Assembly members probe Chapman School bond-funded traffic reroute after school declines to use new access

Assemblymember Dunn asked for an update on a school bond-funded project to reroute parent drop-off and school-bus traffic at Chapman School during the Kenai Peninsula Borough Policies and Procedures Committee meeting.

The change matters because the routed access is intended to keep parent and bus traffic off the state highway at school opening and to improve safety and circulation. Dunn said he had been invited by the Chapman principal to review the project and asked whether bond funds were covering the cost.

Mr. Hedges, speaking to the committee, said the access work was ready to receive traffic but that he had received a text that the school had rejected using the new access. "I just received a text message that said that the school has rejected using the new access that has been developed. I'm not certain why," Hedges said. He added he would follow up with his project manager on site to determine why the school was deciding not to use it.

Hedges told the committee he was working from memory but said the contract for completion of the work was approximately $187,000 to $189,000. Dunn had asked whether the cost came from the school bond funds; the committee was told it does.

The mayor asked staff for an update to include in his report; Hedges agreed to provide follow-up information so the record could reflect any changes. The committee did not take a formal vote on the project during the meeting.

Next steps: borough staff will report back to the mayor and the committee with why the school declined to use the new access and any changes to the project timeline or use for opening day.