The Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals (AASSP) named Kenai Central High School Assistant Principal Will Chervenak the 2022 State of Alaska Assistant Principal of the Year!

Previously on November 8, 2021, a KPBSD story featured Mr. Chervenak’s recognition as the 2022 Region III Assistant Principal of the Year.

From the AASSP, November 15, 2021, news release announcing the 2022 Alaska Assistant Principal of the Year:

AASSP President and 2021 Alaska Principal of Year, Robin Jones said, “Will Chervenak is an extraordinary leader who has moved mountains to create a school culture where students and staff thrive, and it is our distinct privilege to announce him as the 2022 Alaska Assistant Principal of Year!”

Chervenak has been with the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District (KPBSD) for six years and Assistant Principal at Kenai Central High School for the last three years.

“Mr. Chervenak has a continual growth mindset,” Clayton Holland, Superintendent of KPBSD, said. “He always seeks to find ways to improve and thereby become even more effective at positively impacting students. He is supportive of staff, and he seeks to include their voice on decisions made at the site level.” 

Sharing how he has continued to grow as a leader despite a pandemic, Chervenak said, “I have pushed myself to improve my professional practice and have taken a new approach to student discipline, focusing on restorative justice and building positive relationships.” This year Chervenak has facilitated the N.O.T. (Not On Tobacco) youth cessation program as part of this new approach. N.O.T focuses on tobacco product education and cessation, providing an alternative to out-of-school suspension for students found using tobacco products at school. He shared that he will continue to learn and advocate for response to intervention best practices techniques to bring back to his school. 

Kenai Central High School Principal Dan Beck shared his excitement about Chervenak’s recognition saying, “It has been a pleasure to join Will Chervenak on the administrative team at Kenai Central High School this year. He is a true advocate for our community and school.”

Chervenak said the success of Kenai Central High School comes from the dedication and leadership of everyone on staff, “I am very proud of the culture that exists at my school. We are focused on student voice and providing a student-centered curriculum that is further supported by the personalized learning framework.”

“Will is motivated to serve the community, specifically students, which makes him an effective educator,” said Peter Gundunas, Resource Teacher at Kenai Central High School. He taught with Chervenak for four years. 

Links

• November 8, 2021 story announcing Mr. Chervenak, Region III 2022 Assistant Principal of the Year
• Kenai Central High School Website
• Kenai Central High School Facebook
• AASSP: Alaska Council of School Administrators (ACSA)

In the 2020-2021 school year, the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, through River City Academy (RCA), launched a middle college pilot program! The Kenai Peninsula Middle College School (KPMCS) is a partnership with Kenai Peninsula College (KPC) and creates a bridge between high school and college by providing eligible students the opportunity to exceed their high school academics through classes at KPC. Tuition, books and fees are paid by KPBSD and students receive both high school and college credit while working toward their Associate of Arts degree and meeting their high school graduation requirements. Through RCA, students benefit from the support of a collaborative learning environment, a cohort of middle college peers, and a structured mentoring program.

Now in its second year, 35 students enrolled for the fall semester in August 2021, and there is capacity for an additional 15 students to enroll in the second semester beginning in January 2022.

In the 2020-2021 pilot year, 21 students from River City Academy, Soldotna High School, Kenai Central High School, and Nikolaevsk School earned more than 200 college credits. One family said that middle college, “provides access to more advanced classes for high school students. Additionally, it serves as an introduction into the college framework with extra support both at the college and at a local school.”

Links

Learn more about the Kenai Peninsula Middle College School at https://kpbsd.org/schools/river-city-academy/kenai-peninsula-middle-college-school/

KPMCS brochure

Revision high school through KPMCS

Welcome to the 2021-2022 school year! Our district is very excited to have all of our students, staff, and parents back in school after a tumultuous few years. Our 42 schools are committed to meet the needs of every student, every day. This includes a safe and supportive learning environment for students and staff. Our overall philosophy is to establish strong, positive relationships with all students to provide a high quality learning experience. We take these responsibilities very seriously and look forward to working with our staff, students, parents and guardians, and diverse communities to fulfill these commitments.

