School District Risk Levels
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District has mitigation plans in place for what will happen with in-person education when different regions of the peninsula are in low, medium and high-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. Starting Monday, Jan. 11, the school district will allow most students to return to in-person learning, even if their school is operating at high risk. Students K-sixth grade can attend school five days a week, while students in ninth-12th grades will attend on an alternating schedule two days a week.
Starting this quarter, the school district will also move to labeling a single school as low, medium or high risk based on its COVID-19 activity, as opposed to an entire region the school is in. This would result in a single school or classroom being moved from one risk level to another, and moving back and forth from in-person education to remote learning.
As of Wednesday, the southern peninsula (from Ninilchik south) remained in the high risk category with 28 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 high risk as of Wednesday, with 131 new cases over the last 14 days.
The eastern peninsula (Seward and Moose Pass) was also at high risk Wednesday with 13 new cases of COVID-19 within the last 14 days.
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.
Fireweed Academy
Both Big and Little Fireweed
Jan. 11 — In-person learning option begins.
Jan. 18 — No School, Martin Luther King Jr. National holiday.
Feb. 17 — Early Release Day
Feb. 18-19 — Parent/Teacher Conferences and in-service
McNeil Canyon Elementary
Jan. 11 — In-person learning option begins.
Jan. 18 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, no school
Jan. 20 — Early release has been canceled. This is a normal school day.
Kachemak Bay Campus
Registration for Spring 2021 is now open. Kachemak Bay Campus has new classes in business and science as well as the arts, history, writing across subjects and more. Visit kpc.alaska.edu and spend your spring with Kachemak Bay Campus.
KPC is now offering UAA’s fast-track certificate in Business Leadership that students can achieve in one or two semesters! If you are looking for a quick way to boost your resume or to make a career shift, this Occupational Endorsement Certificate (OEC) is for you. Perfect for individuals in entry-level leadership roles and people wanting to build skills and stand out in a crowd, and for the Spring 2021 term, applicants may be eligible for financial awards up to $1000.
The OEC includes six classes that cover key business concepts in business foundations, supervision, selling, computer skills, leadership and communication. Students will also learn principles of finance, establishing goals and problem solving, marketing, and spreadsheet applications. Some of these classes are part of the general education requirement so if you have already taken one or more you are well on your way. General registration began Nov. 23. Interested parties can call KBC at (907) 235-7743 to be connected to an advisor.
