Kenai Peninsula College requests $999,300 from borough; jump-start expansion and residence-hall reopening highlighted

Kenai Peninsula College leaders told the assembly May 6 that enrollment is up, several workforce and high-school partnerships are expanding, and KPC requests $999,300 in borough funding for FY26, an increase of roughly $23,500 from the prior year.

Cheryl Simmers, KPC director, described growth across the college's three sites (Kenai River campus, Kachemak Bay campus in Homer, and Resurrection Bay site in Seward) and noted spring enrollment was up around 7% with headcount and student-credit-hour growth of more than 50% compared with four years earlier. "Kenai Peninsula College is committed to excellence in education, training, and lifelong learning by offering accessible opportunities in a supportive environment," Simmers said.

KPC requested an increase to the borough-funded Jump Start program to meet rising dual-enrollment demand; Simmers said 295 high-school students were enrolled in KPC Jump Start courses this spring and 222 applied for tuition waivers. The college asked the borough for roughly $70,000 more for Jump Start in FY26 to cover increased student need.

Resid…