Students dismissed 90 minutes early on Wednesday

Students will be heading home 90 minutes earlier on Wednesday.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District will release all students early in order to allow teachers and staff time to collaborate and focus on professional development.

“School is released 90 minutes early for students,” Pegge Erkeneff, school district spokesperson, said. “But, teachers max the day in order to improve and work together on instructional strategies, personalized learning and professional development to improve their teaching for students.”

Sept. 13’s early dismissal is the first of six early release days scheduled for the school year. Students will also be dismissed early on Oct. 25, Nov. 22, Feb. 7, April 4 and May 2.

School bus schedules have been adjusted to bring students home at the earlier time.

“Everything ends 90 minutes early, so if a bus normally runs at ‘x’ time, it runs 90 minutes earlier than that,” Erkeneff said.

Earlier this year, the district released the results of the 2016 – 2017 KPBSD Parent Survey: Student Early Release and Teacher Collaboration.

The annual survey, which received about 350 responses from across the district, gives parents the opportunity to express their opinions on the early release days.

“Of note were comments from parents that they would like the district to do a better job of sharing with them exactly what kind of work and professional learning activities teachers are doing on these days,” according to board documents.

But, the 2016-2017 survey found that about 60 percent of the parents believe the early release is either “beneficial” or “definitely beneficial” for teachers. Forty-four percent of parents said that they found the days to be “beneficial” or “definitely beneficial” to their children.

An overwhelming number of parents, 88 percent of those who answered the question, said they would generally prefer the early release day to be a Friday, in comparison to Wednesdays.

In the past, the district has had the early dismissals fall on a mixture of Wednesdays and Fridays, but each early dismissal this school year will be on a Wednesday.

Some comments in the survey highlighted issues that working parents face in rearranging their schedule, or handling the schedule of several children at different grade levels.

“The district really does appreciate that parents make arrangements for children in order to have these six days a year,” Erkeneff said. “We are very appreciative of that.”

Reach Kat Sorensen at kat.sorensen@peninsulaclarion.com.

More in News

The Alaska Board of Fisheries hears public testimony at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska, on Feb. 18, 1999. (M. Scott Moon/Peninsula Clarion file)
Board of Fisheries again declines to hold Upper Cook Inlet meeting on Kenai Peninsula

The State Board of Fisheries this week rejected calls from the Kenai… Continue reading

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski takes a selfie with Rose Burke at the Kenai Municipal Airport in Kenai, Alaska, on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. Burke won the 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree essay contest and will travel to Washington, D.C., in December to light the tree. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Connections student to light U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree

Rose Burke, 9, won the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree essay contest and will travel to Washington D.C.

Alaska State Troopers logo.
Soldotna man arrested for possession of child sex abuse material

He was taken to Wildwood Pretrial Facility

A cruise ship is docked in Seward, Alaska on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)
Seward gets nearly $46 million for power upgrades at port

The funds are intended to transform Seward’s port into a “green port”

Troopers Joseph Miller Jr. and Jason Woodruff are seen in a screenshot from body camera footage taken in Kenai, Alaska, on May 24, 2024. (Photo provided by Alaska Department of Law)
Grand jury indicts 2 troopers on felony assault charge

The complaint cites both audio and body camera footage

Foliage surrounds the Soldotna Police Department sign on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Escott named new chief of Soldotna Police

Stace Escott has been promoted to chief of the Soldotna Police Department,… Continue reading

Campaign signs fill a wall near Paradisos Restaurant in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Candidates spend big on radio advertising, print mailers in final weeks of campaign

Only a week before the general election on Nov. 5, candidates are… Continue reading

An Alaska Division of Elections Official Election Pamphlet rests on a desk in the Peninsula Clarion newsroom on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
When, where to vote in the 2024 general election

Tuesday is Election Day! Voters in the Kenai Peninsula Borough will head… Continue reading

Most Read