advocacy – KPBSD Communications Field Notes

Student Voice and #AKleg visits in Juneau

KPBSD and The Legislature
School Board Leadership and Youth Advocacy Institute

A full weekend of learning and collaborating with school board members and students from around the state, plus two days of appointments with more than 25 legislators to share “Kenai schools” stories was fun, informative, and thought provoking! February 10–13, 2018, two students, three school board members, a Soldotna Prep teacher, and the district communications liaison participated in the Alaska Association of School Board (AASB) Legislator Leadership Flyin and Youth Advocacy Institute in Juneau, Alaska.
Whether it was testifying at a hearing, being introduced on the House of Representative floor, meeting with Governor Walker around his many yards long conference table, or the many excellent questions and facts and figures shared, our team was so well received. Aides and legislators showed our young people and team kindness, genuine interest in schools, and affirmation about the diverse schools in KPBSD. Two KPBSD student leaders reflect on their experience:
Highlight of High School
“Going to Juneau was the highlight of my high-school experiences. Having the opportunity to go to the state capital building and seeing, first hand, how hard our government works for us opened my eyes to the challenges we, as a state, face. I was proud to be a part of a group with such a positive attitude and the ability to articulate the needs of not only our district but all the districts of our state. The respect we were shown as a group and on an individual basis by everyone we met, from the Commissioner of Education, the Governor of Alaska, to the members of the House and the Senate showed me the value of a student’s voice. I have personally been advocating for education for many years, I feel my voice was truly heard in Juneau. I had several legislators stop me in the halls of the capital building to tell me they appreciated my voice and the positive message the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District conveyed. Thank Goodness for the DREAM TEAM of three school board members, two students, a teacher, and our communications liaison!” – Sabrina Ferguson, Ninilchik School, KPBSD Information Committee Student Representative
My Experience
“I had the pleasure and honor of meeting with Representatives and Senators from across the state during the February legislative fly-in with the school board and youth advocacy institute. It was a great time, opened my eyes to so many different things, and an opportunity to promote our wonderful district. I realized that the representatives and senators love hearing from kids! They love hearing what we have to say, and what we think needs changed or improved. Our local school board is just such a wonderful group of people! I loved every moment and aspect of the time in Juneau, and I encourage any student who is reading this to get involved with our school board, and to take the time to write to your Representative and Senator and let them know what’s going on in your school!” – Calvin Mitzel, Soldotna High School, KPBSD Board of Education Student Representative
Alaska Association of School Boards website
KPBSD and The Legislature webpage

Governor Bill Walker meets with the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District in the Cabinet Room at the State Capitol in Juneau, Alaska, February 12, 2018. David Lienemann/Office of the Governor — Governor Bill Walker meets with the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District in the Cabinet Room at the State Capitol in Juneau, Alaska, February 12, 2018.
David Lienemann/Office of the Governor

Public invitation to KPBSD Key Communicator Hour

News Release
Public invited to KPBSD Key Communicator events

Soldotna, October 17, 2016—KPBSD is hosting three Key Communicator Connect & Collaborate Hours to converse about the KPBSD budget, five year strategic plan, and respond to questions and ideas about our diverse district. Key Communicators gather throughout the year; everyone interested in KPBSD schools is invited to attend:

Tuesday, October 18, 2016, Homer Middle School library, 6:00 – 7:00 PM
Thursday, October 20, 2016, Seward High School library, 6:00 – 7:00 PM
Tuesday, November 1, 2016, Soldotna High School library, 6:00 – 7:00 PM

“People move in the direction of their conversations and seek accurate stories and information about the school district.” –KPBSD Key Communicator network

Who are KPBSD Key Communicators?

Parents, students, business owners, staff, alumni, grandparents, retirees, everyone who cares about education. Key Communicators help people in their local communities learn more about KPBSD, while also assisting the school district to learn and understand more about what people in our schools and community think, feel, and know. The concept is to promote a continuing exchange between Key Communicators and the school district, creating a loosely connected group of parents and citizens for two way communication and advocacy.

