By Allison Sayer

The Kenny Lake School hosted a meeting in the school gymnasium on the evening of November 2 to discuss “The future of the Kenny Lake School,” specifically the high school. At least 50 people came in person to the meeting. Another 20, including Representative Mike Cronk, tuned in on Zoom. 

The Kenny Lake School (KLS) has lost 11 high school students this year to either home school or to other Alaskan brick-and-mortar schools, prompting the question of what it would take for the school to remain viable. Kenny Lake lead teacher Shawna Goodwin stated the reasons students gave for leaving. They included the expense and difficulty of going to school in Kenny Lake but commuting to Glennallen for sports, the large proportion of high school classes only offered via video-teleconferencing (VTC) (for freshmen last year, for example, class delivery was 100 percent via VTC), the transfer of a teacher, lack of classmates, and a general “lack of opportunities,” including sports.  

In a later phone conversation, Goodwin described a downward spiral effect of losing students: “The more people pull their kids out, the lower my numbers are. The lower my numbers are, the fewer resources I can get.” It has been several years since the school has had a dedicated music teacher, for example. 

Goodwin also acknowledged that remaining students can feel isolated. She referred to one high school student who is the only one in her class, whose high school day consists of streaming VTC classes alone. 

Goodwin believes a turning point came at the end of the 2018/2019 school year. One lower level teacher left KLS, whose position was not refilled. The district also reduced the number of district-wide science teachers from two to one following a science teacher’s requirement.The Kenny Lake High School science and math teacher was transferred. This left KLS with only video-teleconferencing (VTC) options for math and science at the high school level. Goodwin added, “Those cuts came when our numbers were still holding steady, around 65 students. When you have cuts like that and people get upset or they leave it’s really tough.” 

KLS is now down to one high school teacher. 

Superintendent Ashton spoke briefly at the beginning of the meeting. She stated she wanted to “clarify a misconception: [She was] not here to close down Kenny Lake High School.” Instead, she wanted “to know what you see as the future.”

KLS staff read three letters from current high school students advocating for the school to remain K-12: Dallas Hand, Koiana Cooley and Tobyn Dolge. They expressed a desire to be in school close to home, to graduate from the same high school as their parents and grandparents, and concerns about the long commute in terms of both the early mornings and the need to be home for chores, work, or other activities. Students also described a warm and welcoming environment within the school. 

Staff members read additional prepared statements from adults before opening the floor to public testimony which went on for approximately two hours. 

Prepared letters of support for keeping the high school open came from teacher and cross-country coach Jacob Marshall, Julie Knutson and Kristi Ewens who have had numerous roles, former student Mariah Schmidt, and teacher Stefan Johnson. Several speakers, including former students Jessie, Carrie and Kat Hale, teachers Jennifer Hodges and Kayla Goodwin, parent Sarah Dolge, former student and student teacher Sammie Knutson, student Trevor Dolge, former teacher David Wellman, community members Gay Wellman, Barb Wallace, and Jeff Doty, staff member Jolene “Jo” Anderson, and several others who did not give their names, advocated for keeping Kenny Lake a K-12 school. 

Supporters spoke of a supportive environment for students, and the greater potential for parental involvement in students’ education in their home communities. They were also concerned about the negative impacts of a long daily commute to Glennallen on students. Kat Hale, now a wildland firefighter, said the support she received in school gave her “the confidence to push myself.” 

Supporters also feared that if the high school closed, it would harm the community as a whole by reducing community cohesion and making Kenny Lake a less desirable place to live. Many cited the value of the interaction between the high schoolers and the little kids. “The higher grade levels realise they are leaders,” said Marshall. 

A parent of developmentally disabled students said her children were taken in “with open arms,” and that she was able to communicate openly and honestly with other students and staff about her children’s behaviors. 

Many of these supporters also acknowledged a need to work on re-strengthening what the school had to offer. Barb Wallace, Jeff Doty, and Jessie Hale recalled events that now seem to be part of a bygone era: Crowds turning out for local Kenny Lake High School hockey games or plays. “Sports brought the community together,” said Hale. Wallace recalled the community working together to build and maintain the hockey rink. Hale remembered community members donating sets and volunteering time for theater productions, and performances with “the bleachers full.” Although COVID has affected these opportunities state and nationwide, these things disappeared from Kenny Lake before the pandemic. Speaking of the recent student attrition, Jo Anderson said, “It feels like it’s slipping away.”

The video-teleconference delivery (VTC) program received criticism all around, including from those most passionate about keeping the high school open. The VTC program was introduced several years ago to allow subject teachers to teach students at multiple schools simultaneously. Teachers located at one school teach in person to the students at that school, while students at other schools stream the ongoing class simultaneously on laptops. Streaming students might have a view of a teacher, or of a whiteboard. Goodwin shared students also might find themselves looking up a teacher’s nose, or at their chest. 

