News

Soldotna High School English teacher Nicole Hewitt teaches her students remotely from her empty classroom at Soldotna High School on Monday, April 6, 2020 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)

Daily school district COVID-19 risk levels

Risk levels are based on COVID cases reported in a community and determine how schools will operate.

Soldotna High School English teacher Nicole Hewitt teaches her students remotely from her empty classroom at Soldotna High School on Monday, April 6, 2020 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
A sign announcing the closure of Kenai Peninsula Borough School District schools at K-Beach Elementary can be seen on March 26, 2020, near Soldotna, Alaska. (Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)

School board to vote on 1st day for students

Smart Start plan for KPBSD will be sent to Department of Education by the end of this month

A sign announcing the closure of Kenai Peninsula Borough School District schools at K-Beach Elementary can be seen on March 26, 2020, near Soldotna, Alaska. (Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna High School English teacher Nicole Hewitt teaches her students remotely from her empty classroom at Soldotna High School on Monday, April 6, 2020 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)

Plans for fall school session still in works

District admin is still contemplating if and when school facilities will be open to the public.

Soldotna High School English teacher Nicole Hewitt teaches her students remotely from her empty classroom at Soldotna High School on Monday, April 6, 2020 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
Mountain View Elementary teacher David Daniel is congratulated on his retirement by John O’Brien, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District superintendent, Tuesday, May 19, 2020, at Mountain View in Kenai. Daniel taught in the district for 34 years. (Photo courtesy of Karl Kircher)

‘The best profession in the world’

Mountain View’s Daniel heads up list of school district retirees

Mountain View Elementary teacher David Daniel is congratulated on his retirement by John O’Brien, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District superintendent, Tuesday, May 19, 2020, at Mountain View in Kenai. Daniel taught in the district for 34 years. (Photo courtesy of Karl Kircher)
Senior Onaca Daniels and her dog Dez participate in Kenai Central High School’s Class of 2020 Graduation Parade in Kenai, Alaska, on May 20, 2020. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)

‘The start of something new’

Kenai Central High embark on new lives with fanfare

Senior Onaca Daniels and her dog Dez participate in Kenai Central High School’s Class of 2020 Graduation Parade in Kenai, Alaska, on May 20, 2020. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
Graduates of River City Academy practice for their virtual graduation with principal Dawn Edwards-Smith this week. The graduates are Charlie Rogers, Izabelle Covey, Maia Whitney, Parker Kincaid, Quai Plate, Kenneth Dyer and Tristen Kane. Not pictured is Andrew Fletcher. (Photo provided by Dawn Edwards-Smith)

River City Academy goes virtual

The institution, started in 2007, was the only one on the Kenai Peninsula to do a virtual graduation.

Graduates of River City Academy practice for their virtual graduation with principal Dawn Edwards-Smith this week. The graduates are Charlie Rogers, Izabelle Covey, Maia Whitney, Parker Kincaid, Quai Plate, Kenneth Dyer and Tristen Kane. Not pictured is Andrew Fletcher. (Photo provided by Dawn Edwards-Smith)
Nikiski High School seniors Hamilton “Hammie” Cox, left, and Martin Cox III, right, smile for the camera during the 2020 Nikiski High School Graduation Commencement Ceremony in Nikiski, Alaska on May 19, 2020. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)

‘Always go all in on everything’

Nikiski students celebrate with ‘historic’, unconventional ceremony

Nikiski High School seniors Hamilton “Hammie” Cox, left, and Martin Cox III, right, smile for the camera during the 2020 Nikiski High School Graduation Commencement Ceremony in Nikiski, Alaska on May 19, 2020. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
Sport programs end for Russian Old Believer schools

Sport programs end for Russian Old Believer schools

Athletic programming has come to and end for a few different reasons.

Sport programs end for Russian Old Believer schools
Megan Pacer / Homer News School employees, community members and members of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education listen to a presentation on Voznesenka and Kachemak Selo schools during a Monday meeting of the school board at Homer High School.

School board hears teacher concerns on contract, health care

Several people commented that the current model for health care is not working for many teachers.

