Charter School Oversight Committee Meeting

Monday, October 5, 2026

Meeting Minutes-Draft

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
148 N. Binkley Street
Soldotna, Alaska 99669

1. Charter School Oversight Committee

A. Call to Order

Chair Daugharty called the meeting to order at 12:00 p.m.

B. Roll Call

Committee Members Present:
Board Vice President Daugharty (Chair)
Board Member Cizek
Board Member Truesdell
Board Member Waddell
Kari Dendurent, Assistant Superintendent
Czarina Voivedich, Director of Finance

Kyle Darbonne, Administrator, Fireweed Academy
John DeVolld, Administrator, Soldotna Montessori Charter School (attended virtually)
Cody McCanna, Administrator, Aurora Borealis Charter School (attended virtually)
Kim Daniels, Administrator, Tulen Charter School (attended virtually)
Jason Roslansky, Administrator, Nikolaevsk Charter School, (attended virtually)

Committee Members Absent:
Marcie McLendon, Administrator Kaleidoscope Charter School

Other Board Members Present were:

Board Member Douthit
Board Member MacRae
Board President Tauriainen (attended virtually)
Board Member Vadla
Board Member Vanbuskirk

Others present were:
Superintendent Holland
John Galahan, Principal of Kenai Alternative High School (shares a building with Aurora Borealis Charter School)
Elizabeth Kvamme, Principal of Soldotna Elementary School, (attended virtually and shares a building with Soldotna Montessori)
Eric Waltenbaugh, Principal of West Homer Elementary School (attended virtually and shares a building with Fireweed Charter School)

C. Approval of Agenda

The October 5, 2026 Charter School Oversight Committee Meeting agenda was approved by the committee as presented.

D. Approval of Notes 06-01-2026

The June 1, 2026 Charter School Oversight Committee Meeting notes were approved by the committee as presented.

2. New Business

A. Soldotna Elementary Charter School Initial Application REVISED

Chair Daugharty opened the floor to Mr. Ben Cheah, Soldotna Elementary Charter School applicants APC Chair, to present the Soldotna Elementary Charter School Initial application.
Mr. Ben Cheah presented the initial application to the committee, with Kaiti Syverson, and Renae Olsen members of the applicants APC.

Chair Daugharty opened up for committee discussion and questions.

Committee members that provided feedback:

Assistant Superintendent Dendurent requested clarification regarding the work book attachment and other items being included in the application itself.

Member Cizek requested clarification regarding the survey results the applicants provided.
Mr. Cheah and Ms. Syverson responded to the region they mostly received responses from.
Member Cizek also requested clarification regarding the curriculum, in particular what they could provide that is not being provided currently by the Soldotna Elementary school.
Mr. Cheah and Ms. Syverson responded.
Member Cizek noted the planned reconfiguration of the Soldotna area schools once the remodel of the Soldotna Prep school is complete.
Member Truesdell provided comments regarding the future reconfiguration of the Soldotna are schools and the Bond that was passed by voters. She also asked if the applicants had reached out to Redoubt families.
Mr. Cheah and Ms. Syverson responded.
Member Waddell echoed concerns regarding the facility.
Committee Member Voivedich invited the applicants to work with her to discuss the FTE that was provided to make sure items were accurate and that nothing was missed.
Committee Member Darbonne posed a question regarding students and families in the area that do not want their students to attend a charter school.
Ms. Syverson noted their feedback from the state, regarding automatic enrollment and that it would require working closely with the district.

Member Cizek posed questions regarding the budget.
Committee Member Devolld posed questions regarding streaming programs, open enrollment, boundary students and lotteries, as well as facility sharing with Montessori.
Ms. Syverson responded.
Assistant Superintendent Dendurent noted that she will email the APC with all of her questions and recommendations. But wanted to clarify the intentions of the charter school applicants.
Mr. Cheah acknowledged Assistant Superintendent Dendurent and noted their intentions with the application.
Committee Member McCanna posed budgetary questions moving forward, as well as current facility capacity, in regards to lottery and in district or in attendance students. As well as added the purpose of a charter school is usually used to provide something different in the community that is not already being provided. He echoed concerns regarding those students that would not like to attend a charter school.
Superintendent Holland noted some concerns regarding the facility and future use.
Chair Daugharty also had concerns regarding the facility and future use.

Chair Daugharty asked committee members if there were any final comments to offer.

Committee Members who offered final comments:

Member Cizek
Assistant Superintendent Dendurent

Chair Daugharty asked the committee if there was any objection to move the application with recommendations to the October 19, 2026 work session to be reviewed by the full Board.

Assistant Superintendent Dendurent proposed having another committee meeting. Committee would like to postpone the Soldotna Charter School Initial Application to a October, 19, 2026 committee meeting to review the application further.

Seeing and hearing no objections from the committee the Soldotna Elementary Charter School application was moved to October 19, 2026 for further review by the Charter School Oversight Committee.

B. Fireweed Academy Charter School Renewal Application REVISED

Chair Daugharty opened the floor to Mr. Kyle Darbonne, Fireweed Charter School principal, to present the Fireweed Charter School Renewal application.
Mr. Kyle Darbonne presented the renewal application to the committee.

Committee members that provided feedback:

Chair Daugharty
Assistant Superintendent Dendurent
Member Cizek
Member Truesdell
Committee Member McCanna
Member Waddell

Chair Daugharty asked committee members if there were any final comments to offer.
There were no further requests to comment from committee members.

Chair Daugharty asked the committee if there was any objection to move the application with recommendations to the October 19, 2026 work session to be reviewed by the full Board.

Mr. Darbonne declared a conflict of interest in providing a recommendation being the Fireweed Charter School principal and also a committee member. Chair Daugharty ruled that there is a conflict of interest and that Mr. Darbonne should abstain from a recommendation on the application.

Seeing and hearing no objections from the committee the Fireweed Charter School Renewal application was moved to the October 19, 2026 work session to be reviewed by the full Board.

3. Adjourn

A. Adjourn

Chair Daugharty adjourned the meeting at 1:39 p.m.