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Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire
Deena Bishop, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, testifies Saturday during a House Rules Committee meeting.

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Peninsula residents weigh in on school funding debate

More than a dozen comments were made by residents of the Kenai Peninsula on S.B. 140

Senate President Gary Stevens, a Kodiak Republican, confers with other senators and legislative staff moments before gavelling in the start of this year’s legislative session at the Alaska State Capitol. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

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Lawmakers open session with education discussion

Early effort to overturn veto of one-time school funding fails in House

Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion
Kenai Peninsula Education Association President LaDawn Druce (left) and committee Chair Jason Tauriainen (right) participate in the first meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Four Day School Week Ad Hoc Committee on Wednesday in Soldotna.

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Group studying 4-day school week model takes shape

Members of a newly minted Kenai Peninsula Borough School District group convened for the first time last week…

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)

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School board mulls grad policy clarifications

High school graduates would only be permitted to participate in the commencement ceremonies of the school they are…

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Finance Director Liz Hayes (left) presents preliminary fiscal year 2025 budge information during a school board committee meeting on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O'Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

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Budget deficit continues to steer school board talks

Warnings about the implications and scale of the budget deficit the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District is facing…

Joel Isaak, Kenaitze Tribe Member and adjunct professor at Kenai Peninsula College, speaks during a Celebration of Life for Dr. Alan Boraas at Kenai Peninsula College on Jan. 17, 2020. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)

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Local Dena’ina linguist named DEED deputy commissioner

Joel Isaak teaches Dena’ina at Kenai Peninsula College and works as a linguist for the Kenaitze Indian Tribe

Callie Giordano’s first grade Mountain View Elementary School students practice literacy skills on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

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Alaska’s adjusted school spending trails national average, UAA researchers say

Funding for K-12 education is expected to be a top issue in the upcoming legislative session

A pie chart shows Kenai Peninsula Borough School District expenditures by object for the current fiscal year. (Chart via KPBSD)

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‘Budget 101’: How KPBSD organizes funds

Finance Director Elizabeth Hayes delivered the presentation to school board members during a Monday work session

Members of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education meet on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O'Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

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New school board group will study 4-day school week

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District school board members voted Monday to create a temporary committee that will be…

From left: Rep. Ben Carpenter, Sen. Jesse Bjorkman and Rep. Justin Ruffridge discuss their priorities regarding education during a work session with members of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

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School funding, accountability dominate school board work session with lawmakers

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, Rep. Ben Carpenter and Rep. Justin Ruffridge joined the board for a work session in…

Soldotna High School senior Josiah Burton testifies in opposition to the proposed cut of Kenai Peninsula Borough School District theater technicians while audience members look on during a board of education meeting on Monday, March 6, 2023 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

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School board finance group reviews expenditures ahead of upcoming budget cycle

As the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District prepares to grapple with another $13 million deficit for the upcoming…

Amanda Adams leads a session during an in-service at Skyview Middle School on Friday, Aug. 13, 2021 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

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School board briefed on role of AI in education

While there may be consequences to further incorporating AI use in schools, there may also be consequences for…

Graphic via health.alaska.gov

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School board briefed on e-cigarette use by SoHi assistant principal

Results from the 2019 Alaska Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that one in four students said they currently…