s new standardized tests. According… Continue reading

Colleen Puch wishes the students on her bus good luck on their first day of school at Nikiski North Star Elementary School, marking the start of her forty fourth year as a school bus driver Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2017 in Nikiski, Alaska. She chose to drive for one more year so she could drive her great-grandson to school, after having driven her children and grandchildren. (Photo by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

Year begins in Kenai Peninsula Borough School District

Along the stretch of South Miller Loop Road to Nikiski North Star Elementary, students, with their families watching, patiently awaited the school bus that would… Continue reading

Colleen Puch wishes the students on her bus good luck on their first day of school at Nikiski North Star Elementary School, marking the start of her forty fourth year as a school bus driver Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2017 in Nikiski, Alaska. She chose to drive for one more year so she could drive her great-grandson to school, after having driven her children and grandchildren. (Photo by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

Four seats on the school board ballot in October

Some Kenai Peninsula Borough School District students will be braving the halls of high school for the first time this year, or greeting a new… Continue reading

New school bus routes finalized, practice run Monday

To avoid any first day of school jitters, the Apple Bus Company will hold a practice run of the new bus routes on Monday in… Continue reading

Voters cast their ballots at the Kasilof Fire Station on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016 in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)

Step on up, take a seat

With 42 elected offices opening up this fall, Kenai Peninsula residents will have ample opportunity to get involved in local governments. On October 3, voters… Continue reading

Voters cast their ballots at the Kasilof Fire Station on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016 in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)
Recent high school graduates from throughout Alaska are working closely with U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski through the summer internship program, which lasts until August 4 and exposes the interns to the day-to-day life in a senator’s office. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski’s office)

Young Alaskans shadow Murkowski on Capitol Hill

From the outside, Capitol Hill seems like a hectic place this summer, but a group of ten recent Alaska high school graduates are experiencing it… Continue reading

Recent high school graduates from throughout Alaska are working closely with U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski through the summer internship program, which lasts until August 4 and exposes the interns to the day-to-day life in a senator’s office. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski’s office)

District hires 12 teachers

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District is moving forward with hiring 12 of 30 open positions for the 2017-2018 school year after the Kenai Borough… Continue reading

Brian Tye Kuhr, 14 of Kasilof, maneuvers his drone at UP STREAM Academy, a week-long program aimed to provide a STEM camp for Title VI Students in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, Thursday, June 1, 2017. The academy was held at the Challenger Learning Center of Alaska Center in Kenai, Alaska. (Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

Alaska Native students go UP STREAM

From Nanwalek to Kenai, 36 Alaska Native students from across the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District were brought together at the Challenger Learning Center of… Continue reading

Brian Tye Kuhr, 14 of Kasilof, maneuvers his drone at UP STREAM Academy, a week-long program aimed to provide a STEM camp for Title VI Students in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, Thursday, June 1, 2017. The academy was held at the Challenger Learning Center of Alaska Center in Kenai, Alaska. (Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)
A Connections Home School graduate sports a decorated cap at her graduation ceremony Thursday at the Soldotna High School auditorium. (Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

Connections celebrates graduates

The Soldotna High School auditorium was filled with graduates who have never walked a hall together, but who celebrated their graduation from Connections Home School… Continue reading

A Connections Home School graduate sports a decorated cap at her graduation ceremony Thursday at the Soldotna High School auditorium. (Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)
Flanked by his past portraits, River City Academy graduate Morgan Shepherd speaks to his eleven peers in River City’s class of 2017 during the school’s graduation ceremony on Wednesday, May 24, 2017 at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. All the graduates gave speeches at the ceremony, introduced by principal Dawn Edwards-Smith, who compared each one to a literary or cinematic hero.

River City grads reminisce

Each of the 10 River City Academy graduates present in the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex for the school’s Wednesday graduation ceremony gave a short speech… Continue reading

Flanked by his past portraits, River City Academy graduate Morgan Shepherd speaks to his eleven peers in River City’s class of 2017 during the school’s graduation ceremony on Wednesday, May 24, 2017 at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. All the graduates gave speeches at the ceremony, introduced by principal Dawn Edwards-Smith, who compared each one to a literary or cinematic hero.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education members took a ride on one of the district’s new buses from Seward High School to Seward Middle School on Monday, May 1, 2017 in Seward, Alaska. (Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

District’s new buses begin to arrive

The first wave of Apple Bus Company buses have arrived on the Kenai Peninsula. The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District will begin its 10-year contract… Continue reading

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education members took a ride on one of the district’s new buses from Seward High School to Seward Middle School on Monday, May 1, 2017 in Seward, Alaska. (Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)
Callie Giordano, a teacher at Mountain View Elementary, participated in a rally on Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at the corner of Swires Road and the Kenai Spur Highway to support fully funding education. (Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

Mountain View Teachers gather to support status-quo funding

In lieu of a walk out, a group of Kenai Peninsula Borough School District teachers and their supporters held a “walk-in” rally on Tuesday morning… Continue reading

Callie Giordano, a teacher at Mountain View Elementary, participated in a rally on Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at the corner of Swires Road and the Kenai Spur Highway to support fully funding education. (Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)
Connor McKamy, a graduate of the Kenai Peninsula College’s welding program, shows fourth-graders from Mountain View Elementary an example of the work he does. (Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

Fourth-grade going on Freshman

Here is what fourth-graders know about college. “College helps you get a better job,” “there’s a lot of knowledge there and you can make things”… Continue reading

Connor McKamy, a graduate of the Kenai Peninsula College’s welding program, shows fourth-graders from Mountain View Elementary an example of the work he does. (Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)
Bobbie Larrivee, a special education teacher at West Homer High School, waits to receive a certificate honoring her as one of the 2017 BP Teachers of Excellence at an awards banquet Thursday, April 27, 2017 in Soldotna, Alaska. BP recognized five teachers from around the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District for excellence in teaching with certificates, $500 gift cards and $500 donations to their schools. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

BP honors Kenai Peninsula teachers

Five teachers from Kenai Peninsula Borough School District were honored Thursday at the annual BP Teachers of Excellence awards banquet. Stephanie Cronin of Seward High… Continue reading

Bobbie Larrivee, a special education teacher at West Homer High School, waits to receive a certificate honoring her as one of the 2017 BP Teachers of Excellence at an awards banquet Thursday, April 27, 2017 in Soldotna, Alaska. BP recognized five teachers from around the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District for excellence in teaching with certificates, $500 gift cards and $500 donations to their schools. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)
Sherly Carroll, left, and Guangyuan Ding received a scholarship honoring the legacy of ESL teacher Kathryn Christopherson. Both were honored on April 27, 2017 at Kenai Peninsula College. (Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

ESL students earn memorial scholarship

Two students at Kenai Peninsula College will continue their education while honoring a late English as a Second Language instructor with the Kathryn Christopherson Memorial… Continue reading

Sherly Carroll, left, and Guangyuan Ding received a scholarship honoring the legacy of ESL teacher Kathryn Christopherson. Both were honored on April 27, 2017 at Kenai Peninsula College. (Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

KPBSD holds back on open positions

On the surface, it looks like the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District isn’t hiring, but uncertainty surrounding next year’s budget has the district posting positions… Continue reading