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Homeschool principal pitches Challenger Center as hub for Connections program
Summary
Doug Haymon, principal of Connections Homeschool, told the council the program serves about 1,350 students (roughly 800 locally) and proposed using the Challenger Center as a home base to expand hybrid instruction, CTE partnerships and shared curriculum storage; he recommended leasing rather than selling the building to preserve flexibility.
Doug Haymon, principal of the Connections homeschool program, asked the Kenai City Council on April 22 to consider the Challenger Center as a permanent home for his organization, telling the council the program supports roughly 1,350 peninsula students and that a centralized facility would enable hybrid instruction, career-technical education collaboration and shared curricular materials that could stretch families’ allotment dollars.
Haymon said a Challenger Center location on a school campus would make a hybrid model feasible for kindergarten through high-school students, allow testing and special-education services on site, and create space for cooperative classes and CTE offerings in partnership with Kenai Central High School. “If we had this facility, we would also be able to facilitate a hybrid system,” Haymon said, adding that Connections’ staff are certified and that the program serves a broad geographic area across the borough.
Leasing recommendation: Haymon told the council he is not representing the school district financially and advised that a long-term lease to the district (rather than a sale) would give the city flexibility if district needs change. He said prior district capital work already makes the Challenger Center well-suited for education programming and estimated that a shared-material library could stretch allotment dollars by about 25%.
Questions and council response: Councilmembers asked about longevity and program needs; Haymon said the Challenger Center campus could meet anticipated growth and that he has discussed leasing interest with district staff, though he emphasized he is not a district fiscal officer. Council member Cassenna asked whether the facility meets field-opportunity needs; Haymon affirmed that existing campus features would support cooperative learning and special programs.
Next steps: City staff and council thanked Haymon for the presentation; no formal action was taken. Haymon said Connections would continue to refine program details and financials if the city wanted to pursue a lease or partnership.
