FIFTH OPENING – The Sitka seine boats Hukilau and Rose Lee pump herring aboard this afternoon at the end of Deep Inlet during the fifth opening in the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery. The opening was being held in two locations beginning at 11 a.m. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The future of management and operations at the Perform [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Sitka Sound commercial herring sac roe fishery continued today with open [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
After storming into the state 3A boys basketball brac [ ... ]
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The Queen Bees’ spotless season record ended Tuesday night with a 2-1 loss [ ... ]
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By CLAIRE STREMPLE
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A presentation about a jump in the number of inmate deaths in [ ... ]
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Tribal and environmental advocates calling for a crackdown o [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
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At 2:10 p.m. a man e [ ... ]
Big Rigs Sought
For April 13
The 3 to 5 Preschool’s spring fundraiser and Big Rig event is happening [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The city’s reassessment of taxable real estate, alo [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The third opening in this year’s Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery was held Mon [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Sitka High’s Lady Wolves bounced back from an openi [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel ports Editor
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Playing in a competitive division City League volleyball game Monday evening [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
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Northern Journal
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Alaska Beacon
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By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
In the language of the Gwich’in people of northeastern Alaska, [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 25
At 7:48 a.m. a calle [ ... ]
Vietnam-Era Vets
Invited to Lunch,
Commemoration
American Legion Post 13 will host a luncheon 1-3 p.m. [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The 2024 Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery got under [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Assembly will start the annual process of determi [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Competing in the 3A state championship title basketball game Saturday, the M [ ... ]
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Playing through the afternoon Sunday, City League volleyball teams faced off [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
School Board Hails Support by Assembly
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The School District’s fiscal situation dominated discussion at the School Board meeting Wednesday.
Superintendent Mary Wegner told the board that the Assembly had signaled intent to fund the district to the maximum legal cap.
“They (the city) are planning to fund us to the cap,” Wegner said. She noted the Assembly is to consider the matter at the special budget meeting tonight. Funding to the cap for fiscal year 2021 would mean an increase in funding for the district, Wegner said.
“Funding to the cap” refers to state law aimed at equalizing support for K-12 education by setting a limit on local funding communities can provide to their schools, based on a percentage of the community’s property tax valuation.
Referring to recent Assembly discussions about school support, Wegner said “they also want to continue with existing non-instructional funding for Community Schools, the Blatchley pool, Sitka High School student activities at the current level... Funding to the cap is really critical for our district, and so getting back to that would be my priority.”
Board President Elias Erickson echoed Wegner’s sentiment.
“Funding to the cap, you heard that right. Find an Assembly member and thank them, seriously. That’s huge. Between that and the governor’s budget, which is relatively tame compared to last year, ten more students than projected. I think we can breath easy, slightly,” Erickson said.
Wegner said the state is overdue in paying a portion of the education funding authorized for the current school year.
“We still have not received our supplemental aid, that $150,000, (of) the $30 million statewide that was given... That should have come, we should be seeing it now, and what’s the plan for that. Hopefully, we will be seeing it soon,” she said. Wegner added that because the board had approved a budget cut back in September, this late payment will not have an immediate impact on cash flow. The superintendent also said that she was keeping an eye on the current legislative session, especially on Senate Bill 6, which could impact school funding.
But school budgets were not the only issue on Wednesday’s meeting agenda.
The board thanked Sitka High senior Cora Dow for designing the logo for the district Leave Your Print initiative.
Erickson, a member of the Sitka High Class of 2017, said Dow “started off by being way better than me at reading music on a xylophone, she still is. But among her many other talents – art. And she did an excellent job this year designing our Leave Your Print logo.”
Leave Your Print is the school district’s new strategic planning initiative, which has gathered over a hundred suggestions so far, Wegner said. Anyone from the public can make suggestions online at tinyurl.com/SitkaPrint.
District STEPS Grant manager Kari Sagel spoke about the nationwide 2020 Census, which is just getting underway.
“Why does it matter to us?” she asked. “Because it determines congressional representation, and within the state reapportioning and redistricting, and so much money, so much money going out to the states.”
Stressing the importance of making sure that no one goes uncounted, she said the state receives just under $3,000 per resident in federal funding annually. As far as schools go, she said, the census plays a role in the distribution of Title I funds.
The board’s next meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Feb. 5 at Sitka High School.
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20 YEARS AGO
March 2004
Matthew C. Hunter of Sitka recently returned from Cuba as part of a St. Olaf College International and Off-Campus Studies program. Hunter, a junior physics major at St. Olaf College, is the son of Robert and Kim Hunter of Sitka.
50 YEARS AGO
March 1974
Eighth graders have returned from a visit to Juneau to see the Legislature. They had worked for it since Christmas vacation ... Clarice Johnson’s idea of a “White Elephant” sales was chosen as the best money-maker; Joe Roth won the political cartoon assignment; highest government test scorers were Ken Armstrong, Joanna Hearn, Linda Montgomery, Lisa Henry, Calvin Taylor and David Licari .....