Opportunity

In 2014, KPBSD formed a network of people who are interested in our schools in order to cultivate positive relationships with the school district and in our diverse communities. Conversations happen every day in school parking lots, at the grocery store, via social media, and so forth. Our Key Communicators are informed about school district initiatives, issues, and celebrations through responses to questions, email messages, news releases, and e-news from district office communications. Each school year an opportunity to meet in person takes place. Together we will broaden community advocates.
Links
KPBSD Key Communicators
Questions? Contact Pegge Erkeneff, KPBSD communications liaison, Pegge@KPBSD.org, 907.714.888
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Balancing Alaska Budgets

“I think it’s important for the people in my community to weigh in any opportunity that they get on the budget preference or revenue enhancements. And, while I don’t know how that is going to turn out yet, it will take some combination of both of those in order to come up with a sustainable budget that will move Alaska forward and help my community.” – Speaker of the House, Mike Chenault, February 8, 2016, in conversation with Soldotna High School student

Brian Dusek and Speaker Chenault — KPBSD Board of Education student representative Brian Dusek talks with Speaker of the House, Mike Chenault, about a letter Soldotna High School students wrote to Alaska legislators about the budget and what the value of public education means to them.

Balancing a billion dollar state budget

On anything but a normal Monday in Juneau, when HCR 23 “Suspend Uniform Rules 20, 21, 23, 24” made fast tracks to pass through the House of Representatives, “restricting committee meetings of the Alaska House of Representatives to measures that substantially relate to and have as their primary purpose appropriating, raising, or allocating state revenue, until the Alaska House of Representatives passes a state operating budget to the Alaska Senate,” Speaker of the House Mike Chenault (and District 29 representative) met with one of his young constituents, a high school student from Soldotna, Alaska.
In Juneau for a school board legislative fly-in with board member Lynn Hohl, the student school board representative, Brian Dusek, shared a letter that Soldotna High School students wrote to Alaska legislators. Speaker Chenault said, “I hope we are on the right track, we are going to work on the budget, try to focus on the budget, and come up with a remedy for the budget. We’ll look at revenue streams, we’ll look at reducing the budget where we can. I think it’s important for the people in my community to weigh in, any opportunity that they get—either weigh in on the budget preference or revenue enhancements. And, while I don’t know how that is going to turn out yet, it will take some combination of both of those in order to come up with a sustainable budget that will move Alaska forward and help my community. So that’s where we will be and what we will work on for the next three weeks, and see if we can get a budget passed.” Alaska residents are asked to weigh in with their ideas to The House Majority “Idea Line” 1-844-414-5949 to help solve the State’s budget crunch.
“I’m having a great time advocating for public education and the KPBSD,” said Brian Dusek, Soldotna High School student and school board student representative. “It was great to learn more about the legislative process, meet Governor Walker, our senators, and our representatives, speak to public officials, and have a voice that represents my peers and community. I appreciate the KPBSD school board for allowing me to attend the legislative fly in, and I hope that I helped advocate for public education so it remains a #1 priority in the state. It’s been an amazing experience!”
The Legislature and KPBSD webpage offers helpful links, copies of legislator communications, KPBSD legislative priorities, LIO office locations, and more. This page is updated throughout the legislative session.

Balancing a multi-million dollar school district budget

“The district is facing a fiscal gap for our 2016-2017 budget,” said Sean Dusek, superintendent. “We are prioritizing the programs and services we will be able to offer in our schools. The district will likely need to make additional difficult decisions depending upon the level of funding we receive from the state and borough. This is an important year to be involved and engaged in all levels of our budget development, and understand the local (borough) and state level funding for public education.”

KPBSD Public Budget Meetings

Parents, staff, students, business partners, community members, and elected officials, are invited to bring your questions and ideas to a KPBSD public meeting, where you will learn about the district budget perspective, expenditures, revenues, and receive responses to your questions.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016, Seward High School library, 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016, Soldotna High School library, 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 23, 2016, Homer High School library, 5:30 p.m.

