Budget constraints might mean all but two of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s 44 schools will have more students and fewer teachers in the classroom next year.

Administrators are recommending the board of education raise the pupil-teacher ratio at all sites other than Kenai Alternative and Homer Flex high schools through the preliminary fiscal year 2017 budget, which Assistant Superintendent Dave Jones presented at the Jan. 11 board meeting. 

Other factors would compound the changes.

“It’s important for people to realize that completely separate from PTR (pupil-teacher ratio) changes, reduction in staff will happen because of decreased student enrollment at a school,” said Pegge Erkeneff, school district spokesperson. “Added to the adjustments to the PTR staffing formulas, the impact will be greatest for schools that have a combination of smaller student enrollment and PTR change.”