Governor’s Office Directs Attention to School Board Contributions in Alaska

Kayla Desroches/KMXT

Governor Bill Walker has proclaimed February school board recognition month, an opportunity to acknowledge the role of board members in the school district and community.

Julie Cain Hill is the latest addition to the Kodiak Island Borough School District Board of Education, which she joined in October following a race against Kelly Bell. She now serves as treasurer. There are a total of five school board members and one Coast Guard Advisory Representative.

The other members are President Robert Foy, Vice President Tracy Chandler, Clerk Katie Oliver, and member Duncan Fields. Kevin Kerney fills the position of Coast Guard representative.

The board of education oversees the hiring of employees, makes policy decisions, and directs the district’s finances. It’s also active in the future of Kodiak schools on a larger scale.

For instance, this month, Duncan Fields and Kevin Kerney traveled to Juneau to talk with legislators about school funding and education laws that may affect the district.

That meeting, which the Association of Alaska School Boards organizes, happens twice a year and will take place again in the beginning of April.