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President Zen Kelly speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, July 7, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

News

School board authorizes $1.8 million in new, restored spending

The spending comes in response to the increase in funding received from the state this year.

President Zen Kelly speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, May 5, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

News

KPBSD reverses some activity stipend cuts, raises fees

The district’s final budget adopted in July called for a halving of all activity stipends.

Team Seaweed presents their research on Monday, July 28, 2025 in Pioneer Hall at Kachemak Bay Campus. (Chloe Pleznac/Homer News)

Life

‘Girls on the Water’ expedition presents on summer adventures and research

The program, run through UAF, helps expose young women to coastal ecosystems

Students stand during a protest against the possible closure of Sterling Elementary School along the Sterling Highway in Soldotna, Alaska, on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

News

KPBSD board starts talking 2026 school closures

This year, the district closed Nikolaevsk School and very nearly closed Sterling Elementary School.

Soldotna Elementary School on Friday, May 13, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

News

School board OKs plan to combine Soldotna schools

The vacated Redoubt Elementary facility would house Soldotna Montessori Charter School and River City Academy.

President Zen Kelly speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, July 7, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

News

KPBSD responds to restored state, federal funding

After a successful vote of the Alaska Legislature reversed Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of $50 million education funding…

The Alaska Legislature’s vote tally shows 45-14 in favor of overriding Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of education funding in the state budget during a joint session in Juneau, Alaska, on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (Screenshot courtesy Gavel Alaska/KTOO)

News

Legislature narrowly votes to override education funding veto

The increase in funding from Saturday’s veto override will represent a roughly $3 million increase to the KPBSD.

Alaska Senate President Gary Stevens, a Kodiak Republican, left, talks with House Speaker Bryce Edgmon, a Dillingham independent, before Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s State of the State speech on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, at the Alaska State Capitol. (Klas Stolpe/Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion

Opinion: Legislature has a constitutional duty to address Dunleavy vetoes

If we do not act during this special session, the vetoes will become permanent

The Alaska Capitol is photographed Friday, July 11, 2025, in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Juneau Empire)

Opinion

Opinion: Schools and strength in challenging times

We must stand in defense of the institution of public schools.

Superintendent Clayton Holland speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, July 7, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

News

Federal education funding to be released after monthlong delay

The missing funds could have led to further cuts to programming and staff on top of deep cuts…

Children are photographed outside their now shuttered school, Pearl Creek Elementary, in August 2024 in Fairbanks, Alaska. (Photo provided by Morgan Dulian)

Opinion

My Turn: Reform doesn’t start with cuts

Legislators must hold the line for Alaska’s students

Deena Bishop, commissioner of the Department of Education and Early Development, discusses the status of school districts’ finances during a press conference with Gov. Mike Dunleavy at the Alaska State Capitol on Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)

Opinion

Opinion: The fight to improve public education has just begun

We owe our children more than what the system is currently offering

President Zen Kelly speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, July 7, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

News

School board finalizes budget with deep cuts to programming, classrooms

Multiple members of the board said they were frustrated by the state’s failure to fund education.

Pool manager and swim coach Will Hubler leads a treading water exercise at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

News

Swimmers, parents call on Kenai to support Kenai Central pool

The KPBSD Board of Education last week said communities will need to step up and take over administration…

Board President Zen Kelly speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

News

Kenai Peninsula Borough school board to finalize budget

The new budget designed by the committee will be considered at a public hearing during the full board…

Students stand during a protest against the possible closure of Sterling Elementary School along the Sterling Highway in Soldotna, Alaska, on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

News

Sterling Elementary no longer set to close this year

It could be closed next year.

Swimmers and parents protest the proposed closure of Kenai Peninsula Borough School District pools outside of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Administration Building in Soldotna, Alaska, on Thursday, June 26, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

News

Pool funding OK’d as district looks to hand off facilities to communities

School pools have repeatedly been raised as a possible option for closure and then saved at the last…

Brent Johnson speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

News

Borough to provide maximum funding for school district

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District will receive less money from the state this year than it did…

Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion
Pool manager and swim coach Will Hubler leads a treading water exercise at Kenai Central High School on Tuesday.

News

Pools, theaters, libraries in jeopardy as cuts loom

The district issued “notices of non-retention” to all its pool managers, library aides and theater technicians.

Mountain View Elementary School is photographed on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022 in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

News

Mountain View vandalized by children, police say

Staff who arrived at the school on Monday found significant damage, according to police.