Links

KPBSD and the Legislature webpage
KPBSD State Priorities brochure
The House Majority Idea Line
KPBSD Finance Department and budget documents
2016-2017 (FY17) Budget Development calendar

Building a Sustainable Future for Alaska The KPBSD Board of Education encourages everyone to participate in Governor Walker’s Sustainable Future: conversations with Alaskans through an interactive revenue and expenditure model that “allows you to fix Alaska’s budget your way.”
New! Alaska residents are asked to weigh in with their ideas to The House Majority “Idea Line” 1-844-414-5949 to help solve the State’s budget crunch.

Let’s turn 10K into 20K for students who are homeless

News Release
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
Contact: Pegge Erkeneff, 907.714.8888

What’s Your One Thing?

Soldotna, November 25, 2015—A generous person who believes in kindness learned about the Candlelight Vigil for KPBSD students who are homeless, and wants to make a difference. So, the donor offered a gift: a 100% matching challenge up to $10,000 for all financial donations to the Students In Transition (SIT) program through December 18, 2015.

Help make it $20,000. Why?
KPBSD anticipates serving close to 300 students who are homeless this year; already 185 students are enrolled. Our student numbers are on the rise, needs are increasing. One of the highest expenses is for basic clothing and winter gear. In addition, emergency food supplies, hygiene products, school supplies, and other unexpected expenses. The 2015-2016 McKinney-Vento grant funds are spent. Thus, the program relies on generous donations that come from student advocacy, school projects, private donations, and fundraisers, such as the spaghetti feed and silent auction the Kenai Central High School student leaders are hosting on December 4, 2015, at 6:00 p.m.

“This is an incredible offer of generosity, and I am truly grateful; it is also an incredible opportunity for the community to make a significant impact. My hope is that people with a heart for homeless children and youth use this challenge as a catalyst for conversation, contribution, and extension of care.” – Kelly King, KPBSD homeless liaison

How to contribute
Monetary donations can be made through the school district into a designated KPBSD account.
One hundred percent of every donation goes directly to supports and services. Donations are 100% tax deductible. To donate, contributions can be made at the district office—make sure to indicate it’s for the SIT program. Additionally credit card* donations can be made through the KPBSD website online payments link on the Students-Parents tab or via the online payments icon on the KPBSD mobile app. Questions? Call Kelly King or the district office. *There is a 3.61% processing fee calculated on all payments, no exceptions. This is the actual cost of the processing fee from RevTrak, and is not a source of revenue for the district.

“We are very appreciative that a donor is willing to make such a substantial and generous donation to our SIT program. I am very thankful for this opportunity and for all of the donations that are coming in for our program.” – Sean Dusek, superintendent

This school year
The SIT program has enrolled 185 students since the start of the school year in August, 2015, and this number will continue to increase as the year progresses. These students range from pre-kindergarten to the twelfth grade and are in every community within our school district. In the central peninsula, 136 youth are enrolled, 31 are unaccompanied youth, and 105 are with a family unit. In the southern peninsula, 49 students are enrolled, 19 are unaccompanied youth, and 30 are with a family unit.
The purpose of the SIT program is to ensure educational programs for students are not interrupted while they are in transition. Eligible families or youth are those who lack a stable, adequate, and permanent place to sleep at night. If you or someone you know is sleeping in a motel, a camper, a tent, couch-surfing, or living with friends or relatives then this program can help.
KPBSD Students in Transition program contacts
Kelly King, homeless liaison, serving Central Peninsula, Seward and Tyonek schools, kking@kpbsd.k12.ak.us, 907.714.8869
Jane Dunn, homeless liaison, serving Southern Peninsula schools and Ninilchik,
jdunn@kpbsd.k12.ak.us, 907.226.1890
Links
KPBSD SIT program website http://bit.ly/TransitionsKPBSD
KPBSD Students in Transition on Facebook
December 4, 2015, public event KCHS Spaghetti Feed and Silent Auction Fundraiser
KPBSD Highlight Story
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6th Annual Candlelight Vigil for Youth and Families who are homeless

