Have our schools lost touch with Alaskans? Will outside influences create lasting change to our state’s freedoms? Are schools not engaging effectively with local communities, leading to lack of support and parent input from parents and community leaders? Or are parents engaging and are not being heard?

Are Alaskan school districts hiring too many out-of-state employees instead of Alaska residents?

Alaska residents may have a better understanding of Alaska culture instead of out-of-state hires.

Is it insensitivity about transportation options for Alaska kids particularly rural Alaskans?

Transportation in Alaska presents unique challenges that can significantly impact daily life, especially in rural and remote areas.

Nikiski is a rural town located on the Kenai Peninsula. That has depended on the use of four-wheelers, snowmachines, dirt bikes and other off-road vehicles as means of transportation. It’s a way of life for Nikiski residents.

A large part of life in Nikiski and similar rural towns is transportation for our children to and from school and related activities. We depend on the freedoms of our kids driving off-road vehicles to school and experiencing freedoms that children in larger cities will never experience. Many of us have lived here our whole life or moved from big cities to have these freedoms.

Currently, our local Nikiski junior/senior high school is turning away kids from their education, sports activities and other extracurricular activities because of their means of transportation.

If a student shows up to school on an off-road vehicle, they are sent home and told “not come back on an off-road vehicle again.”

There are transportation policies that have been put into place even though parents and members of the community have requested policy change to better serve the community.

In September 2023 Nikiski parents and community members showed up to site council at the local school to request for a change. Their efforts were ignored. Were Nikiski parents ignored because of an out-of-state principal that does not understand the needs of the community?

The school likes to use safety as a reason to not allow students to attend school on off-road machines. But there is some hypocrisy when it comes to the school and the term “safety.”

Many students love to attend an after-school program in the Nikiski mall called The Compass. Students are not allowed to ride the taxpayer-funded school buses to The Compass because of a policy put into place. So they walk a little over a half mile to the program.

Most days that’s not a problem unless the bike path is not walkable, when instead of walking on the bike path they walk on the narrow side of the road. As they are walking there are several buses and vehicles that pass them coming within couple feet from the commuting students. How would this be deemed safe on ice- and snow-covered roads?

Is this insensitivity to transportation why traditional schools are falling out of favor? Nikiski community has had a growth in population over the past couple of years but the school enrollment has not growth. Would change to policy give students the freedom to get to school on their own terms and grow attendance and sports programs? Could it potentially increase participation in both traditional schooling and homeschooling by allowing homeschoolers to attend some classes in person?

Additionally, would sports programs grow to ensures continued funding?

School attendance is crucial for students’ success and overall educational outcome. Could the policy change create a more welcoming and supportive school environment? Especially if the student missed the bus or was not able to get to the bus stop.

But was able to get to school on their own merit. Why put barriers up for kids not to attend school!

We will meet on Saturday, Aug. 17 at 5:30 p.m. at M&M Market then proceed at 5:45 to Nikiski Middle-High School for a Nikiski Middle High School Community Ride for Parking Policy Change.

Please stay and attend Nikiski’s first football game of the year. GO Dawgs!

Please respectfully tell the principal that you would like the parking policy change to better serve the community. You can also email principal Michael Crain CCrain@KPBSD.k12.ak.us, Superintendent Clayton Holland at CHolland@KPBSD.k12.ak.us and Jason Tauriainen Nikiski school board jtauriainen@kpbsd.k12.ak.us. Maybe they respond to your email because mine have been ignored.

Misty Peterkin a lifelong Alaskan and a mom.