education

Josh Bolling, 17, is a junior at Kenai Central High School. Alaska’s state school board is a group created by state law to head up the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.

Aurora Borealis Charter School will welcome ninth and tenth graders to the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s first charter high school program next school year.

Approval from the Alaska Board of Education came roughly two months after Kenai Peninsula school board members also signed off.

Early estimates put the district about $8.5 million in the red if it maintained the same staffing and programs next school year.

Aurora Borealis Charter School pitched two new grades – ninth and tenth – to the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s charter school committee Monday in Soldotna.

School board members generally supported the plan, but said they want more information about each scenario before signing off.

The field trip was meant to teach students about how their local government works.

Those who oppose ABC’s expansion say pushing out the alternative program would unfairly target the district’s most at-risk students and crowd whatever other school is asked to absorb Kenai Alternative students and staff.

The board will consider adding a high school program to Aurora Borealis Charter School, renewing the charter for Soldotna Montessori Charter School and creating a new charter school in Nikolaevsk.

The building can house up to 96 students. But when spring classes start Jan. 12, Residence Hall Coordinator Hunter Moos says they’ll cap the number of residents at around 25 to start, then reevaluate based on demand.