Parent Sarah Dolge, Jennifer Hodges, Mariah Schmidt, Jessie Hale, parent Ann Helkenn, Carrie Hale, student Trevor Dolge, former teacher David Wellman and community member Gay Wellman had the same message: The students need teachers in the building. They emphasized that some students struggle to learn through a screen, and that the kids are getting shortchanged of the critical relationships between high school students and their teachers. “Relationships are the reason I got into teaching,” said Hodges. Wellman said, “Students need human beings to inspire them, to understand them, to commiserate with them.” 

Former student Jessie Hale and current parent Sarah Dolge described the frustration of having VTC outages and glitches disrupt class. Current Kenny Lake student and Kenny Lake School Board Representative Carly Daniels testified that when watching a Glennallen classroom, she does not receive the same attention as those physically in the class. She also described situations where the in-person students were either acting out or behind on their work, in which case she had nothing to do. 

Daniels continued in her testimony to describe the difficulty in being one of the remaining students at the high school when so many others have left. She became emotional describing her work to keep the high school traditions and leadership strong; it is a lot for her to do as one of only two seniors. 

High school student Trevor Dolge expressed a desire to graduate from Kenny Lake High School in the future, but said there is not the same connection with teachers “through a screen.”  Although he acknowledged that VTC might “not fully disappear” in the future, he said he “would like to see more hands-on opportunities” both for himself and his two younger brothers. Dolge is currently taking one year to homeschool.

Jessie Hale would like the rest of the state to remember, “Even though we’re far away, we’re important. We need opportunities.”

If KLS were to close, Glennallen would be the nearest school. Several school supporters including Jacob Marshall, Stefan Johnson, Mariah Schmidt, Carrie Hale, and Jeff Doty brought up concerns about students who currently commute to KLS from Strelna and Chitina. They stated the distance to Glennallen for these students would create an undue burden, and feared some might drop out of high school altogether. 

Bonnie Yazzie, who lives in Chitina, said her granddaughter briefly attended KLS, but she pulled the child out because “she was being bullied.” She went on to say she experienced bullying in her youth as an Alaska Native, and did not want that experience for her granddaughter. One of only two people in the room wearing a mask, Yazzie also stated concerns about the district’s COVID response and noted that masks were not available at the door for participants at the current meeting. 

Beverly Harris, also of Chitina, said she felt students in her family did not receive a good education in Kenny Lake, adding, “It’s sad this place didn’t give us the time.” 

Community member Maria Lambert gave personal testimony on the dangers of youth dropping out without an accessible school. She stated her family was unable to afford transportation to school, and she did not have support for homeschooling (then offered by the University of Nebraska). Lambert did not finish high school in her youth, but she did accomplish the arguably more difficult task of earning a GED later. Lambert said she still regrets not having had a high school experience, stating, “You almost feel like you’re not an adult without the [high school] rites of passage.” 

The Native Village of Chitina is currently working on its own solution. Dan Stevens of Chitina stated he was designated by the Village Council to inform those assembled at the meeting that they would like to pursue opening an “Indian School” in Chitina. The model for this school would be similar to the Ya Ne Dah Ah School in Chickaloon. 

Representative Cronk, who recalled coming to Kenny Lake for hockey years ago, expressed strong support for keeping KLS open. Cronk promised to advocate for the district in Juneau, and stated part of the problem was years of “flat-funding education.”  He asked, “Are we as a state failing our rural communities?” 

Towards the conclusion of the meeting, Goodwin asked the KLS staff to stand and be acknowledged by the assembled group, who responded with warm applause. She also extended an “open invitation” for school volunteers. 

Superintendent Ashton thanked everyone for their testimony, and encouraged attendees to continue the conversation by phone, email, or in person. She said, “most of what I have heard here is what I also believe,” and that she wanted to be “part of the solution.” She also stated she “will be calling Mike Cronk and going to Juneau” to advocate for the district. 

Two school board members were present at the meeting: Mark Somerville and Katrina Church-Chmielowski. Somerville was clearly moved by the testimony given and acknowledged, “VTC isn’t working out like we thought it might.” Church-Chmielowski said she felt prior comments expressed much of what she would say, and wished in addition to point out that five current or former student school board representatives were at the meeting. 

In a phone conversation the day after the meeting, Goodwin said, “Now is where the real work begins. We’ve heard the concerns and now it’s time to address them and work on a plan to keep this a school where kids want to be.” 

Short-term measures may include utilizing volunteers or local non-profits to enhance high school opportunities. Partnering with the homeschool program to have homeschool students spend some time in the building is another avenue Goodwin is pursuing. 

Although she will continue to advocate for more teachers, Goodwin also wants to know: “Can we do something with just the staff we have right now? What can we do for the rest of the school year… to make it more enjoyable for our kids?”