The Alaska State Legislature
Conference Committee on Hb57
Representative Paul Seaton
Senator Lyman Hoffman
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801
Dear Representative Seaton and Senator Hoffman:
On behalf of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Board of Education, I am writing to express our frustration over the Legislature’s inability to produce and pass a budget for the fiscal year 2018. The impact on our schools, staff and students caused by this inadequacy cannot be understated. Our district has less than 55 work days before school doors open again to welcome students for another year. The few summer weeks that schools are closed, the district office administration works diligently to plan and prepare so that our school staff have what they need to succeed the minute they return to their buildings. At this point, KPBSD cannot even make crucial decisions on filling vacant positions, much less move forward with other critical preparation.
This legislative session is a perfect example of why the state must develop a comprehensive, long-term fiscal plan that includes forward funding for education. It is unreasonable and unconscionable to expect school districts to function at their highest level and provide a world class education to students when they are held hostage to the legislature’s timeline and inability to move forward in an efficient manner.
If you would like to discuss this further of if our board can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Joe Arness, President
Board of Education
“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
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.
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.
News Release KPBSD Board of Education seeks applicants
Soldotna, December 8, 2015—Board member Sunni Hilts (District 9) retired in December 2015, thus, KPBSD seeks applicants to fill this vacant school board position through October 2016.
A nine member board serves the diverse Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, which spans 25,600 square miles, educates nearly 8,700 students, and has more than forty schools. This vacant school board position requires residency in Assembly District 9, located in the southern Kenai Peninsula. This geographical area includes schools in the Homer area off the east end road, and across Kachemak Bay in Nanwalek, Port Graham, and Seldovia. Responsibilities For information on the role and responsibilities of board members, review the Bylaws of the Board on the KPBSD website. http://bit.ly/SchoolBoardBylaws Qualifications Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, a qualified voter of the State of Alaska and a resident of the Kenai Peninsula and District 9 for 180 days. Term of Office Appointment will begin January 11, 2016. Appointee will stand for re-election at the regular election in October 2016. To Apply Applications are available through the KPBSD website, or at the District office. Application period closes Tuesday, December 29, 2015, 12:00 noon, (AKST) Interviews
Qualified applicant interviews will be Monday, January 11, 2016, and the selected candidate will be sworn in during the Board of Education meeting January 11, 2016, in the Borough Assembly Chambers. Questions? Contact Debbie Tressler, 907-714-8836, dtressler@kpbsd.k12.ak.us Links
News Release: Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
Contact: Pegge Erkeneff, 907.714.8888
School board makes next move for district leadership
Soldotna, September 9, 2014—During the KPBSD Board of Education meeting on Monday, September 8, 2014, in Homer, Alaska, board member Navarre moved that the school board authorize the board president to offer Mr. Sean Dusek the position of interim superintendent, and negotiate the terms of said employment. Board member Hohl seconded.
“The KPBSD school board is proud and happy to be offering the position of interim superintendent to Mr. Sean Dusek,” said Joe Arness, board president. “We consider ourselves fortunate, indeed, to have someone with his credentials and abilities already on staff and ready to assume the leadership of our district during this transition process. Decisions regarding timing and scope relative to a permanent search will now be made in the absence of at least some of the time pressures.”
Mr. Dusek, the current KPBSD assistant superintendent of instruction, said, “I am honored to be offered the position of interim superintendent of our district. I look forward to meeting with President Arness to discuss the terms of the offer.”
Next steps
The school board president and Mr. Dusek will meet
The school board would take action at an upcoming board meeting to approve an interim superintendent contract for the remainder of the 2014-2015 fiscal year, effective December 1, 2014
By January 2015, the school board will determine the scope and timing of next steps to hire a superintendent for the 2015-2016 school year and beyond
Further updates will be shared with staff and the public as decisions are made
