District Highlights: 2018-19

• Board of Education Public Involvement Opportunities
  Posted On: Monday, July 01, 2019 7:23 AM
  Monday, July 1, 2019 Borough Administration Building 148 N. Binkley St. Soldotna, AK 99669 Betty J. Glick Assembly Chambers Worksessions 3 30 Six Year Plan 4 00 FY20 Budget 4 30 p.m. Board
• Class of 2019 inspiration: Steven Hunter Smith, River City Academy (RCA)
  Posted On: Monday, June 24, 2019 5:37 AM
  RCA Principal Dawn Edwards-Smith said, “Do not underestimate the determination of a quiet man. This speaks volumes to the character and quiet leadership displayed by River City Academy’s valedictorian, Steven Hunter Smith.”
• KPBSD celebrates Caleb Napier, Connections Homeschool, Class of 2019
  Posted On: Monday, June 24, 2019 5:27 AM
  Caleb Napier is a goal-oriented young man always on the move. The past four years in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Connections Homeschool has given him the flexibility to pursue his many personal goals, while following his passions of music, exploring other cultures, aviation, and serving others
• Class of 2019 Inspirations: Bethany Carstens, Kelsey Clark, and Emma Wik
  Posted On: Sunday, June 16, 2019 6:12 PM
  Class of 2019 inspirations - Nikiski Middle-High School: Bethany Carstens, Kelsey Clark, and Emma Wik
• Preparing students for college and careers: Microsoft Certification Program
  Posted On: Sunday, June 16, 2019 5:55 PM
  The KPBSD Distance Learning Program awarded 243 Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certifications—an industry recognized, standards-based credential for validating Microsoft Office skills.
• Retirements: thank you for 15+ years with KPBSD
  Posted On: Monday, June 10, 2019 8:15 AM
  “I wish everyone who is leaving our district all the best. I am so thankful for their contributions and commitment to KPBSD over the years and they will be missed. Best of luck and enjoy your next adventure!” –Sean Dusek, Superintendent
• KPBSD Inspiration, Annaleah Karron, Seward High School, Class of 2003
  Posted On: Monday, June 03, 2019 6:13 AM
  Annaleah Karron teaches 7th to 12th grade social studies at River City Academy, a KPBSD performance based school in Soldotna, Alaska, and in her spare time runs a fun, small business teaching Paint & Sip art classes in the community called "Easy As D.I.Y - Custom Paint Events."
• 2019 BP Teachers of Excellence
  Posted On: Monday, May 06, 2019 7:38 AM
  KPBSD celebrates our three 2019 BP Teachers of Excellence and the 2019 Kenai Education Ally.
• Caring for the Kenai 2019 Competition
  Posted On: Monday, April 29, 2019 7:21 PM
  “What can I do, invent or create to better care for the environment of the Kenai Peninsula or improve the area’s preparedness for a natural disaster?”
• Graduate Inspirations: Class of 2017
  Posted On: Monday, April 29, 2019 5:34 AM
  One school district: 43 diverse schools - Kenai Peninsula graduate inspirations
• KPBSD Inspiration, Kelly King, Nikiski Middle-High School, Class of 1999
  Posted On: Monday, April 22, 2019 5:56 AM
  Born and raised in Alaska, Kelly King now serves one of our most vulnerable and invisible populations on the Kenai Peninsula—youth who experience homelessness, and lack a stable place to sleep at night.
• A Collage of KPBSD Graduates Profile Public School Success and Inspiration
  Posted On: Monday, April 15, 2019 9:21 AM
  Kenai Peninsula Borough School District graduates are creative problem-solvers, neighbors, business owners, teachers, parents, volunteers, innovators, doctors, and more. Your school district is a positive investment and validates its vision to, “inspire all learners to pursue their dreams in a rigorous, relevant and responsive environment.”
• KPBSD Inspiration: Matthew Pyhala, D.C., Homer High School, Class of 1993
  Posted On: Monday, April 08, 2019 8:23 AM
  “Take advantage of as many opportunities as you can. Do not be so focused on your goals that you pass up trying something new. You never know where you will find inspiration.”
