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KPBSD principals get new contract

Brothers Noah and Elijah Standifer go back for second servings of lunch from Principal Christy Gomez at Tebughna School. Staff in the smaller Kenai Peninsula Borough Schools often serve multiple roles.
M.Scott Moon
/
KDLL
Brothers Noah and Elijah Standifer go back for second servings of lunch from Principal Christy Gomez at Tebughna School. Staff in the smaller Kenai Peninsula Borough Schools often serve multiple roles.

Union leadership and the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District are optimistic a new contract with administrators will boost staff recruitment and retention. School board members approved the agreement last week. It covers 46 principals and three fiscal years, including the one that started July 1.

It applies to employees covered by the Kenai Peninsula Administrators Association. That union represents principals, assistant principals and principal-teacher hybrid positions, plus flex and alternative positions.

Under the agreement, certain administrators will get a three-and-a-half percent raise this year and be allowed to accumulate one more day of leave annually. On top of the 3.5% raise effective this year, administrators will get a 2% raise next year and a 1% raise the year after that. The new contract also adds a new salary ceiling, meaning the district’s highest-paid staff can newly advance for another 2% raise.

For principals specifically, the contract outlines a new evaluation procedure. It says the district may implement individual improvement plans to address poor performance. It also adds a day to the amount of time district administrators can accrue annually in paid leave, and allows some employees to cash in leftover sick days to invest in their retirement fund.

Kenai Central High School Principal Daniel Beck was the association’s lead negotiator this bargaining cycle. On Monday, he said via email that the district and union were “committed to addressing key elements that would enhance the recruitment and retention of high-quality administrators.”

Nate Crabtree is the district’s human resources director. In a statement to KDLL, he said the district is confident the new contract supports a positive environment for employees moving forward.

“Both parties engaged in a constructive dialogue, and we have worked collaboratively throughout the process,” he said. “These discussions were productive, focused on mutual goals, and underscore our shared commitment to the success of our educational community.”

The full document can be found on the district’s BoardDocs page.

Prior to joining KDLL's news team in May 2024, O'Hara spent nearly four years reporting for the Peninsula Clarion in Kenai. Before that, she was a freelance reporter for The New York Times, a statehouse reporter for the Columbia Missourian and a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism. You can reach her at aohara@kdll.org