September 23, 2026 at 2:30 PM - Regular Meeting

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PERTINENT FACTS:

The Board President will ask for public comment from visitors:

• School Communities
  • Coffman Cove
  • Hollis
  • Kasaan
  • Naukati
  • Port Alexander
  • Thorne Bay
  • Whale Pass
     
• Other Visitors

Please see the attachment for additional information about public comment.
 

Description:  A video presentation has been prepared that will be shown during the meeting.

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Recommendation

The administration recommends that the Board of Education approve the adoption of BP 4156.4/4256.4/4356.4 - All Personnel: Personal Cell Phone Allowance.

Pertinent Facts

This is a new District-proposed policy intended to establish a consistent framework for providing a monthly cell phone allowance to employees whose assigned duties require regular District-related communication while away from a District office, traveling between sites, responding to emergencies, or otherwise remaining reasonably accessible for work. Eligibility would be based on job responsibilities and operational need, as determined by the Superintendent or designee, and the allowance amount would be established or approved by the Board.

The proposed policy also establishes expectations for employees who use personal devices for District business, including compliance with confidentiality, information-security, records-retention, and safe-use requirements. District-related communications remain District records even when created or maintained on a personal device, while the policy also provides that participation in the allowance program does not give the District unrestricted access to an employee’s personal device or personal information. Receipt of an allowance does not, by itself, place an employee on call, change established work hours, or authorize overtime or additional compensation.

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Pertinent Facts

AR 4156.4/4256.4/4356.4 and E 4156.4/4256.4/4356.4 - Personal Cell Phone Allowance are new administrative documents developed to implement the proposed Board policy regarding personal cell phone allowances. The regulation establishes eligibility, approval, annual review, payment procedures, and employee responsibilities for staff whose duties require regular use of a personal cell phone for District business. The proposed allowance is $50 per month, paid through payroll, with eligibility determined by the Superintendent or designee based on actual job responsibilities and operational need.

The regulation and accompanying employee agreement also address device and service requirements, confidentiality and information security, District records, work-time and overtime requirements, and circumstances under which an allowance may be suspended or discontinued. Receipt of the allowance does not, by itself, place an employee on call, change assigned work hours, require continuous availability, or authorize overtime. The exhibit provides the written employee acknowledgement and District approval form required before participation in the allowance program begins.

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Recommendation
It is the Administration’s recommendation that the School Board approve the adoption of the AASB recommended revisions to BP 4115, BP 4116, BP 4117.2/4217.2/4317.2, BP 4117.3, BP 4117.31 and the proposed deletion of BP 4217.2.

Pertinent Facts
In accordance with Board Policy (BP) 0500, Review and Evaluation, the School Board conducts an ongoing review of district policies throughout the year.

In December 2025, the Alaska Association of School Boards (AASB) released updates to Article 4 - Personnel. The policies listed above were included in those updates and are presented to the Board for first reading and consideration.

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Pertinent Facts

The proposed revisions to BP 4115 - Certificated Personnel: Evaluation/Supervision clarify several requirements associated with the District’s certificated employee evaluation process. Changes include specifying that employees have 10 days to comment on an evaluation and adding qualifications for individuals conducting evaluations, including appropriate administrative certification or supervision, District administrative employment, and training in the District’s evaluation system. The revisions also remove the word "annual" from the requirement for evaluation-system in-service training and make minor wording and formatting updates throughout the policy.

Additional revisions update the policy’s legal references and clean up citation language to better align with current Alaska statutes and administrative regulations governing certificated employee evaluation. The overall purpose of the policy remains unchanged: to establish expectations for the evaluation and supervision of certificated personnel and to support professional growth, instructional effectiveness, and student achievement.

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Pertinent Facts

The proposed revisions to BP 4116 - Certificated Personnel: Nontenured/Tenured Status clarify the circumstances under which a teacher acquires or reacquires tenure with the District. The policy specifies that a nontenured teacher who completes three consecutive school years and is offered a contract for the following year may achieve tenure at the beginning of the fourth year, provided the applicable service and evaluation requirements are met.

The update also adds clearer provisions for previously tenured teachers. A teacher who previously held tenure with the District and returns after a qualifying break in service may reacquire tenure at the beginning of the second consecutive year of reemployment. A teacher who previously earned tenure in another Alaska district may acquire tenure with SISD after two consecutive years of employment and being offered a contract for the following year, subject to the applicable performance evaluation and service requirements.

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Pertinent Facts

The proposed revisions to BP 4117.2/4217.2/4317.2 - All Personnel: Resignation broaden the general resignation provisions to apply to all employee groups and clarify that the Superintendent or designee may accept an employee’s written resignation on behalf of the Board. Once accepted, the resignation becomes effective and may not be withdrawn by the employee.

For certificated staff, the revisions provide additional guidance when an employee requests release from an existing contract. The updated language provides for consideration of a Professional Teaching Practices Commission (PTPC) complaint when a certificated employee seeks release late in the hiring cycle or contracts with another district without first obtaining a written release, while also requiring the District to consider relevant mitigating circumstances before determining whether a complaint is warranted. The current draft contains bracketed options regarding the specific release deadline and whether the District "will" or "may" grant a timely release, which will need to be finalized as part of the policy review process.

