Education
KPBSD and KPC Announce New Efforts to Make it Easier and Less Expensive to Take College Classes
Press Release – by Peggy Erkeneff
Soldotna, April 7, 2014—JumpStart opens to juniors, and includes bus transportation from high schools to KPC. Kenai Peninsula College (KPC) and Kenai Peninsula Borough School District (KPBSD) officials jointly announced two new initiatives will enable more high school students to take KPC courses at reduced tuition rates.
Beginning with the fall 2014 semester, high school juniors will be able to take advantage of the JumpStart program that had previously only been available to high school seniors. Students can enroll for up to six credits each semester starting the fall semester they become juniors. Tuition cost is $55 per credit versus the regular rate of $174.
Funded by a 1/10th mill rate on borough property taxes, JumpStart has been in existence for many years. Opening the program to juniors means that high school students will be able to take up to 30 credits (one full college year) at the reduced rate—by the time they graduate from high school.
Students and their parents can potentially save $3,570 on their first year of college compared to regular University of Alaska rates. [See the attached tuition comparison chart on page three of media release]. These courses are dual credit meaning students taking the KPC courses receive both high school and college credit if they successfully complete the course(s) with a “C” or better. Course credits earned at KPC through the University of Alaska are typically transferable to accredited colleges and universities throughout the United States.
Transportation
Secondly, KPBSD will transport KPC enrolled students from all central peninsula high schools to KPC’s Kenai River Campus in order to take courses. Buses will arrive at Kenai River Campus (KRC) at 9 a.m. and the last departure will be at 1:30 p.m. Nikiski students would depart their high school and KRC 15 minutes earlier.
The shuttle service will provide continuous service between the schools throughout this period meaning a student could take one or two classes at KRC and return to their high schools to continue their high school classes. Bussing students on the southern peninsula to KPC’s Kachemak Bay Campus is still being discussed with high school administrators and transportation providers.
“I get many requests from parents asking that the JumpStart program be opened to juniors,” said Gary J. Turner, KPC director. “Due to the declining number of high school seniors, we looked closely at our borough budget and the projected number of seniors the district is anticipating, and determined we can afford to do this with the same amount of funds.” The borough budget request sent by KPC to the mayor and assembly has been revised to include juniors.
“Access to KPC courses has always been a challenge to our students without transportation,” said Dr. Steve Atwater, KPBSD superintendent. “We believe that by providing a shuttle, many more of our students will be able to take these dual credit classes and save a considerable amount of money on their college education. I am thrilled to learn that our juniors will now be eligible to use the JumpStart support for taking KPC classes. This is a necessary and positive change to help our graduates prepare for life after high school. I offer thanks to our borough for their continued support of KPBSD and KPC.”
Registration
Registration and advising for high school students at the Kenai River Campus (KRC) in Soldotna will be held from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., April 26, and from 3-5 p.m., April 28. Students who do not enroll during these “early bird” sessions will be able to receive advising from 1-4 p.m., August 13, and enroll in classes from noon-5 p.m., August 15 and from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., August 21 and 22.
High school students can receive advising and register at the Kachemak Bay Campus (KBC) in Homer from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., April 21 – August 22.
Contact:
Gary J. Turner, KPC Director, 907-262-0315, gjturner@kpc.alaska.edu
Pegge Erkeneff, KPBSD Communications Specialist, 907-714-8888, Pegge@KPBSD.org
Meet Aidana Omar – One of Seldovia’s Exchange Students
by Jenny Chissus
Aidana Omar
Living in a small town, we immediately notice all the new faces, and this beautiful, smart, cheerful and friendly one, came to us all the way from Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan! Aidana was placed with Shad and Tiffany Haller, along with another exchange student, Souleymane Sidibi from Mali for the 2013-2014 school year.
Aidana is an exchange student with the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) for Russian and Asian students. Aidana mentioned that with over 8,000 applicants, only about 700 students were accepted for the program in 2013-2014.
The FLEX Program (Future Leaders Exchange) is funded by Congress under the FREEDOM Support Act and administered by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The program’s goal is to provide an opportunity for high school students from Eurasia* to experience life in a democratic society in order to promote democratic values and institutions in Eurasia.
