At the end of December, the state Department of Education and Early Development sent notice to the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District that it was challenging the status of 142 full-time students, resulting in a potential $116,000 loss in funding.
Superintendent Robert Boyle writes in his report to the Ketchikan School Board that students enrolled in Tribal Scholars, those that have taken the Careers course and those enrolled in Edgenuity courses have been classified as correspondence students. Boyle said that’s a mistake. The administration hopes to submit an appeal by the end of the week, and the topic will be discussed further at tomorrow’s (Wednesday’s) School Board meeting.
Additionally, the board will vote on a $168,989 budget transfer to cover costs for the new Ketchikan Education Association teachers’ contract. The recently ratified contract includes a 1-percent increase to the base salary, and a 6-percent increase to the district’s contribution to health insurance.
The School Board meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the White Cliff building. Public comment will be heard at the start and end of the meeting. Preceding the meeting, the board will hear a presentation by Safe Havens International, which conducted a safety study of local schools. The presentation will start at 5 p.m., and will not be televised.
