The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education has chosen a new member to fill the Homer seat.
Pegge Erkeneff is a spokesperson for the district. She says Mike Illg was elected at the School Board meeting on Monday evening in a 5-1 secret ballot vote.
“Mike’s been active in our school for many years. He has a child in the school as well as some nephews,” said Erkeneff.
“He also has been involved with our Key Communicator program for the last several years, which is a group of loosely organized parents and community members interested in education in our schools. He’s a coach in the Homer area and active at a couple different schools.”
Illg is the City of Homer’s Community Recreation Coordinator and a former wrestling coach at Homer High and Middle schools.
Illg also serves on the school board’s Health and Wellness Committee and has been a member of the site council.
Illg says he feels honored and excited to serve on the School Board.
“There’s going to be a big learning curve, but I certainly have the passion and the energy to pursue this. Homer’s an amazing community with amazing people... I think, in one word, ‘excited,’” said Illg.
Illg says that the budget is the big issue facing the school board.
“A lot of things are going to be affected by the budget,” said Illg. “Resources are projected to be going down and it’s going to affect a lot of different things, such as changing the bussing schedule, possible school times. We certainly want to be able to retain all the staff that we can.”
Illg will fill the District 8 seat vacated by Liz Downing in September. Illg ran against Downing in 2012 and says his opponent has done an amazing job.
Former Paul Banks Elementary School Secretary Joni Wise also ran for the position. Lane Chesley, a third applicant, withdrew his application.
Illg began his job effective immediately after the board’s vote Monday night.
