Ketchikan High School. (KRBD file photo by Leila Kheiry)
Ketchikan’s school district is starting a multi-stage project to upgrade security systems at the district’s schools. The school board approved the purchase of about $100,000 in security cameras and installation hardware for Ketchikan High School at its regular meeting Wednesday night.
Security upgrades have long been a priority for the school district. Funding for the new cameras and equipment from global conglomerate Siemens comes from the Ketchikan Gateway Borough’s capital improvement fund. The security upgrades passed the school board unanimously.
In other business, the board approved contracts with 13 administrators for the next school year. Most are re-upping in their current positions, but there are a few changes in store: current Ketchikan High School principal Jason House will move to Schoenbar Middle School as an assistant principal. There’s no word yet on who will take over for House at the high school.
And Linnaea Troina will move from the district’s head office to Houghtaling Elementary School as an assistant principal. She’s currently the district’s COVID-19 communications director, and school district officials have signaled that the position will be left vacant next year.
All 13 administrators’ contracts were approved unanimously with little discussion.
The school board also approved a new five-year contract with municipal broadband provider KPU Telecommunications. It was the sole bidder for the nearly $15,000-a-month contract. School board president Stephen Bradford, who’s married to a senior KPU sales manager, recused himself from the otherwise unanimous vote.
A majority of the funding for the internet contract comes from a federal program. KPU has been the district’s internet provider for more than a decade.