All of us at KPBSD will focus to keep everyone informed with current issues and information. The COVID-19 mitigation plan to ensure safety for everyone, and to keep each school open for onsite learning is updated for this year. We are committed to work closely with state and local leaders to develop a long-term fiscal plan that makes sure our children are the highest priority. The year the KPBSD focus is on literacy; academic achievement; social and emotional learning (SEL); and positive relationships.

At the district office, I am pleased to welcome Ms. Kari Dendurent, the new Assistant Superintendent; Mr. Eric Pederson, Director of Elementary Education; and Mr. Tony Graham, Director of Secondary Education. We welcome back our teachers, instructional aides, nurses, custodians, secretaries, bus drivers, and food service professionals—they are the backbone of our district’s success. Join me with a warm welcome to new school administrators:

Mr. Greg Melvin, (AP), Connections Homeschool

Ms. Meghan Redmond, Homer Middle School

Mr. Dan Beck, Kenai Central High School

Mr. Ken Felchle, (AP), Kenai Middle School

Ms. Hannah Dolphin (AP), Mountain View Elementary

Ms. Penny Bearden, Nanwalek School

Mr. Shane Bostic; Mr. Mike Crain (AP), Nikiski Middle-High School

Mrs. Jenna Fabian, Nikiski North Star Elementary

Mr. Jerry Stapleton, Paul Banks Elementary

Mr. Eric Hart, Port Graham School

Dr. Michael Sturm, Razdolna School

Mr. Henry Burns, Seward High School

Mr. Matt Potter, Seward Middle School

Ms. Jill DuFloth; Ms. Shonia Werner (AP), Skyview Middle School

Mr. Sarge Truesdell, Soldotna High School:

Mr. Scott Jonsson, Susan B. English School, Seldovia

Ms. Christy Gomez, Tebughna School

Parents and community members are invited volunteer in the schools and become involved in partnerships to support students. Schools need the help of parents and community members in order to be successful with every child. It is also critical for young people to know that their parents, guardians, relatives, and friends are supportive of their schooling process. A student without this support may, at times, feel at a loss to find the necessary focus to excel in their learning.

I hope to see you in the coming months and wish you a great start to school. Join me as I travel throughout the district this year to schools and to meet our communities. Connect with the KPBSD on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. We look forward to an outstanding year!

Sincerely,

Clayton Holland,

Superintendent of Schools

The current Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is up-to-date, with actions and procedures that are practiced regularly.

KPBSD requires employee safety and emergency action training in order to instigate and implement the EAP for a school or the school district. 

KPBSD takes seriously the safety concerns from families, employees, students, and the community. We call upon our school communities to renew a determination to keep children safe by reporting any safety concerns to a school principal or the district office.

School Delays and Closure Protocol webpage

• KPBSD School Safety Guidelines
• Emergency Guidelines for Parents and Guardians

Emergency Drills

Every school practices several drills each year, including school lock-downs, hit-the-deck drills, and emergency actions and evacuations in the event of intruders, fire, earthquakes, or other circumstances.

Law Enforcement

The school district and each neighborhood school work closely with law enforcement in order to coordinate communications, the EAP, and identify areas of concern. The school district and individual schools are responsive to make adjustments when or if gaps in safety protocols are discovered.

Safety Procedures

In order to continue to improve school safety, the district and schools are reviewing the district-wide EAP, and school site implementations. Every school has safety for school visitors, traffic flow during school start and end times, mandatory check-in at the school office, designated entrances and exits, and so forth. Schools do send home notices prior to a drill that involves law enforcement. All school volunteers must go through a district-level screening.

Emergency Action Plan (EAP)

For security purposes, our district-wide KPBSD Emergency Action Plan is not available on our website for public viewing. Protocols and procedures are in place and practiced regularly and in conjunction with local law enforcement. Our school administrators and teachers know the action plan, and have access to it on site, and online.