• KPBSD Inspiration, Carlyn (Walker) Nichols, Seward High School, Class of 1997
  Posted On: Saturday, March 30, 2019 8:20 AM
  Carlyn (Walker) Nichols, a Science, Culinary, and Maker educator at Seward Middle School, a 2018 Kenai BP Teacher of Excellence, and 1997 Seward High graduate
• KPBSD Graduate Inspiration: Dean Carignan, Kenai Central High School #ClassOf1987
  Posted On: Friday, March 22, 2019 1:15 PM
  When he graduated from Kenai Central High School in 1987, do you think Dean imagined he would one day be the Director of Program Management for Artificial Intelligence Research at Microsoft Corporation?
  
  
• Class of 2016 Graduate Profiles
  Posted On: Monday, March 18, 2019 7:06 AM
  The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District encompasses 25,600 miles, with 43 diverse schools including neighborhood schools, a K-12 school house, Russian Old Believer schools, a performance based school, four charter schools, Connections homeschool, and four schools only accessible by boat or plane. Meet #ClassOf2016 graduate inspirations.
• Kenai Student Government Leaders
  Posted On: Friday, March 15, 2019 5:28 AM
  More than 50 students from Kenai Peninsula Borough School District schools gathered for the districtwide student council conference March 4, 2019, held at the Alaska Sea Life Center in Seward, Alaska
• KPBSD Graduate Inspiration, Nianiella Dorvall, Nikolaevsk School, Class of 2014
  Posted On: Sunday, March 10, 2019 5:26 PM
  “I believe it is important for people to dream big and know that they can be successful. Share your dreams with your family, teachers, and peers. They will become your support system and can help you in times of self-doubt and fear. They can also help you find opportunities unique to your interests.”
• KPBSD Inspiration, Scott Davis, Kenai Central High School Class of 1977
  Posted On: Monday, March 04, 2019 5:00 AM
  "...I think my path was pre-determined by an opportunity given to me by my parents: my father was having health problems and selling two different companies he had originally started, one of them was the beginnings of Davis Block.”
• Discover Inspiration from the KPBSD Class of 2018!
  Posted On: Sunday, February 24, 2019 3:09 PM
  The hyperlink at the end of each synopsis will take you to a longer story version about each of these KPBSD high school graduates, who are changing our communities and the world. #AKlearns
• KPBSD Graduate Inspiration: Joel Isaak, Skyview High School Class of 2007
  Posted On: Sunday, February 17, 2019 8:09 PM
  “I want to keep growing in learning my Dena’ina people’s language. I love spending time with elders learning language and material culture and passing it on to future generations.”
• Superintendent of Schools Search
  Posted On: Sunday, February 17, 2019 6:59 PM
  The Board of Education of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District (KPBSD) is searching for a superintendent; applications are open until March 15, 2019.
• KPBSD Inspiration, Stephanie Queen, Kenai Central High School Class of 2000, Soldotna City Manager
  Posted On: Friday, February 08, 2019 8:05 AM
  An athlete at Kenai Central High School, Stephanie (Arbelovsky) Queen started her early learning at Kenai Co-op preschool, followed by Sears Elementary, Mountain View Elementary, Kenai Middle School, and she graduated from Kenai Central High School in 2000. Then she earned both a Bachelor and Master degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Returning to Alaska and the Kenai Peninsula, she is now the Soldotna City Manager.
• Paul Ostrander, Soldotna High School Class of 1986 #inspire
  Posted On: Friday, February 01, 2019 4:51 AM
  “Fight against the part of you that questions your potential. Your self-doubt is the single biggest hurdle to your success in life. Belief in yourself will lead to others believing in you.” –Paul Ostrander, Soldotna High School Class of 1986, current Kenai City Manager
• KPBSD Inspiration, Katie Koester, Homer High School Class of 1998
  Posted On: Friday, January 25, 2019 5:39 AM
  “There are people in our lives who will believe in us more than we believe in ourselves. By listening to their words and trusting their encouragement, we can be pushed out of our comfort zone to accomplish more than we ever thought possible.” –Katie Koester, Homer City Manager
• No school for students Thursday and Friday, February 7 – 8, 2019
  Posted On: Friday, January 25, 2019 5:21 AM
  No school for students Thursday and Friday, November 1 - 2, 2018
• MLK Holiday
  Posted On: Friday, January 18, 2019 1:37 PM
  KPBSD schools are closed on Monday, January 21, 2019, in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
• Three cities, three decades, three leaders
  Posted On: Friday, January 18, 2019 1:27 PM
  Good things come in threes, and on the Kenai Peninsula, this week the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District celebrates and introduces you to three graduates who now manage three of the largest cities in the Borough spanning 25,600 square miles.
