The unions representing Kenai Peninsula Borough School District staff organized a widespread, “walk-in” protest at Kenai, Soldotna, Seward, Homer, Moose Pass and Seldovia schools early Wednesday morning.
Kenai Peninsula Education Association President LaDawn Druce said last week that the walk-in was organized by her union and the Kenai Peninsula Educational Support Association with collaboration from the school district. The protest was intended to produce a broad show of support by staff and community members for public schools — in response to stagnant state funding that recently led the KPBSD to pass a budget that implements cuts to support staff, pools, theaters and more in response to a $13.7 million budget deficit.
She said each of the walk-ins were set to take place before the start of school to allow teachers and staff to participate without disrupting school activity.
When a Clarion reporter visited Kenai Central High School on Wednesday morning around 7:20 a.m., no protesters could be seen outside. Photos shared by Druce on Wednesday show a small group outside the school wearing “Red for Ed” and carrying signs calling for an increase to the base student allocation, or the amount of money each school district receives per student from the state.
At Homer High School, around 65 people could be seen protesting on Wednesday morning, wearing Red for Ed and chanting “Raise the BSA.”
Winter Marshall-Allen, a special education and intensive needs teacher, told the Homer News that the protest represents teachers calling on the state to provide what they need to give students the education they deserve.
“We are asking for collective advocacy to be able to provide the best that we can for our students and to provide holistic programs that meet everybody’s needs,” she said. “We can’t do the best if we can’t have adequate funding.”
Photos shared by Druce also show large groups outside Soldotna High School, Soldotna Elementary School, Redoubt Elementary, Seward Elementary School, West Homer Elementary, Moose Pass School and Susan B. English School. The photos show teachers and students gathered in front of each school, wearing red and carrying signs. At some locations, the protesters were also joined by government representatives like members of the Borough Assembly, Board of Education and Soldotna City Council at SoHi.
A Thursday press release from NEA-Alaska, the statewide entity above the local unions, says that similar protests were held on the same morning across the state; in Anchorage, Cordova, Delta Junction, Fairbanks, Juneau, Kodiak, the Mat-Su, Sitka and others.
“Since 2017, educators have been pleading with lawmakers to address the public education crisis in Alaska,” says NEA-Alaska President Tom Klaameyer in the release. “What we saw today in communities of all sizes should send a clear message to lawmakers that the time for indecision and inaction is unacceptable for students, schools, and our communities.”
For more information about the local unions, find “Kenai Peninsula Education Association” or “KPESA” on Facebook.
Homer News Senior Reporter Emilie Springer contributed reporting.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
