Kenai Peninsula Borough School District

Assembly member Richard Derkevorkian (second from right) speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Voters to decide whether to add 2 seats to board of education, assembly

The goal of reapportionment is to get the population of each assembly and board of education district as close to a “target population” as possible

Assembly member Richard Derkevorkian (second from right) speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Sterling Elementary School Principal Denise Kelly speaks at a surprise assembly held at the school to celebrate her being named Alaska Elementary Principal of the Year on Monday, May 2, 2022, in Sterling, Alaska. On the right, Kelly’s daughter, Freya, attends. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Making a place where staff and students want to be

Sterling principal recognized in surprise ceremony

Sterling Elementary School Principal Denise Kelly speaks at a surprise assembly held at the school to celebrate her being named Alaska Elementary Principal of the Year on Monday, May 2, 2022, in Sterling, Alaska. On the right, Kelly’s daughter, Freya, attends. (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)

Board OKs raises for more district admin

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s coordinators and assistant superintendent will get raises

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)
Left to right: Darek Hatten, Aidan Bon and Sophia Micciche rehearse “Arsenic and Old Lace” at Soldotna High School on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)

Arsenic and laughs pair well

SoHi students bring the dark comedy “Arsenic and Old Lace” to the stage

Left to right: Darek Hatten, Aidan Bon and Sophia Micciche rehearse “Arsenic and Old Lace” at Soldotna High School on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)
Vaughn Dosko is seen in this undated photo. Dosko was awarded region 3 principal of the year by the Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals. (Photos courtesy of the Alaska Council of School Administrators)

Kenai Middle School administrator receives principal of the year award

Vaughn Dosko, the principal at Kenai Middle School, attributed the award to his students and staff

Vaughn Dosko is seen in this undated photo. Dosko was awarded region 3 principal of the year by the Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals. (Photos courtesy of the Alaska Council of School Administrators)
Signs hang on the entryway wall at the Kenai Peninsula Education Association office in Soldotna, Alaska, in this Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, file photo. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

‘It’s time to go’

COVID stress, workload cited among reasons some staff are leaving the school district

Signs hang on the entryway wall at the Kenai Peninsula Education Association office in Soldotna, Alaska, in this Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, file photo. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna High School teacher Dr. Paul Marks testifies before the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education on Monday, April 11, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Students to try out new testing system this spring

The district’s third through ninth grade students will take the first iteration of AK STAR testing in language arts and math

Soldotna High School teacher Dr. Paul Marks testifies before the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education on Monday, April 11, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District student Olivia Ferguson, who also serves as the student representative to KPBSD Board of Education’s information committee, testifies before the board Monday, April 11, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

$65M bond package presented to board of education

The funds would tackle maintenance and repairs at district schools

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District student Olivia Ferguson, who also serves as the student representative to KPBSD Board of Education’s information committee, testifies before the board Monday, April 11, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board member Debbie Cary speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. Cary also served on the borough’s reapportionment board. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Assembly, board of ed could get new seats

Final reapportionment plans are subject to approval by borough voters

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board member Debbie Cary speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. Cary also served on the borough’s reapportionment board. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
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)

KPBSD student enrollment higher than projected

Historical enrollment numbers were presented to the KPBSD Board of Education

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 School District Superintendent Clayton Holland stand near the entrance to the district’s Soldotna offices on Thursday, March 17, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

KPBSD lays out its legislative goals

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District has multiple bills it would like to see passed

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Superintendent Clayton Holland stand near the entrance to the district’s Soldotna offices on Thursday, March 17, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Alaska State Troopers logo.

Nikiski North Star Elementary given all clear after ‘suspicious’ phone message

The school was placed in ‘stay put’ mode for about three hours Thursday

Alaska State Troopers logo.
Swim coach Angie Brennan speaks in support of lower user fees for Kenai Peninsula Borough School District pools during a Board of Education meeting on Monday, March 14, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

School board mulls school pool user fees

Noncommercial user groups say they’re being charged too much

Swim coach Angie Brennan speaks in support of lower user fees for Kenai Peninsula Borough School District pools during a Board of Education meeting on Monday, March 14, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Homer High School student and Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education Student Representative Neviya Reed speaks during a board meeting on Monday, March 14, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Students take advantage of new speaking opportunities at school district meetings

Students were able to communicate directly with the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District at Monday’s Board of Education meeting, where they shared student council resolutions… Continue reading

Homer High School student and Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education Student Representative Neviya Reed speaks during a board meeting on Monday, March 14, 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)

District: Staff resignations on par with previous years

Union rep says staff loss will be “devastating” for students

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)
Nikolaevsk School teacher Billeen Carlson, center, shows her Alaska Society for Technology in Education Teacher of the Year award. (Photo provided)

Carlson wins ASTE Teacher of the Year

Nikolaevsk School teacher honored for her work in using technology in education

Nikolaevsk School teacher Billeen Carlson, center, shows her Alaska Society for Technology in Education Teacher of the Year award. (Photo provided)
Jason Daniels (Image via Kenai Peninsula Borough School District)

Local teacher receives presidential award for excellence

Encouraging students to become lifelong learners is what Jason Daniels strives to accomplish every day in his classroom. And people are taking note. The K-Beach… Continue reading

Jason Daniels (Image via Kenai Peninsula Borough School District)
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)

KPBSD adds additional early release days

The early release days on March 16 and April 20 are canceled

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)
Lucas Stumpf, a fishery biologist with the Division of Sport Fish, helps Aurora Borealis Charter School third grader Teagan Jorgensen, left, with her line while she ice fishes at Sport Lake in Soldotna as part of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s “Salmon in the Classroom” ice fishing educational program on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)

‘Fish on!’

Kids cast lines and learn at ice fishing event

Lucas Stumpf, a fishery biologist with the Division of Sport Fish, helps Aurora Borealis Charter School third grader Teagan Jorgensen, left, with her line while she ice fishes at Sport Lake in Soldotna as part of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s “Salmon in the Classroom” ice fishing educational program on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Superintendent Clayton Holland speaks during a board meeting on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Contact tracing, masking to end at schools Friday

The district announced new changes to its COVID-19 protocol on Monday

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Superintendent Clayton Holland speaks during a board meeting on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)