• KPBSD Inspiration, Kersten (Petersen) Gomez, Soldotna High School Class of 1998
  Posted On: Thursday, January 10, 2019 4:32 AM
  “I was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD) as a child, struggled with academics, and was bullied. This took a toll on my self-esteem. I was afraid to put myself out there and try anything new out of a fear of failing and being ridiculed.” –Mrs. Alaska America 2017, Kersten Gomez, Soldotna High School Class of 1998, and Kenai Peninsula Borough School District elementary educator
• KPBSD Inspiration: Homer High School Salmon Sisters
  Posted On: Friday, December 21, 2018 3:14 PM
  KPBSD Inspiration, Homer High School Salmon Sisters, Claire (Laukitis) Neaton (2008) and Emma Teal Laukitis (2009)    “Growing up in a small town in Alaska, it is sometimes difficult to know how different life can be outside the
• Middle school flex day: 215 Hours of Community Service Learning
  Posted On: Thursday, December 20, 2018 9:23 AM
  215 Hours of Community Service Learning in Skyview Middle School Flex Day
• KPBSD Winter Vacation
  Posted On: Sunday, December 16, 2018 6:58 PM
  Friday, December 21, 2018 – January 6, 2019
• KPBSD Inspiration, Kristin (Beck) Bates, Seward High School, Class of 2004
  Posted On: Sunday, December 16, 2018 6:49 PM
  “A combination of opportunities I had while attending Seward schools sent me into a salmon spiral,” said Kristin Beck Bates, a Seward High graduate who attended Nikiski Elementary, K-Beach Elementary, Seward Elementary, Seward Middle School, and graduated in 2004.
• Community Partnerships: A Habitat for Learning
  Posted On: Sunday, December 09, 2018 6:20 PM
  Tebughna School students bundled up to wade the frosty streams of Tyonek in exploration of baby salmon habitat.
• KPBSD Inspiration: Jeffrey Dolifka, Class Of 2006
  Posted On: Sunday, December 09, 2018 4:30 PM
  “Take risks and don’t be afraid of failure,” says attorney Jeffrey Dolifka, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, Class of 2006, Skyview High School. “I was always so afraid of failing and embarrassing myself that I missed a lot of opportunities. I wish I had figured that out a lot earlier in my life.”
• Golden Apple Award: December 3, 2018
  Posted On: Tuesday, December 04, 2018 5:36 AM
  "...This man restored my faith in the education system. His selfless and over the top dedication, in a very tough job should be commended. I will forever be in his debt for what he did for my son.”
• Sources of Strength
  Posted On: Friday, November 30, 2018 5:55 AM
  Nine KPBSD schools are developing peer leaders through Sources of Strength (SOS) thanks to funding from the Alaska Community Foundation, GCI suicide prevention grant, and Alaska Children's’ Trust!
• Celebrate what is right in the world, and treat yourself—attend a school music concert or play!
  Posted On: Friday, November 30, 2018 5:48 AM
  Programs are at school location unless otherwise noted. Some schools have more than one program, and so the location may vary by date.
• KPBSD Wednesday Inspiration: Megan Mazurek, Class Of 2005
  Posted On: Friday, November 30, 2018 5:44 AM
  “There’s something satisfying with meeting daily deadlines and starting fresh the next day,” says Ms. Megan Mazurek, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District graduate, Class of 2005, Nikiski Middle-High School, and KTVA 11 News Anchor in Anchorage, Alaska.
• Natali Jones: 2018 School Counselor of the Year
  Posted On: Monday, November 26, 2018 6:10 AM
  The 2018 Alaska School Counselor of the Year is Ms. Natali Jones, itinerant counselor serving Chapman School Anchor Point Alaska, Homer Flex High School, Nanwalek School, Nikolaevsk School, Port Graham School, and Susan B. English School in Seldovia!
• Happy Thanksgiving!
  Posted On: Monday, November 19, 2018 8:07 AM
  No school Thursday & Friday, November 22-23, 2018
• KPBSD 2019 Open Enrollment
  Posted On: Monday, November 19, 2018 7:52 AM
  Changes to your Health Care plan can be made between November 15, 2018 and December 14, 2018. Election changes will be effective January 1, 2019.
