Kenai Peninsula Borough School District

KPBSD Finance Director Elizabeth Hayes (left) gives a presentation on the school district’s FY23 budget at Soldotna High School on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2021, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

School district budget forums start next week

In Homer, Kenai and Seward district finance staff will provide an overview of district finances

KPBSD Finance Director Elizabeth Hayes (left) gives a presentation on the school district’s FY23 budget at Soldotna High School on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2021, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Peninsula Borough mayoral candidate Linda Farnsworth-Hutchings addresses the KPBSD Board of Education on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Mayoral candidates reiterate commitment to school funding

Dave Carey, Linda Farnsworth-Hutchings, Zach Hamilton and Peter Micciche spoke to KPBSD Board of Education members

Kenai Peninsula Borough mayoral candidate Linda Farnsworth-Hutchings addresses the KPBSD Board of Education on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna High School can be seen in this Sept. 2, 2021, photo, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion file)

‘Little Sweethearts’ family dance to debut at SoHi

The event will be hosted by SoHi’s freshmen student council

Soldotna High School can be seen in this Sept. 2, 2021, photo, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion file)
The Kenai Community Library children’s section is seen on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)

Literary competition returns to local schools

Battle of the Books aims to instill in kids a love of reading

The Kenai Community Library children’s section is seen on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)
The logo for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District is displayed inside the George A. Navarre Borough Admin Building on Thursday, July 22, 2021, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Peninsula voices join state debate over school funding

Lawmakers heard pleas from education leaders around Alaska to increase the state’s base student allocation

The logo for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District is displayed inside the George A. Navarre Borough Admin Building on Thursday, July 22, 2021, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Kristin Davis performs a dissection on a donated lynx on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo provided by Kristin Davis)

KCHS students get rare opportunity to dissect lynx in class

“A local trapper let me know there was a lynx, would I want to have it?,” anatomy and biology teacher Kristin Davis said

Kristin Davis performs a dissection on a donated lynx on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo provided by Kristin Davis)
Seward Middle School students ride the chair lift at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska, on Jan. 26, 2023. (Photo courtesy Myla Lijemark)

Hitting the slopes

Seward Middle School students get outside and onto the side of a mountain

Seward Middle School students ride the chair lift at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska, on Jan. 26, 2023. (Photo courtesy Myla Lijemark)
Soldotna Elementary School Principal Dr. Austin Stevenson walks amid natural gas pipes anchored to the outside of school on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Borough to break up $65.5 million school maintenance bond

District leaders have long tried to draw attention to the problem of deferred maintenance within KPBSD

Soldotna Elementary School Principal Dr. Austin Stevenson walks amid natural gas pipes anchored to the outside of school on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
The logo for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District is displayed inside the George A. Navarre Borough Admin Building on Thursday, July 22, 2021, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school district calendars OK’d

School start and end dates were moved by one week

The logo for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District is displayed inside the George A. Navarre Borough Admin Building on Thursday, July 22, 2021, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education convenes on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

School district forecasts $13.1M budget deficit

The deficit stems from total expenditures exceeding anticipated revenue and a reduction in funding from the State of Alaska

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education convenes on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Members of the Kenai Central High School cheerleading team (back row, left to right): Kaitlyn Taylor, Sylvia McGraw, Malena Grieme, Maya Montague, Cali Holmes and Genesis Trevino; (front row, left to right): Makenzie Harden, Ella Romero and Brooklyn Reed stand for a photo at the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Monday, Jan. 1, 2023, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. (Photo courtesy Brianna Force)

Hard work and good attitudes pay off

Kenai Central Cheerleading performs at Citrus Bowl in Florida

Members of the Kenai Central High School cheerleading team (back row, left to right): Kaitlyn Taylor, Sylvia McGraw, Malena Grieme, Maya Montague, Cali Holmes and Genesis Trevino; (front row, left to right): Makenzie Harden, Ella Romero and Brooklyn Reed stand for a photo at the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Monday, Jan. 1, 2023, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. (Photo courtesy Brianna Force)
One of the two buildings used to teach elementary school children in Kachemak Selo sits on the outer edge of the village Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)

School board turns its eyes to ‘small’ schools

The board of education is building a committee to address issues for small schools

One of the two buildings used to teach elementary school children in Kachemak Selo sits on the outer edge of the village Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
A City of Kenai grader moves snow from a roadway on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

To close or not to close? Winter storms keep school district admin up at night

The district’s most recent snow day was on Dec. 12

A City of Kenai grader moves snow from a roadway on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
The SoHi and Kenai Central hockey teams meet at center ice to pray for the Clyde family after the game on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2022, at the Kenai Multi-Purpose Facility in Kenai, Alaska. Tanner Clyde, a SoHi goalie, lost his father to a fatal car collision earlier this week. (Photo courtesy Rylie Thompson)

Remembering ‘the most giving person’

Community rallies in support of Clyde family after death

The SoHi and Kenai Central hockey teams meet at center ice to pray for the Clyde family after the game on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2022, at the Kenai Multi-Purpose Facility in Kenai, Alaska. Tanner Clyde, a SoHi goalie, lost his father to a fatal car collision earlier this week. (Photo courtesy Rylie Thompson)
Swimmers gather at the wall to receive their next workout set from Coach Angie Brennan during a Top of the World Swimming practice on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Back in the water

Top of the World Swimming hosts adult swim team practices, adult swimming lessons

Swimmers gather at the wall to receive their next workout set from Coach Angie Brennan during a Top of the World Swimming practice on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Promotional flyer for the Indigenous Language Film Festival (Image courtesy KPBSD Title VI)

Title VI seeks community submissions for Indigenous Language Film Festival

The purpose of the festival is to promote and increase the visibility of Indigenous languages

Promotional flyer for the Indigenous Language Film Festival (Image courtesy KPBSD Title VI)
Mountain View Elementary School teacher Callie Giordano demonstrates with students “word building” with practices from the University of Florida Literacy Institute during a board of education meeting on Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Mountain View students demo literacy curriculum at school board meeting

Principal Karl Kircher said the Alaska Reads Act is “foremost” on the minds of the school community

Mountain View Elementary School teacher Callie Giordano demonstrates with students “word building” with practices from the University of Florida Literacy Institute during a board of education meeting on Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Robert Winter loads duffel bags into a car, part of a donation by the Kenai Peninsula Association of Realtors to the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Students in Transition Program on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022, at Kenai Catering in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

A gift to look forward to

Kenai Peninsula Association of Realtors donates 40 bags to local students

Robert Winter loads duffel bags into a car, part of a donation by the Kenai Peninsula Association of Realtors to the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Students in Transition Program on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022, at Kenai Catering in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Central High School Culinary Students roll out dough for Christmas cookies as part of bake sale preparation on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Guest chefs ready to help

High school culinary students will do holiday baking for you

Kenai Central High School Culinary Students roll out dough for Christmas cookies as part of bake sale preparation on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Tela O’Donnell-Bacher and Neldon Gardner hold their plaques after being inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame following a duel wrestling meet on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022, at Soldotna High School in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

A celebration of Kenai Peninsula wrestling

Two storied members of local wrestling community inducted into National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Tela O’Donnell-Bacher and Neldon Gardner hold their plaques after being inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame following a duel wrestling meet on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022, at Soldotna High School in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)