Megan Pacer / Homer News School employees, community members and members of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education listen to a presentation on Voznesenka and Kachemak Selo schools during a Monday meeting of the school board at Homer High School.
A Welcome from Superintendent O’Brien

A Welcome from Superintendent O’Brien

The 2019 - 2020 school year is here and we are ready. The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District team is thrilled to welcome back students,… Continue reading

A Welcome from Superintendent O’Brien
University of Alaska Anchorage Chancellor Cathy Sandeen speaks last Friday, June 14, at the opening of the Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference at Land’s End Resort, Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

New UAA chancellor sees university as benefitting many

Chancellor Cathy Sandeen took a working vacation to attend the Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference

University of Alaska Anchorage Chancellor Cathy Sandeen speaks last Friday, June 14, at the opening of the Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference at Land’s End Resort, Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)
Isabella Koch helps Garrett Koch perfect the finishing touches before they walk in their graduation ceremony Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at Ninilchik School in Ninilchik, Alaska. They are two of four total Ninilchik graduates this year. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)

Four Ninilchik graduates reflect on time in small school

‘I liked how it was small and you got one-on-one contact with the teachers’

Isabella Koch helps Garrett Koch perfect the finishing touches before they walk in their graduation ceremony Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at Ninilchik School in Ninilchik, Alaska. They are two of four total Ninilchik graduates this year. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
Community members participate in an exploratory meeting Monday, April 15, 2019 to discuss the possibility of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District consolidating Homer High School and Homer Middle School, held at the high school in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)

District considers consolidating Homer High, Homer Middle Schools

“Please know that this is not a done deal”

Community members participate in an exploratory meeting Monday, April 15, 2019 to discuss the possibility of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District consolidating Homer High School and Homer Middle School, held at the high school in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District will be hosting a budget forum on Thursday in Kenai for the public to better understand the district’s budget on Nov. 2, 2018, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)

District to host public budget forums

Residents can attend a forum on Wednesday, Feb. 20, Thursday, Feb. 21 and Tuesday, Feb. 26.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District will be hosting a budget forum on Thursday in Kenai for the public to better understand the district’s budget on Nov. 2, 2018, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
The Kachemak Selo Middle-High School building sits against a backdrop of the ridge separating the village from the Kenai Peninsula Borough road system Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018 in Kachemak Selo. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)

School board focuses on capital projects in K-Selo, Nanwalek

A six-year plan outlines the most important infrastructure projects in local schools from 2021–2026

The Kachemak Selo Middle-High School building sits against a backdrop of the ridge separating the village from the Kenai Peninsula Borough road system Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018 in Kachemak Selo. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
KPEA President David Brighton speaks to a group of educators, community members and district employees at Resurrect Art Coffee House on Friday, in Seward. (Photo by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

Educators speak out on school funding, contract issues

The three main issues are the state budget, the borough budget and contract negotiations

KPEA President David Brighton speaks to a group of educators, community members and district employees at Resurrect Art Coffee House on Friday, in Seward. (Photo by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)
Schools briefs for the week of February 18, 2019

Schools briefs for the week of February 18, 2019

What’s happening this week

Schools briefs for the week of February 18, 2019
Schools briefs for the week of February 11, 2019

Schools briefs for the week of February 11, 2019

What’s happening this week

Schools briefs for the week of February 11, 2019
Kenai Peninsula College’s Kenai River Campus in the snow, on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018, near Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai Peninsula College Around Campus for the week of February 11, 2019

Summer semester registration period opens soon

Kenai Peninsula College’s Kenai River Campus in the snow, on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018, near Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
A group of teachers gather outside the entrance to West Homer Elementary and Big Fireweed Academy wearing “red for ed” Wednesday, in Homer. Teachers around the Kenai Peninsula demonstrated this week to bring awareness to the contract negotiation situation with the school district. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)

Teachers, unions getting frustrated by contract negotiations

District educators and classified staff have been without a renewed contract since July 1.

A group of teachers gather outside the entrance to West Homer Elementary and Big Fireweed Academy wearing “red for ed” Wednesday, in Homer. Teachers around the Kenai Peninsula demonstrated this week to bring awareness to the contract negotiation situation with the school district. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)