Care notes for students enrolled in the SIT program

Neighborhood school takes it to the streets

On May 2, 2015, twenty six “Mountain View Minions” participated in the Walk and Roll for Hope. This event, the 46^th annual, takes place in communities throughout Alaska to raise funds for and awareness about disability services available for Alaskans.
As a large, open enrollment, neighborhood school Mountain View Elementary is fortunate to be able to provide services to students with a wide range of disabilities. By forming a team to participate in this event the Mountain View family was able to show our support for those students as well as the people who work with them, both within our school and elsewhere.
The Mountain View Elementary team included staff participating with their children, grandchildren and parents as well as students participating with their families. With a little inspiration from Disney and artistic help from Pinterest a group of staff members made customized Minion shirts for the team. Wearing bright yellow, googley eyed, and smiley faced tee shirts the team was hard to miss and certainly did its best to add to the festive nature of the event. The “Mountain View Minions” raised $900 to support Hope Community Services, the most raised by any team participating in the event.
The Mountain View Elementary staff has a strong sense of community service that it hopes to impart on its students as well. Other ways they have served the Kenai neighborhood this year include:

Staff members setting up a booth at Industry Appreciation Days where they helped close to 200 local children make individualized, hand printed, eagle art work
The after school choir singing patriotic songs at an evening veterans day celebration
The student council, working with Hilcorp Alaska, serving Thanksgiving Dinner at the Kenai Senior Center
Staff members coordinating a Christmas drive that provided dinner and gifts for over 100 local families
The 2^nd grade singing Christmas carols at a variety of local businesses
The kindergarten promoting a Pennies for Pets campaign that raised $500 for the Kenai Animal Shelter
Student families maintaining a city of Kenai flower bed over the summer

Mountain View Elementary is Kenai’s “Neighborhood School” and its students and staff strive to live up to that moniker. Look for their students and staff at a community service event near you.

Soldotna High School student council addresses education funding

On April 9, 2015, the Soldotna High School Student Council sent a letter to Alaska legislators in response to proposed reductions to education funding.

Dear Senators and Representatives,

We, the students of Soldotna High School Student Council would like to address the current status of HB72 as it stands on April 8, 2015. We are gravely concerned about the educational implications of this bill if it should pass as it currently exists.

While we do recognize the importance of drafting a balanced budget, the cuts to education are extremely distressing. With the additional reduction of 4.1% to the Foundation Formula and a cut to other One-Time funding sources, our district is now facing up to an additional $8 million reduction to the new school year budget—which was already a deficit budget and included cuts. We worry about what this means for our school next year and in the future.
With the adoption of new curriculum standards and adjustment to the new testing procedures, we are worried that decreased budgets could lead to increases in the size of our classrooms and a reduction in resources. While each of them by themselves is alarming, combined they could be devastating. Already we do not have enough one on one time with teachers and while we have internet access, our computers and buildings are showing their age.
Extra-curricular activities will also be hit very hard. Student fees to play may need to be increased to help cover the costs of busing, uniforms, referees and coaching staff. Many students are already discouraged about the high costs of participating in sports and yet it is these activities that help keep many kids in school and motivates them to get passing grades. We will need to lean more on local businesses and communities to help with fundraising efforts at a time when they already feel the pressure of helping our local schools.
Thank you for this opportunity to share our concerns. We would encourage you to continue to look at a variety of ways to help balance the budget without such extreme cuts to education.
Sincerely,
Members of Soldotna High School Student Council

Huskies collect cans

Homer Middle School students Charity Stewart, Timberlee Davis, Mattea Allen, Sierra Clark

Homer Middle School Huskies shared the love during the Month of February to give back to the community and to show their spirit. The students at Homer Middle School partnered with the Homer Food Pantry to collect and donate 765 cans and other non-perishable items. The Student Government sponsored the event; Mrs. Jen Booz’s class won a pizza party for their class donation of 195 cans. In addition to the food drive, Student Government sponsored an ice cream fundraiser to purchase a gift card for Angelica Haakenson, a fellow student from Chapman School involved in a car accident earlier this year.

