"We made AYP (adequate yearly progress) for the second year in a row and we're the largest school district (in Alaska) to do that," Sammy Crawford, board president, said. "The kids and teachers and staff are doing just great. We are thrilled."
Other districts are curious, according to Crawford. KPBSD scores of 87 percent in language arts and 79 percent in math are drawing inquiries from around the state.
"School districts are calling and asking how we do it," Crawford said of questions from the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Fairbanks and Anchorage. "We're doing the right things."
The "right things" involve collaborative work among teachers, a focus on best practices to help students learn and incorporating those practices in all subjects.
Also on the plus side of Monday's meeting was the board's unanimous approval of Kaleidoscope Charter School's reapplication. The school has been in existence five years. Having been approved by the board, reapplication for the next five years will now be submitted to the state.
"They are a wonderful little school," Crawford said. "They really focus on arts and sciences and it's all collaborative. Mostly, it's feeding on its success."
Misty Hamilton, president of Kaleidoscope's academic policy committee, thanked the board for its support.
"We started with less than 100 students," Hamilton said of what began as a kindergarten-fifth grade school. "We're now K-6 and have 233 students."
Bonnie Powell of Project GRAD announced that program has become a federal stand-alone program. As a result, there is the potential for receiving federal funding within the next five years, Powell said.
Forty-six Project GRAD students representing all seven communities the program serves Nanwalek, Nikolaevsk, Ninilchik, Port Graham, Razdolna, Tyonek and Voznesenka attended the program's summer institute. Eighteen Project GRAD scholarship recipients are currently in either their first of second year of college.
"Our problem is that we're too successful," Powell said, pointing out the need to raise additional scholarship funds.
Also receiving approval from the board was a list of resolutions to be proposed to the Association of Alaska School Boards when it holds its annual conference in Anchorage Nov. 8-10.
"These allow us to work with the legislature and work together with school districts all over the state toward a common goal," Crawford said. Currently AASB's president elect, she will take over the role of president at the November meeting.
Superintendent Donna Peterson presented the district leadership's goals and projects for the 2008-2009 school year. Goals include:
* Developing individual learning pathways for each student;
* Increasing graduating rate and decreasing the drop out rate; and
* Increasing parent and community engagement.
Concern over Proposition 1, which will be on the borough's Oct. 7 ballot, was raised by several individuals during public testimony. If passed, it would approve the exemption of sales tax on all sales of non-prepared food items from Sept. 1 of each year through May 31 of the following year.
"The proposition does cause the school district some concern because of the potential decline in sales tax revenue that may result. That's because sales tax revenue is dedicated to school operations by the Kenai Peninsula Borough, " said Melody Douglas, KPBSD's chief financial officer. Historically, the borough has funded the district to the cap, or maximum amount allowed by the state's funding formula. For Fiscal Year 2009, that totaled about $40 million.
"If revenue streams that have been dedicated to schools, such as sales tax, are jeopardized, then it could jeopardize full funding at the cap. That has my attention as the CFO for the school district," Douglas said.
An increase in enrollment across the district also meant good news. Student enrollment was projected at 9,053 students, but as of Monday it was 9,156. Whether or not it will hold, however, is a concern in light of the state's permanent fund dividends and Alaska resource rebate totaling $3,269 soon to be issued.
"The district is concerned about the permanent funds being released early and with the energy monies residents are receiving this year, families in marginal economic circumstances will have resources to make decisions to move if they're in that mode," Douglas said. "So, in a nutshell, of the enrollment increase, we're thrilled, but we're holding our breath."
Presentations by Principal Cheryl Schweigert and students from Nanwalek School, located on Cook Inlet, near the southern tip of the peninsula, offered a glimpse at one of the district's most remote corners. Nanwalek can only be accessed by air or water. Board member Debra Mullins of north Kenai, who has flown to Nanwalek, appreciated the presence of Schweigert and the students.
"No one told me what I was in for," she said of the flight and landing on the runway that parallels the inlet and is situated between the village and a mountain.
Mullins drew a laugh when she said her reaction on that flight "was entertaining for the other passengers."
Homer High School student body president Brittney Wyatt's presentation about HHS got high marks from the board, as did the HHS swing choir's performance of the National Anthem.
Receiving Golden Apple Awards were McNeil Canyon Elementary School's kindergarten teacher De Patch and secretary Laura Sheldon. (See related story, page 8.)
The next meeting of the school board is scheduled for Oct. 6 at the borough's administration building in Soldotna.
McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at mckibben.jackinsky@homernews.com.
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Homer Alaska - Schools -
Story last updated at
8:14 PM on
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
School board pays visit to southern Kenai Peninsula
By McKibben Jackinsky
Staff writer
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