The EAP organizational system used by KPBSD is designed to be applied to any emergency. It is based on the Incident Command System, a proven emergency management tool to organize an emergency response.

“Families trust our schools to keep their children safe during the day. The reality is, however, that schools may be touched either directly or indirectly by a crisis at any time. Knowing what to do when faced with a crisis can mean the difference between calm and chaos, courage and fear, life and death” -KPBSD Emergency Action Plan

Tsunami Evacuation Information

In the event of a Tsunami, please review this community resource including maps for evacuation routes, and what to do in an emergency. https://ready.alaska.gov/Plans/

Updates

September 13, 2021: the KPBSD Board of Education approved the FY22-24 Kenai Peninsula Education Association (KPEA) and Kenai Peninsula Education Support Association (KPESA) Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA).

September 2, 2021: KPEA and KPEA ratified and certified the Tentative Agreement (TA) reached with KPBSD for the FY22-24 school years.

May 21, 2021: “The Interest Based Bargaining (IBB) teams have successfully concluded their final meeting and are pleased to announce that we have reached consensus on the subjects brought forward during the bargaining process. We will spend the summer finalizing a tentative three year agreement so that members of all bargaining units can be fully informed early next school year. We will hold a ratification vote soon thereafter. Enjoy your summer!” – KPBSD, KPEA, KPESA bargaining teams

May 5, 2021: “The Interest Based Bargaining (IBB) teams continue to meet and are confident in the process. We have several meetings scheduled over the next couple of weeks. Our final meeting is scheduled for May 19, 2021. In order for membership to have the opportunity to attend informational meetings and have time to review the contracts, we will vote to ratify in the fall of 2021.” – KPBSD, KPEA, KPESA bargaining teams

February 11, 2021: “The Interest Based Bargaining teams continue to meet and feel confident in the process. The teams have participated in financial training with Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services. Topics discussed thus far include a variety of leave, initial salary placement, stipend positions, and custodial staffing. Subcommittees have been assigned to each topic for further input and research. Look for updates after our next full session on February 25, 2021.” – KPBSD, KPEA, KPESA bargaining teams

January 25, 2021: “The school district, KPEA, and KPESA bargaining teams met, and are moving forward through an Interest Based Bargaining (IBB) process. As a team, we are working toward shared understanding, mutual trust, and a collective list of topics for consideration. In the coming weeks we look forward to meeting in smaller committees to refine those discussions for our next full session on February 4, 2021. IBB is closed to the public—watch for our next joint update after February 6, 2021.” – KPBSD, KPEA, KPESA bargaining teams

Public Involvement in School District Negotiations
Now Open: Public Comment Opportunity

Share your thoughts about issues to be addressed in the school district negotiations process. In December 2020, the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District (KPBSD) begins Interest-Based Bargaining (IBB) with the Kenai Peninsula Education Association (KPEA), and the Kenai Peninsula Education Support Association (KPESA). The process includes issues and items for discussion such as compensation, employee benefits, health care, and work environment that one or both sides want to address for possible revision. 

The public is invited to comment about issues that will be addressed through the bargaining process. Options:

• Comment online—simple online form | https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TT5JCGM
• Email comments (please include your full name) to Negotiations@KPBSD.org
• Download this ” Negotiations” comment form and mail, fax, or deliver in person to:

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
Attn: Negotiations
148 N. Binkley
Soldotna, Alaska 99669
Fax: 907.262.5867 or email:  Negotiations@KPBSD.org  

Links

Collective Bargaining Agreements

AS 23.40.235. Public Involvement in School District Negotiations

Before beginning bargaining, the school board of a city or borough school district or a regional educational attendance area shall provide opportunities for public comment on the issues to be addressed in the collective bargaining process. Initial proposals, last-best-offer proposals, tentative agreements before ratification, and final agreements reached by the parties are public documents and are subject to inspection and copying under AS  40.25.110 –  40.25.140.