An outpouring of advocacy, care and service for homeless students

KPBSD students demonstrate incredible compassion and support for their homeless peers and the KPBSD Students in Transition (SIT) Program. They are on the move, making a tangible difference.
Socktober!
Kenai Middle School Leadership Class
Leadership students organized a collection drive for socks, hats, and gloves to benefit the local homeless population. Students created a PowerPoint presentation to inform their peers about the issue, designed promotional posters, and placed decorated collection boxes in each Advisory class. KMS students brought in donations for this “Socktober” event – collecting over 1,700 items.
Penny Wars!
Skyview Middle School Student Council
Panther Student Council sponsored a Penny War to benefit the SIT Program. Two collection jars were placed in the school office, one for seventh grade and one for eight grade. Pennies were collected and added up for each grades’ score. Other coins and dollar bills subtracted from the score for that grade level; sabotaging the other grade by adding silver or bills was encouraged!

Going Social!
Maddy McElrea
Wanting to make a difference for a family in need, Kenai Alternative Community Projects leader Maddy McElrea reached out to the community through Facebook. Within two days she had collected a variety of items including clothing, books, food, and household goods. “It really warmed my heart seeing that there were so many people willing to help within hours of me making a post. If I was able to do that, just think about what we could accomplish for all the other kids by coming together as a community,” said McElrea.
Birthday Gifting!
Damien Redder and Devin Every
For the second time in recent years, these two KCHS boys decided to celebrate their birthdays by thinking beyond themselves. Invitations were sent to friends and family asking that in lieu of gifts, donations be made to benefit the SIT Program and local homeless youth. This resulted in a monetary donation as well as numerous food cards for local vendors to be used in emergency situations.

Damien and Devin's birthday party — Damien and Devin’s birthday party

Spaghetti feed and auction raises thousands!
Kenai Central High School Leadership Class
KCHS Leadership class initiated, organized, and hosted a spaghetti feed and silent auction fundraiser with all proceeds benefitting the SIT Program. Students approached local businesses to gather auction donations, advertised, sold tickets, and cooked the meal for attendees. KCHS senior, Kyla Whannell, had this to say: “We feel that no child should have to worry about when their next meal will come or where they’re going to sleep. Knowing that this issue affects many youth in our community made us want to help in some way. Making this an annual event is something KCHS Leadership finds important, so we can keep spreading the word about youth homelessness.”

Reindeer delivers donations!
Jenna Hansen
This Nikiski Middle-High School student and her reindeer, Crash and Comet, have made several public appearances throughout the Central Peninsula, as a fundraiser for the SIT Program and to help spread awareness. In addition to these photo opportunities with the public, Jenna does additional fundraising for homeless youth issues through her “Scene of the Crash” Facebook page and GoFundMe account.

Crash and comet with NMHS student Jenna Hansen

Hats and gloves adorn the tree!
McNeil Canyon Elementary School
McNeil Canyon again sponsored their annual “Helpful Holiday Tree.” Food for the Homer Food Pantry was collected beneath the tree, which was decorated with hats and gloves donated for local homeless children.
Packing!
Chelsea Marsh (Teens Inbetween)
Chelsea is completing her senior project, collecting goods for backpacks she plans to put together for homeless teens. These backpacks will include items such as toiletries, job applications, business cards for community resources, and an invitation for a clothing giveaway at the Rec Room.
Links

KPBSD Students In Transition program
Connect with Students in Transition on Facebook

KCHS students, Kyla and Amber homelessness presentation to Soldotna Rotary #advocacy

Tag: advocacy

Student Voice and #AKleg visits in Juneau

Public invitation to KPBSD Key Communicator Hour

News Release
Public invited to KPBSD Key Communicator events

Tuesday, October 18, 2016, Homer Middle School library, 6:00 – 7:00 PM

Thursday, October 20, 2016, Seward High School library, 6:00 – 7:00 PM