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Pertinent Facts

The proposed revisions to BP 4117.3 - Certificated Personnel: Personnel Reduction update the policy to more clearly align with Alaska Statute 14.20.177. The revisions clarify that a reduction in certificated personnel may be considered when enrollment declines or when the District’s basic need decreases by the amount established in law. The updated policy language also emphasizes that reductions in force must be carried out in accordance with state law, District procedures, and applicable collective bargaining provisions.

The update also clarifies statutory requirements related to the layoff of tenured teachers, including the requirement for the Board to adopt a layoff plan addressing programs to be maintained and procedures for layoff and recall. It retains the statutory hiring preference for qualified tenured teachers who are laid off and removes outdated language related to collective bargaining agreements that were in effect in 1996.
 

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Pertinent Facts

BP 4117.31 - Certificated Personnel: Layoff/Rehire is a new policy for Southeast Island School District, based on the AASB model policy, and is intended to establish the District’s layoff and recall procedures for certificated staff as required under Alaska law. The policy identifies the instructional programs and position categories to be considered during a reduction in force and establishes qualification standards for determining which employees may be retained in available positions.

The policy also establishes procedures for implementing a reduction in force and for rehiring qualified certificated employees who have been laid off. Eligible employees may remain in a reemployment pool for up to three years and receive hiring preference for positions for which they are qualified. The policy is designed to minimize disruption to educational programs while providing a consistent process for staff reductions and recall.
 

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Pertinent Facts

BP 4217.2 - Classified Personnel: Resignation is proposed for removal because its provisions have been updated and incorporated into the consolidated BP 4117.2/4217.2/4317.2 - All Personnel: Resignation. The existing classified personnel policy addresses notice of resignation, supervisory consideration of resignation circumstances, and the Superintendent or designee’s authority to accept resignations on behalf of the Board.

Removing the standalone policy eliminates duplication and allows resignation procedures for certificated, classified, and administrative personnel to be addressed in one combined Board policy.
 

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Recommendation
It is the administration's recommendation that the Board ratify the FY 2027 Professional Services Contract with Garrett Richards for Songahm Program Support and Services in the amount of $11,700.

Pertinent Facts

The FY 2027 Professional Services Agreement with Garrett Richards provides Songahm Taekwondo program support and specialized instructional services at Whale Pass School. Services include instruction in Songahm Taekwondo curriculum materials, student skill development, demonstrations, guided practice, feedback, and related program support. Mr. Richards provided similar services for the District last year.

The agreement is effective September 8 through November 3, 2026, for a total amount not to exceed $11,700.

Board ratification is requested in accordance with BP 3312, which provides that contracts over $10,000 are to be approved or ratified by the School Board. The Superintendent or designee is authorized to enter into contracts on behalf of the District, subject to applicable Board policy requirements.

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Recommendation
The administration recommends approval of the FY 2027 classified employment of Erin Blair as Student Transportation Driver for Barry Craig Stewart Kasaan School, pending written approval of the Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.

Pertinent Facts
The Student Transportation Driver position for Barry Craig Stewart Kasaan School was posted on May 29, 2026. The District received three applications. Mrs. Blair and one other applicant met the qualifications for the position; the other qualified applicant subsequently accepted a position at another District school site. The administration recommends Mrs. Blair for the position.

Because Mrs. Blair is a member of the immediate family of a School Board member, additional approval requirements apply. BP 4112.8/4212.8/4312.8 – Employment of Relatives provides that an immediate family member of a Board member may be employed by the District if the individual is the most qualified applicant, has been approved by the Board, and the employment receives written approval from the Commissioner of Education.

AS 14.14.140(a) requires written approval of the Commissioner before an immediate family member of a School Board member may be employed. 4 AAC 18.031 further requires the chief school administrator to certify that the individual is the most qualified applicant and has been approved by the School Board. Board approval must be by a motion passed by a majority of a quorum, limited to the employment matter, and must state that Commissioner approval is required because the individual is a member of the immediate family of a School Board member.
 

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Recommendation
The administration recommends approval of Resolution 2027-02, authorizing Southeast Island School District to apply to the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) SFY2027 Rural Professional Housing Grant Program for development of professional housing in Hollis.

Pertinent Facts
The proposed project would develop a single-story, three-unit professional housing building on District-owned property adjacent to Hollis School, consisting of two three-bedroom residences and one one-bedroom residence.

The project is intended to address the limited availability of suitable housing in Hollis and support recruitment and retention of qualified professionals. The housing would primarily serve eligible SISD education professionals, while allowing an appropriate unit to be occupied by another eligible professional through a participating partner organization when consistent with AHFC program requirements.

SISD would retain ownership and management responsibility for the completed development. The resolution also authorizes the District to apply for the grant, commit eligible District resources toward the project and required local match, and take the administrative actions necessary to pursue and administer the grant.
 

Description: 

PERTINENT FACTS:

The Board President will ask for public comment from visitors:

• School Communities
  • Coffman Cove
  • Hollis
  • Kasaan
  • Naukati
  • Port Alexander
  • Thorne Bay
  • Whale Pass
     
• Other Visitors

Please see the attachment for additional information about public comment.