Tag: public education

How-to invest millions in public education on the Kenai

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District News ReleasePrint
Contact: Pegge Erkeneff, 907.714.8888
Does a quality education and the future success for every young person living on the Kenai Peninsula matter to you? 
Yes? ... please participate in the budget development meeting which takes place at 23 KPBSD school sites on Thursday, October 15, 2015, at 6:00 p.m. Here are three reasons why:

  1. Up front learning about how KPBSD is crafting a multi-million dollar budget in response to the fiscal reality impacting all aspects of state government and funding for public education
  2. Give your feedback about areas of the budget that can be reduced or should be expanded, and suggestions for legislators about solutions to our funding shortfalls. What matters, what doesn’t?
  3. Q & R: question and response opportunity

“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 may need to make difficult decisions depending upon the level of funding we receive from the state and borough. I encourage the public to use this meeting as an opportunity to learn about this fiscal reality, and to think in terms of what we can do differently to produce a balanced budget.”

Parents, staff, students, business partners, community members, and elected officials are invited to attend the budget development meeting on Thursday, October 15, 2015, 6:00 p.m., via MS Lync, at any of these KPBSD school sites:

Cooper Landing – Room 4; Homer Middle School – Library; Hope School – Sandra Barron’s classroom; Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science – Library; K-Beach Elementary – Room 18; Kenai Alternative School- Front office; Kenai Central High School – Library; Moose Pass School – Katie Abraham’s class; Mountain View Elementary – Library; Nikiski Middle – High School – Library; Nikolaevsk School – Library; Ninilchik School – Library; Port Graham School – Secondary classroom; Seward Elementary School – Library; Skyview Middle School – Library; Soldotna Elementary – Library; Soldotna High School – Library; Soldotna Montessori School – Office; Soldotna Prep School – Library; Sterling Elementary – Mrs. Van Slyke’s room; Susan B. English School – Commons; Tebughna School – Room 6; and Tustumena School – Library.
money“Our annual budget is one of the most important things we do each year,” said Dave Jones, assistant superintendent of instructional support. “We want to give our parents, staff, students, and community members a chance to learn about our budget, participate in the process, and offer input. The meeting on October 15 will be an important step in the process to develop the FY17 budget. We hope to see a large turnout at all our schools across the district.”
Participant input will be synthesized and presented to the KPBSD school board during November and December board meetings and worksessions.
Links

###

Budget cuts

Borough funds Kenai Peninsula education with maximum allowable contribution

Kenai Peninsula Borough School DistrictKPBSD 50 years logo Smallest version
Contact: Pegge Erkeneff, 907.714.8888

News Release
KPBSD is grateful our Borough funds public education

Soldotna, June 5, 2015—The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District will receive the maximum amount of funding for K-12 public education from the Kenai Peninsula Borough (KPB) in 2015-2016 (FY16). At the KPB assembly meeting on June 2, 2015, assembly members voted to fund the KPBSD FY16 budget with the maximum allowable contribution that Alaska state law permits.

“We are grateful the Borough recognizes that with the fiscal unknowns in the state budget, and by funding the school district with the maximum amount possible, this action will help soften any potential reductions in service that we will likely need to make,” said Sean Dusek, superintendent. “The local funding will minimize negative consequences students will experience with any future reductions in services and educational funding.”

“I am especially thankful for the strong support we received from the Borough administration, assembly, and Mayor Navarre,” said Sean Dusek, superintendent.

The Alaska State Legislature has not yet passed a FY16 budget, so KPBSD remains uncertain about the amount of educational funding that will be designated to the district through the Foundation Formula and One-Time Funding.

The KPBSD $165 million dollar FY16 budget is a deficit budget, and requires use of General Fund reserves. The actions of the Borough will allow KPBSD to extend its General Fund reserves into the upcoming years of fiscal uncertainty.

Links

###

Public Education Legislative Action Alert – HB 278

The House Finance Committee is sponsoring a public hearing to discuss House Bill 278. “Education: Funding/Tax Credits/Programs”

Two minute public testimony is invited on Tuesday, March 18, 2014, beginning at 5:30 PM.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District:

  • SUPPORTS the need to increase public school funding through the Base Student Allocation (BSA). A $268 increase would provide a balanced Fiscal Year 2015 budget.
  • SUPPORTS the repeal and replacement of the High School Graduation Qualifying Exam (HSGQE)
  • BELIEVES the current process for charter school approval and school district oversight works well. (KPBSD school choices)

Read the letter Superintendent Steve Atwater sent to Representative Austerman, regarding HB278, on March 17, 2014. Click to see all KPBSD letters to legislators.
Please consider watching or listening online, or testifying from your local Legislative Information Office (LIO) when the House Finance Committee hears public testimony.
Link: LIO office locations
House Finance Committee
Co-Chair Alan Austerman            Representative.Alan.Austerman@akleg.gov
Co-Chair Bill Stoltze                        Representative.Bill.Stoltze@akleg.gov
Vice Chair: Mark Neuman            Representative.Mark.Neuman@akleg.gov
Mia Costello                                       Representative.Mia.Costello@akleg.gov
Bryce Edgmon                                   Representative.Bryce.Edgmon@akleg.gov
Les Gara                                               Representative.Les.Gara@akleg.gov
David Guttenberg                            Representative.David.Guttenberg@akleg.gov
Lindsey Holmes                               Representative.Lindsey.Holmes@akleg.gov
Cathy Munoz                                      Representative.Cathy.Munoz@akleg.gov
Steve Thompson                               Representative.Steve.Thompson@akleg.gov
Tammie Wilson                                Representative.Tammie.Wilson@akleg.gov
PrintKenai Peninsula Borough School District  |  www.KPBSD.org  |  907.714.8888
Link: KPBSD and The Legislature webpage

How would you spend 160 million dollars?

Kenai Peninsula Borough School DistrictPrint
Contact: Pegge Erkeneff, 907.714.8888
MEDIA RELEASE: How would you spend 160 million dollars?
Soldotna, February 14, 2014—Everyone interested in quality public education is invited to a public meeting about the 2014-2015 budget designed to provide a K-12 education for our local students on the Kenai Peninsula.
The reality is that when the budget process began, an $8,235,753 deficit for a status quo budget in 2014-2015 existed. This is to provide what KPBSD did in 2013-2014. Please step up to the plate and attend a public budget forum. You’ll take a deficit walk with Dave Jones, assistant superintendent of instructional support, and learn about the budget reductions we have already made, possibilities for the future, the role of the legislature, borough, and general fund balance. Do you know that in July 2013, the school board already determined a .5 increase for student-to-teacher ratio in the classroom to address the deficit? This equates to more than ten current positions which will not be funded next year. Even with this, other proposed expenditure reductions, and use of the general fund balance, KPBSD still has an unresolved deficit of $4,593,729 to solve.

Dr. Steve Atwater, superintendent, said, “The financing for our schools is complicated. I encourage the public to attend the budget forums so they can better understand this financing and to gain a sense of our deficit and what steps we are taking to close the revenue-expenditure gap.”

Parents, employees, students, community members—you are invited. Mark your calendar for one hour, and bring your inquiries and questions to KPBSD Budget 101, where you will learn about the district perspective, expenditures, revenues, and where to find specifics for your neighborhood school:

• Tuesday, February 18, 2014, 5:30 p.m., Seward High School library
• Wednesday, February 19, 2014, 5:30 p.m., Soldotna High School library
• Tuesday, February 25, 2014, 5:30 p.m., Homer High School library

Link
KPBSD finance department and budget documents: http://bit.ly/FinanceKPBSD

###