Kenai Peninsula Borough School District

Graphic by Ashlyn O’Hara

Borough voters to get final say on school maintenance bond

Assembly members approved Tuesday putting the issue on the Oct. 4 ballot

Graphic by Ashlyn O’Hara
Demonstrators rally in support of Kenai Peninsula Borough School District teachers and staff outside of the George A. Navarre Admin Building on Thursday, May 26, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

‘Overworked and underpaid’

Rally calls for support for KPBSD staff, teachers

Demonstrators rally in support of Kenai Peninsula Borough School District teachers and staff outside of the George A. Navarre Admin Building on Thursday, May 26, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Armands Veksejs, Hager Elserry, Dady Thitisakulwong, and Haewon Hong attend a farewell potluck barbecue in Nikiski on Monday, May 23, 2022. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)

‘A life in a year’

Foreign exchange students receive send-off in Nikiski

Armands Veksejs, Hager Elserry, Dady Thitisakulwong, and Haewon Hong attend a farewell potluck barbecue in Nikiski on Monday, May 23, 2022. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)
Graduates wait to receive diplomas during Connections Homeschool’s commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 19, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Connections honors more than 100 graduates

The home-school program held a ceremony Thursday in Soldotna

Graduates wait to receive diplomas during Connections Homeschool’s commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 19, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Loren Reese, principal at Kenai Alternative High School, gives Oliver Larrow the Mr. Fix It award Wednesday, May 18, 2022, at Kenai Alternative High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai Alternative graduates 22, says goodbye to principal

The ceremony included special awards customized for students

Loren Reese, principal at Kenai Alternative High School, gives Oliver Larrow the Mr. Fix It award Wednesday, May 18, 2022, at Kenai Alternative High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Graduates throw their caps into the air at the end of Soldotna High School’s commencement ceremony on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

‘We never fell down’

Soldotna High School honors more than 100 graduates

Graduates throw their caps into the air at the end of Soldotna High School’s commencement ceremony on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
The 2022 graduating class of River City Academy celebrates Tuesday, May 17, 2022, outside of Skyview Middle School just outside of Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

River City Academy says goodbye to 19 grads, 2 original staff members

Tuesday’s graduation was the last for two staff members who have been with the school since its beginning

The 2022 graduating class of River City Academy celebrates Tuesday, May 17, 2022, outside of Skyview Middle School just outside of Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Central High School graduates throw caps at the end of their commencement ceremony on Tuesday, May 17, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

‘Make a great life’

Kenai Central High School graduates more than 75 students

Kenai Central High School graduates throw caps at the end of their commencement ceremony on Tuesday, May 17, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Graduates laugh during teacher Jesse Bjorkman’s 2022 commencement address at Nikiski Middle/High School on Monday, May 16, 2022 in Nikiski, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Nikiski Middle/High School graduates 31 students

The commencement ceremony was held Monday in the school gym

Graduates laugh during teacher Jesse Bjorkman’s 2022 commencement address at Nikiski Middle/High School on Monday, May 16, 2022 in Nikiski, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Graphic by Ashlyn O'Hara

Borough, school district finalizing $65M bond package

Efforts to fund maintenance and repairs at school district facilities have been years in the making

Graphic by Ashlyn O'Hara
Presley Jackson waits in line before releasing her rainbow trout at the 21st annual Kenai Peninsula Salmon Celebration in Kasilof on Wednesday, May 11, 2022. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)

Grins, fins and lessons

Kids get caught up in releasing fish during annual celebration

Presley Jackson waits in line before releasing her rainbow trout at the 21st annual Kenai Peninsula Salmon Celebration in Kasilof on Wednesday, May 11, 2022. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)
Assembly member Richard Derkevorkian (second from right) speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Voters to decide whether to add 2 seats to board of education, assembly

The goal of reapportionment is to get the population of each assembly and board of education district as close to a “target population” as possible

Assembly member Richard Derkevorkian (second from right) speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Sterling Elementary School Principal Denise Kelly speaks at a surprise assembly held at the school to celebrate her being named Alaska Elementary Principal of the Year on Monday, May 2, 2022, in Sterling, Alaska. On the right, Kelly’s daughter, Freya, attends. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Making a place where staff and students want to be

Sterling principal recognized in surprise ceremony

Sterling Elementary School Principal Denise Kelly speaks at a surprise assembly held at the school to celebrate her being named Alaska Elementary Principal of the Year on Monday, May 2, 2022, in Sterling, Alaska. On the right, Kelly’s daughter, Freya, attends. (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)

Board OKs raises for more district admin

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s coordinators and assistant superintendent will get raises

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)
Left to right: Darek Hatten, Aidan Bon and Sophia Micciche rehearse “Arsenic and Old Lace” at Soldotna High School on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)

Arsenic and laughs pair well

SoHi students bring the dark comedy “Arsenic and Old Lace” to the stage

Left to right: Darek Hatten, Aidan Bon and Sophia Micciche rehearse “Arsenic and Old Lace” at Soldotna High School on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)
Vaughn Dosko is seen in this undated photo. Dosko was awarded region 3 principal of the year by the Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals. (Photos courtesy of the Alaska Council of School Administrators)

Kenai Middle School administrator receives principal of the year award

Vaughn Dosko, the principal at Kenai Middle School, attributed the award to his students and staff

Vaughn Dosko is seen in this undated photo. Dosko was awarded region 3 principal of the year by the Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals. (Photos courtesy of the Alaska Council of School Administrators)
Signs hang on the entryway wall at the Kenai Peninsula Education Association office in Soldotna, Alaska, in this Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, file photo. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

‘It’s time to go’

COVID stress, workload cited among reasons some staff are leaving the school district

Signs hang on the entryway wall at the Kenai Peninsula Education Association office in Soldotna, Alaska, in this Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, file photo. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna High School teacher Dr. Paul Marks testifies before the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education on Monday, April 11, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Students to try out new testing system this spring

The district’s third through ninth grade students will take the first iteration of AK STAR testing in language arts and math

Soldotna High School teacher Dr. Paul Marks testifies before the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education on Monday, April 11, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District student Olivia Ferguson, who also serves as the student representative to KPBSD Board of Education’s information committee, testifies before the board Monday, April 11, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

$65M bond package presented to board of education

The funds would tackle maintenance and repairs at district schools

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District student Olivia Ferguson, who also serves as the student representative to KPBSD Board of Education’s information committee, testifies before the board Monday, April 11, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board member Debbie Cary speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. Cary also served on the borough’s reapportionment board. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Assembly, board of ed could get new seats

Final reapportionment plans are subject to approval by borough voters

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board member Debbie Cary speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. Cary also served on the borough’s reapportionment board. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)