School District Risk Levels
Regions of the peninsula are put into low, medium or high-risk categories based on the number of new cases of COVID-19 identified over a 14-day period. This model is based on rates of cases per 100,000 of population.
All students are currently able to attend onsite education five days a week in district schools, including when their school region is in the high-risk category.
As of Wednesday, the southern peninsula (from Ninilchik south) was in the medium risk category with 16 new cases in the last 14 days. The southern peninsula is in low risk if it has had zero to nine new cases in the last 14 days, is in medium risk if there have been 10 to 19 new cases in the last 14 days, and is in high risk if there were 20 or more new cases in the last 14 days.
The central peninsula, including Kenai, Nikiski, Soldotna, Sterling and Kasilof, was also at medium risk as of Wednesday, with 37 new cases over the last 14 days.
The eastern peninsula (Seward and Moose Pass) is in the high-risk category with 14 new cases of COVID-19 within the last 14 days. The district website still lists the region as medium risk, despite the numbers indicating high risk according to the formula the district uses.
Four of the rural communities within the school district remain at low risk. The schools in those communities are Nanwalek School, Port Graham School and Susan B. English School in Seldovia across Kachemak Bay, and Tebughna School in Tyonek.
Hope School and Cooper Landing School are both in the medium-risk category.
The district is still offering free Get-It and Go meals for remote learning students, which can be picked up daily between noon and 1 p.m. Families need to place meal orders by noon on Fridays.
Homer High School
Friday — Basketball games at 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., and hockey at 7 p.m. in the Kevin Bell Arena.
Saturday — ACTs at 7:30 a.m. Nordic skiing at 11 a.m. on the Kenai Golf Course. Basketball games at noon, 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Hockey at 5 p.m. at the Kevin Bell Arena.
Monday, Feb. 8 — Grade check. Basketball games at 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Feb. 17 — Early release
Feb. 18 — Parent-Teacher conferences, no school
Feb. 19 — In-service, no school
Homer Middle School
Volleyball Intramurals have begun and end on Feb. 27.
Nordic Skiing started Jan. 11 and will end Feb. 27.
Friday — Volleyball game vs Skyview at 4 p.m.
Fireweed Academy
Both Big and Little Fireweed
Feb. 17 — Early Release Day. Little Fireweed released at 1:20 p.m. and Big Fireweed at 1:45 p.m.
Feb. 18-19 — Parent/Teacher Conferences and in-service
March 5 — No School: End of quarter and in-service day.
March 8-12 — Spring Break
March 15 —Fourth quarter begins
McNeil Canyon Elementary
Tuesday, Feb. 9 — Learning Lab
Wednesday, Feb. 10 — Battle of the Books Competition, fifth and sixth grades
Thursday, Feb. 11 — Learning Lab. Battle of the Books Competition, third and fourth grades
Feb. 15 — At the beginning of February, kindergarten through sixth grade students dive into a two-week immersion in the art of acrylics with Homer-based artist Sharlene Cline. Students will be painting scenes, creatures, and objects from our own Kachemak Bay. Please join in celebrating the learning and creativity of our students by attending a virtual gallery walk on Feb. 15, available through the school’s website (https://kpbsd.org/schools/mcneil-canyon/) starting Feb. 15.
Feb. 17 — Early Release
Feb. 18 and 19 — Parent-Teacher conferences
Kachemak Bay Campus
The Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference returns to Homer and Kachemak Bay Campus virtually on May 15 with a faculty of award-winning authors bringing fresh perspectives and a diversity of ideas. Participants can enjoy four days of classes, conversations, public readings and a panel discussion by writers from the Peabody Award-winning PBS show, “Molly of Denali,” as well as networking and community building activities. Early registration is open now at $80 for the general public, becoming $100 on Feb. 28. Registration for University of Alaska students will remain at $50. Academic credits are available. Visit writersconf.kpc.alaska.edu or call 907-435-7743 to register.