• Unlock Potential. Find Your Password!
  Posted On: Wednesday, November 14, 2018 1:57 AM
  It is School Psychology Awareness Week, and the goal is to illuminate how identifying strength and action passwords can direct students to take steps toward positive change.
• Mind aMazes
  Posted On: Wednesday, November 14, 2018 1:51 AM
  Each year, the KPBSD gifted education KPBSD Quest program coordinates an annual engineering and problem solving challenge called Mind A-Mazes.
• Jason Daniels, Alaska State Finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching
  Posted On: Monday, November 05, 2018 3:16 AM
  The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) is the highest recognition that a kindergarten through 12th grade mathematics or science (including computer science) teacher may receive for outstanding teaching in the United States. Up to 108 teachers are recognized each year.
• 2019 Alaska Education Support Professional of the Year
  Posted On: Friday, November 02, 2018 5:53 AM
  Celebrate Suzanne Goodwill, a Quality School Tutor at Skyview Middle School who was surprised at an assembly on where she learned she is the 2019 NEA-Alaska Education Support Professional of the Year!
• KPBSD Key Communicators
  Posted On: Wednesday, October 31, 2018 4:57 AM
  October 25, 2018, nearly 50 parents, students, elected officials, district leadership team, regional principals, and community partners gathered for a Key Communicator Evening “Champions for Our Children.”
• No school for students
  Posted On: Tuesday, October 30, 2018 8:55 AM
  No school for students Thursday and Friday, November 1 - 2, 2018
• Twenty-two schools will host district development budget forum
  Posted On: Wednesday, October 24, 2018 4:26 AM
  Creating district and school budgets is a foundation for quality instruction and school culture. How will you like to be involved?
• College fair for teens in Kenai, Alaska
  Posted On: Friday, October 12, 2018 5:03 AM
  Nearly 50 educational institutions will send representatives to meet with KPBSD high school students on Tuesday, October 16, 2018, from 10:00—1:00 in the Kenai Central High School gymnasium.
• Homer Middle School nationally recognized!
  Posted On: Tuesday, October 02, 2018 6:07 AM
  Homer Middle School achieves 2018 National Blue Ribbon School recognition
• Student Government Conference
  Posted On: Wednesday, September 26, 2018 12:26 PM
  KPBSD student council leaders convened in Kenai for a day of learning, sharing ideas, and connecting with each other.
• Growing awareness: helping students who are homeless
  Posted On: Wednesday, September 19, 2018 5:04 AM
  Are you, or is someone you know sleeping in a motel, a camper, a tent, couch-surfing, shelter, or “doubling-up” living with friends or relatives until you can find or afford a place on your own?
• Happy Constitution Day!
  Posted On: Thursday, September 13, 2018 11:07 AM
  On September 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met for the last time to sign the U.S. Constitution document they created.
• SPECIAL OPEN ENROLLMENT: August 30 – September 12, 2018
  Posted On: Friday, August 31, 2018 4:54 AM
  The Healthcare Subcommittee determined annual employee contribution rates for the 2018-2019 school year on August 29, 2018.
• Kenai Peninsula Borough Proposition #1: Kachemak Selo K-12 School Bond
  Posted On: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 5:18 AM
  Community meeting with Superintendent of Schools Sean Dusek and Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce.
• KPBSD 2017-2018 Annual Report
  Posted On: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 5:01 AM
  KPBSD will inspire all learners to pursue their dreams in a rigorous, relevant, and responsive environment.
• Text Messaging Service for parents & guardians
  Posted On: Thursday, May 17, 2018 2:47 PM
  The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District can now utilize the SchoolMessenger system to deliver text messages, straight to a parent, guardian, or student mobile phone with important information about events, school closings, safety alerts and more.
• Facebook Live Q&A
  Posted On: Wednesday, January 17, 2018 5:39 AM
  You’re invited to a KPBSD Facebook Live Q & A with the KPBSD Instructional Team!
• Early Release Days
  Posted On: Wednesday, September 03, 2014 8:46 AM
  Six times throughout the school year, KPBSD school days will end ninety minutes early for students, in order for teachers and instructional support staff to collaborate.

Highlights by Year:

• 2019-20
• 2018-19
• 2017-18
• 2016-17
• 2015-16
• 2014-15
• 2013-14
• 2012-13
• 2010-12