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The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District finance officer told the school board it should no longer expect the borough assembly to fund education at the maximum cap as it has been doing in recent years.

Though she declined to identify the assembly member, Melody Douglas said one asked if the assembly needed to draft a resolution requesting the Board of Education investigate school consolidation. Douglas told the assembly member that was unnecessary.

However, Douglas said one assembly member told her not one school parent doesn't think Skyview High School should be closed.

Douglas said school consolidation also came up "extensively" during committee meetings in November.

She suggested hiring a consultant to discuss school consolidation or changing school attendance boundaries. The estimated cost to hire a consultant is $100,000, she said.

During a work session on school funding prior to Monday's school board meeting, Schools Superintendent Donna Peterson said, "Right now, the numbers don't show we could close any schools in the near future.

"Our projections right now are not at a place we could close schools in the next couple of years," she said.

School board member Liz Downing said, "Maybe the assembly needs to have more information," and asked that the board hire a consultant this year rather than move forward with any consolidation talks.

"I don't want to spend ($100,000) to determine our options," said board member Dr. Nels Anderson.

Peterson said the borough assembly's suggestion was simply to close Skyview.

"We should be able to show the assembly what closing Skyview would save ... if anything," said Anderson.

Assistant Superintendent Glen Szymoniak, whose last board meeting was Monday, said "Having a professional outside do the study takes the heat off the administration and the board."

Szymoniak has been named superintendent of schools for McCall, Idaho.

Downing said the board should have Peterson discuss the issue with the borough assembly, and then bring in a consultant.

"We know all these things," Anderson said. "All this does is spend $100,000 to take the heat off the board."

During the regular school board meeting, the $137,098,231 fiscal year 2009 budget was approved following some internal budget revisions.

The general fund budget is $120,209,256 with special revenue funds totaling $16,888,975. The lone dissenting vote on approval of the budget revisions was cast by Debbie Brown.

Brown also opposed changes to the board's code of ethics saying it conflicts with her oath to uphold the constitutions of the United States and of Alaska.

Brown said she was particularly concerned with the first of eight bullet point additions to the code which states in part: "Board members shall present their concerns and concepts through the process of board debate. If in the minority of any decision, they shall abide by and support the majority decision."

Earlier, Brown expressed her opposition to a bylaw change governing public statements, which states, "Board members shall not speak as an individual on behalf of the board unless authorized. ... Board members shall always qualify-disclaim when publicly speaking that they are doing so as an individual, not as a board representative."

Brown said the proposed changes violate her constitutional right of free speech.

Board member Bill Hatch, however, said, "This just says, if you're talking outside of a meeting, you have to say, 'I'm speaking for myself.'"

On a motion from Dr. Anderson, the board sent the proposed code of ethics changes back to the school district administration "for consideration and recommendation."

Phil Hermanek can be reached at phillip.hermanek@peninsulaclarion.com.