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 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 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 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)

School board swears in elected members

Mica VanBuskirk and Ash-Lee Waddell were newly elected to the board in October; Patti Truesdell was reelected to her seat.

Three board members were sworn in to the Kenai Peninsula Board School District Board of Education during a special meeting on Monday, Oct. 20. Patti Truesdell was reelected to her District 1 seat in the Oct. 7 municipal election. Mica VanBuskirk and Ash-Lee Waddell were newly elected to the District 6 and District 9 seats, respectively.

All three recently sworn-in members took their seats on the dais Monday as well.

Members also conducted reorganization of the board and appointed new officers. District 3 representative Jason Tauriainen was nominated president by District 8 representative Tim Daugherty. Tauriainen replaces former school board president Zen Kelly, who previously represented the southern Kenai Peninsula, excluding Homer, in District 9. Kelly did not run for reelection this year.

Daugherty was nominated as the new board vice president by Truesdell. Sarah Douthit, District 2, was chosen as the new board clerk. District 4 representative Penny Vadla was nominated as the new treasurer.

A full recording of the Oct. 20 meeting is available on the KPBSD BoardDocs website.

Previous
Tokyo Gas signs preliminary agreement with trans-Alaska gas pipeline developer
Next
Alaska Department of Fish and Game publishes 2025 commercial salmon summary

More in News

Retired Biologist and former manager of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge will “Looking Back, Looking Forward,” a talk about his solo trip on the Yukon River, on Tuesday evening at the Refuge headquarters in Soldotna. The Homer-based nonprofit organization Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges is hosting a virtual watch party in Homer. Photo courtesy of Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges
Looking back, looking forward

Robin West will give a talk about his 30-year career Tuesday evening at the Kenai refuge headquarters and virtually.

Jan Krehel waves at cars passing by as she holds a "Stand With Minnesota" banner during the "ICE OUT" demonstration on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, at WKFL Park in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Homer stands with Minneapolis

Nearly 300 people took part in an “ICE OUT” demonstration on Sunday.

teaser
Juneau protestors urge lawmakers to defund Homeland Security after Minneapolis killings

Hundreds gathered hours before congressional delegation voted on whether to extend ICE funding.

File photo.
Kenai man sentenced to 66 years for 2022 murder

Kevin Park pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for the killing of Stephanie Henson.

A tsunami is not expected after a 4.4-magnitude earthquake northwest of Anchorage Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (U.S. Geological Survey)
No tsunami expected after 4.4-magnitude earthquake in Alaska

U.S. Geological Survey says 179 people reported feeling the earthquake.

A young male ringed seal, rescued from an oilfield in Alaska’s Beaufort Sea on Dec. 17, 2025, is receiving care at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska. Photo courtesy Kaiti Grant/Alaska SeaLife Center
Sealife center takes in ringed seal

This response is one of only 30 ringed seal cases in the Alaska SeaLife Center’s 28-year history.

Macelle Joseph, a member of the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé chapter of Alaska Youth for Environmental Action, writes “It’s Native blood in the soil, not your oil” outside the Alaska State Capitol building on Jan. 24<ins>, 2026</ins>. Dozens of Juneauites participated in the student-led protest against the LNG pipeline.
Juneau activists speak out against Alaska LNG pipline on Capitol steps

“Alaska’s greatest resources aren’t just buried in the ground,” said protestor Atagan Hood.

A sample LiDAR meteorological assembly is seen. Photo courtesy of the State of Alaska
Matanuska Electric Association applies for land use permit to build meteorological stations

If approved, MEA would build three stations along the Seward Meridian.

Photo courtesy of Shea Nash River City Academy teacher Donica Nash is pictured during her history class on Jan. 26.
Civic nonprofit names River City Academy teacher for award

Soldotna’s Donica Nash will use the award money to fund a field trip to Juneau.

Most Read