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The budget — which uses 100% of the district's unrestricted fund balance and still includes $7.8 million in cuts to staff and programs — was approved in an 8-1 vote Monday.
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Alaska’s four-year statewide transportation plan has received partial approval from federal agencies, with some exclusions. Most major Kenai Peninsula highway projects, including the Cooper Landing Bypass, haven’t been affected, but the state is still waiting to hear about outside funding that will affect the timeline of that project.
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In a board meeting Monday and joint session with the Borough Assembly Tuesday, school board members continued to discuss a tentative budget that accounts for no increased funding from the state. “We’re hopeful that this isn’t the budget that’s gonna last,” Board Vice President Jason Tauriainen said.
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Federal education officials said in a Wednesday letter that Alaska has failed to resolve the way it reduced funding to certain school districts when distributing COVID relief funds. They say the state owes almost $30 million to districts, and is now considered a high-risk grantee for its non-compliance.
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In a Monday finance committee meeting, Board of Education members created budgets that account for no increase to state funding, a modest increase, and a large increase. The full board will approve a preliminary budget in April.
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DOT Commissioner Ryan Anderson told senators the department is removing or changing expensive projects from the plan before the March 1 deadline from federal agencies. That list of changes isn't yet public.
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A letter from the U.S Department of Education says the state disproportionately reduced funding to three Alaska school districts when it received federal COVID-19 relief funds. That includes $5 million to KPBSD, which the feds say the state must make a plan to remedy.
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Ridgeway resident John Hillyer filed to run for the seat in November. It is currently held by Ben Carpenter, who has filed to run for the State Senate.
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The federal government rejected Alaska DOT's four-year statewide transportation plan, citing major and minor errors. The Cooper Landing bypass project isn't among them, but like all road projects in the state, could be jeopardized if DOT isn't able to get its plan approved.
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Since it convened last Tuesday, the Alaska Legislature has considered an override of the governor’s 2023 education funding veto, and a bill containing a modest BSA increase. Kenai Peninsula residents weighed in on that bill, many saying the increase was not good enough to counter inflation and keep schools functioning.