Board of Education Charter School Oversight Committee Meeting

October 9, 2025

Committee Meeting Minutes-APPROVED (01-12-2026)

Meeting Location:

144 N. Binkley Street

Soldotna Alaska, 99669

1. Charter School Oversight Committee

A. Call to Order

Ms. Morgan called the meeting to order at 9:01 a.m.

B. Roll Call

Committee Members Present:
Tim Daugharty, Board Member (attended virtually)
Patti Truesdell, Board Member (joined the meeting at 9:19 a.m.)
Virginia Morgan, Board Member
Kari Dendurent, Assistant Superintendent
Czarina Voivedich, Director of Finance
John DeVolld, Administrator, Soldotna Montessori Charter School
Cody McCanna, Administrator, Aurora Borealis Charter School
Soldotna Elementary, Marcie Murphy, Administrator Kaleidoscope Charter School
Kim Daniels, Administrator, Tulen Charter School
Committee Members Absent: Kyle Darbonne, Administrator, Fireweed Academy
Other Board Members Present:
President Zen Kelly (attended virtually)
Others that were present:
Superintendent Holland
Executive Human Resources Crabtree
Student Support Services Director Kelly
Elementary and Secondary Education Director Tony Graham
Director of Information Services Eric Soderquist
Austin Stevenson, Principal of Soldotna Elementary School (shares a building with Soldotna Montessori)
Eric Waltenbaugh, Principal of West Homer Elementary School (shares a building with Fireweed Charter School)

C. Approval of Agenda

The October 9, 2025 Charter School Oversight committee meeting agenda was approved as presented.

D. Nominate Temporary Chair

Ms. Dendurent moved to nominate Ms. Morgan as temporary chair, as Mr. Daugharty current chair, is attending virtually. Seconded by Marcie Murphy.
Committee unanimously approved Ms. Morgan as temporary chair. Motion passes.

E. Approval of Notes 06-02-2025

The June 2, 2025 Charter School Oversight Committee meeting notes were approved as presented.

2. New Business

A. Aurora Borealis Charter School Amendment Application

Temporary Chair Ms. Morgan opened the floor to Mr. McCanna to present the ABCS Amendment application.
Ms. Dendurent acknowledged for the record that a revised application was added to the agenda October 8, 2025.
Mr. Cody McCanna, principal of ABCS, presented the proposed amendment application to committee.
Ms. Morgan called for committee member questions and comments.
Committee members that offered feedback and asked clarifying questions:
Committee Member Dendurent
Superintendent Holland
Committee Member Voivedich
Committee Member Truesdell
Committee Member Morgan
Eric Waltenbaugh, Principal of West Homer Elementary School (shares a building with Fireweed Charter School)
Committee Member Devolld
Temporary Chair Morgan asked if committee members had any further questions or comments for Mr. McCanna.
Temporary Chair Morgan asked the committee if there was any objection from the committee to move the application with recommendations from the committee to the October 20, 2025 work session to be reviewed by the full Board.
Mr. McCanna declared a conflict of interest in providing a recommendation being the ABCS principal and also a committee member. Ms. Morgan ruled that there is a conflict of interest and that Mr. McCanna should abstain from a recommendation on the application.
Committee unanimously approved that the application be moved to the October 20, 2025 work session where it will be reviewed by the full Board.
Ms. Morgan called a brief at ease at 9:55 a.m.
Ms. Morgan reconvened the meeting at 10:03 a.m.

B. Soldotna Montessori Renewal Application

Temporary Chair Morgan opened the floor to Mr. Devolld to present the Soldotna Montessori Charter School Application renewal.
Committee Member Dendurent reviewed and provided the purpose of the committee in reviewing a renewal application for the KPBSD.
Mr. John Devolld, principal of SMSC, presented the renewal application to committee.
Temporary Chair Morgan asked for any committee questions or comments at this time.
Committee members that offered feedback and asked clarifying questions:
Committee Member McCanna
Committee Member Dendurent
Austin Stevenson, Principal of Soldotna Elementary School (shares a building with Soldotna Montessori)
Superintendent Holland
Temporary Chair Morgan asked if there were any final committee comments, seeing none, she asked committee if there was any objection from the committee to move the application with recommendations to the October 20, 2025 work session to be reviewed by the full Board.
Mr. Devolld declared a conflict of interest in providing a recommendation being the SMSC principal. Temporary Chair Morgan ruled that there is a conflict of interest and that Mr. Devolld should abstain from a recommendation on the application.
Committee Member McCanna proposed that the Soldotna Montessori Charter School renewal application possibly be featured on the November 3 meeting for action from the full Board rather than going to the October 20, 2025 work session.
Temporary Chair and Board Secretary Sipes noted that the Charter School Committee per administrative regulation is to place the submitted application(s) on the work session schedule for full Board review.
Committee unanimously approved that the application be moved to the October 20, 2025 work session where it will be reviewed by the full Board.
Temporary Chair Morgan called a brief at ease at 10:50 a.m.
Temporary Chair Morgan reconvened the meeting at 11:01 a.m.

C. Nikolaevsk Charter School Initial Application

Temporary Chair Morgan opened the floor to Mr. Blake Sawyer Nikolaevsk Charter School APC President to present the Nikolaevsk Charter School initial application.
Mr. Blake Sawyer, and Olivia Tipikin, APC Secretary, introduced current APC members, and presented the initial application to committee.
Temporary Chair Morgan asked for committee members comments and questions.
Committee members that provided feedback:
Superintendent Holland
Committee Member Devolld
Committee Member Dendurent
Robert Ruffner, Kenai Peninsula Borough Planning Director was invited to speak about the Nikolaevsk School Building and budgetary aspects as the KPB owns and maintains KPBSD school facilities.
Committee Members that asked Mr. Robert Ruffner clarifying questions regarding the building and operating expenditures:
Committee Member Dendurent
Superintendent Holland
Committee Member Voivedich
Applicants that fielded committee member questions relating to the facility and budgeting document handed out during the meeting, as well as enrollment:
Natalie Thomas, APC Vice Chair
Blake Sawyer, APC Chair
Committee Members that continued to provide feedback and ask clarifying questions, in particular regarding homeschool proposal within the application enrollment, and curriculum:
Committee Member Dendurent
Superintendent Holland
Committee Member Morgan
Committee Member Voivedich
Committee Member Truesdell
Blake Sawyer, APC President fielded questions from the committee.
Committee Members that offered further recommendations and feedback moving forward:
Committee Member Dendurent
Superintendent Holland
Committee Member McCanna
Committee Member Voivedich
Mariah Kerrone, APC member, fielded questions from committee.
Natalie Thompson, APC Vice President fielded questions from committee.
Robert Ruffner, Planning Director KPB, added information to the estimated budget operation and insurance, and the applicant's responsibility as well as the KPB Assembly's role in the approval of facility usage.
Ms. Morgan asked if committee has final comments to offer regarding the application.

There were no further comments.
Ms. Morgan asked the committee if there was any objection to move the application with recommendations to the October 20, 2025 work session to be reviewed by the full Board.
Committee Member McCanna would like the clarification to the applicants with recommendations from the committee.
Committee Member Dendurent provided clarifications.
Superintendent Holland requested clarification if the Board can refer the application back to committee.
Board Secretary Sipes offered that the Board would gain a consensus at the October 20, 2025 of where to move the application and that it could be referred back to committee if the Board referred it there.
There were no objections from Committee to move the application to the October 20, 2025 work session to be reviewed by the full Board.

3. Adjourn

A. Adjourn

Temporary Chair Morgan adjourned the meeting at 12:21 p.m.