FLEX students live with host families, attend school, engage in activities to learn about American society and values and help educate Americans about their countries and cultures. The program places special emphasis on leadership skills and seeks ways for participants to develop these skills during the school year. Upon their return home, students will apply their leadership skills at home and become involved in a well-established FLEX alumni network. Find out more about the FLEX alumni network and program at exchanges.state.gov/youth/programs/flex.html. – taken from the FLEX site
Seldovia’s Mixed 6 Volleyball Team
Gazette: Did you have a difficult time getting accepted into this program?
Aidana: I applied as a Freshman and as a Sophomore, but didn’t make it to the final round of interviews until this year. It is very competitive. I am very lucky and honored to be a part of such a great program.
Gazette: When did you know you were coming to Seldovia, Alaska and that you Continue Reading
Meet Seldovia’s New School Principal Alan Haskins and his Wife, Laura
by Jenny Chissus
Our new principal Alan Haskins and his wife Laura, are excited about coming to Seldovia and working with our community and students. Alan plans on moving to Seldovia in July to familiarize himself with our school and meet with the community in preparation for the 2014-2015 school year. Laura will join him in Seldovia as soon as she gets their daughter off to the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. They will be making an initial quick trip to Seldovia in June to celebrate Laura’s birthday and meet folks. But until then, here’s a quick introduction to our new Principal/Teacher for Susan B English School and his wife, Laura!Close Up Students Continue Their Fundraising Efforts
by Jenny Chissus
We are so thankful for the support we’ve received from the community for the student’s trip to Washington DC for the Close Up conference in April. With just one month to go until the departure, the students are in full and final fundraising mode to finance the lodging, tuition and airfare for the trip.
Thank you especially to the following sponsors who generously donated the following items for the grand basket raffle! As you can see, there is a TON of value in these items, and anyone who lives or visits Seldovia, Homer or Anchorage will greatly enjoy spoiling themselves with these wonderful gifts, stays and travel certificates!
WA DC Close Up Gift Basket Items:
Fat Olives Dinner for 2 in Homer
Linwood Bar & Grill – 2 certificates for 1 Large Pizza any kind
Dimond Center Hotel – 2 night stay in Anchorage
Smokey Bay -1 RT ticket across the bay
Mako Water Taxi – 2 RT tickets and Sweatshirt
Bridgekeeper B&B – $100 gift card
Gear Shed – 2 Happy Trollers for the troller who thinks they have everything
Homer Jeans- Dakine small backpack & Yoga Mat with carry strap
Northwind in Homer –Journal
Hand knit socks by Alta Colberg
Homer Bookstore-Journal & Reading light
Blackberry Bog – Cocoa/mug gif
The students; Aidan, Calem, Devin, Marina, Olivia, Thor, Xandria are all available with tickets to sell! You can have one chance to win this great basket for $10, or get a FREE extra ticket, when you purchase 6 tickets for $50! If a student doesn’t come to you – please feel free to stop by the school, or give the school a call 234-7616 and they will make sure to get you connected with some tickets!
Drawing will be held on April 11, 2014 – and you do NOT need to be present to win!
Thanks Seldovia and all these great businesses for your generous and continued support of our students and their education!
Thank You!
by Jenny Chissus
To the generous and supportive community of Seldovia! This weekend we had the drawing for the Kindle Fire HDX. Our 7 students got out the door and made phone calls to relatives and friends, and sold $1,925 in tickets to raise funds to attend Close Up in Washington DC this April! Thankful for the anonymous donation of the Kindle Fire, all those monies go directly to funding travel, lodging and tuition expenses for the trip.
The winner’s name was drawn this past weekend at the High School Basketball tournament, and the winner was Jeanice Janes – Coach Mark Janes’ mother from Texas! Congratulations Jeanice! We want to sincerely thank all the generous folks who bought tickets from students, not only once, but twice and even three times! One local gal said “I’ll buy tickets from anyone who stops by the door to ask! I love to support our kids and our school and Close Up is a valuable trip! I just buy a few from each – spread it out a bit!”
Also, we had a baked goods sale that also included a wide variety of items from canned fish, bread, cookies, eclairs to brownies, piroshkis, and two beautiful handcrafted wood items built and donated by Dick Yingling to raise an additional $690!
So, thank you again to the entire community for your endless and continued support of our Susan B English students!
Seldovia Time
