Summary:
The Cordova City School District is a small, high-performing rural Alaska district made up of just two schools—Mt. Eccles Elementary (grades PK–6, 234 students) and Cordova Junior/Senior High School (grades 7–12, 126 students)—serving about 360 students in the community. Despite its small size and remote location, the district ranks 2nd out of 23 Alaska districts with a 5-star rating, placing it in the 91st percentile statewide.
Both schools beat the Alaska state average in every tested subject, but each has distinct strengths. Mt. Eccles Elementary is the stronger math school at 49.64% proficiency versus 40.28% at Cordova Junior/Senior High School. The elementary school's 3rd grade math proficiency of 67.57% is nearly double the state average, and it has climbed steadily from the 41st to the 64th percentile in state rankings over the past three years. Cordova Junior/Senior High School counters with stronger English Language Arts at 49.32% versus 46.43% at the elementary, plus a standout 90.9% graduation rate and a top-quartile state ranking in the most recent year.
The main concerns are science and secondary math. Science proficiency fell sharply at both schools this year—dropping about 9 points at the elementary and about 11 points at the high school—suggesting a districtwide issue. At Cordova Junior/Senior High School, math proficiency plunges from 65.52% in 7th grade to 28.57% in 8th grade and just 18.18% in 9th grade, making the middle-school transition a critical point for support. Meanwhile, 4th grade ELA at Mt. Eccles Elementary is the only grade-level subject in the district that falls below the state average. Even with these challenges, both schools serve economically disadvantaged populations—84.62% of elementary students qualify for free/reduced lunch—yet still outperform state averages, supported by low student-teacher ratios and high per-pupil funding.
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