The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education got some lower-peninsula hospitality on Monday, with a dinner prepared for them by Nikolaevsk School and presentations by Homer Flex and Fireweed Academy at its work session and West Homer Elementary and Chapman School at its regular meeting, both held at Homer High School.

The school board welcomed student representative Destini Riley to the table, formally accepting her election by district student councils.

"The choice the students made was a wise one," said board member Penny Vadla of Soldotna. "I welcome her heartily."

Riley, a sophomore at Ninilchik School, ran on a campaign to recognize small and large schools equally.

"My goal here is to give an equal voice to small schools and larger schools," Riley said.

Although most actions passed by unanimous consent, the board balked at one controversial item: an administration proposal to make as a legislative priority keeping the newer hire retirement tiers as a defined contribution, a retirement program where the district pays a set amount to an employee's retirement account, with benefits subject to the whims of the stock market.

Several teachers spoke against keeping defined contributions for newer hires and going back to a defined benefits program.

"It isn't what I thought retirement would be when I came up," said Voznesenka School teacher Cindy Denny, who moved to the peninsula from Minnesota to teach, in criticizing defined contributions.

Vadla moved to strike support of defined contributions from the legislative priorities list. Defined contribution doesn't affect recruitment of new staff, but it does affect retention, she said.

Homer school board member Liz Downing agreed.

"The defined contribution does not provide the security our teachers and staff deserve," she said.

Board member Sunni Hilts, Seldovia, noted the challenge in making defined benefits affordable. The Alaska Association of School Boards has backed a defined benefits program -- but only if it can be made affordable, she said.

"I can't figure out anything that can make defined benefits affordable," Hilts said.

"We can't go back to where we were," said board member Joe Arness of Kenai. "That's what I see this page (of legislative priorities) as saying. That's why I'm going to favor leaving this on the document."

With Arness the only no vote, the motion to remove the defined contribution push from the list passed. The board approved all the other legislative priorities, including creating a new three-year education funding plan and increasing the mandatory age of school attendance to 18. It rolled over into the list previous priorities.

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong.@homernews.com.