20 years ago

A new study reaffirms old beliefs that peninsula schools don’t get a fair share of education funds. The hot topic at Monday’s Kenai Peninsula Borough School Board meeting in Homer was support for the newly released Alaska School District Cost Update. The report, prepared by the Institute of Social and Economic Research of the University of Alaska presented two scenarios: first how to implement the new area cost differentials without additional funding; second, what would be needed for full funding of the cost differentials. In both cases, KPBSD came out a winner, with the district’s funding factor rising from 1.004 to 1.717. Without additional funding and using the base student allocation of $4,576, the redistribution would mean a $4.1 million increase for the peninsula, the third largest increase per district.

— From the issue of March 10, 2005

30 years ago

Nearly 400 people poured into Homer High School Tuesday night in a show of opposition to a proposed federal oil lease sale covering most of lower Cook Inlet. Bob Breck, leasing and environment supervisor for the Alaska region of the Minerals Management Service, said he hasn’t seen a crowd that large since the lease-sale hearings of the erly 1980s in Anchorage — and the Homer crowd may have topped those. Sixty-nine people testified Tuesday. All opposed Lease Sale 149.

— From the issue of March 9, 1995