Anchorage School District

The Anchorage School District in Alaska serves approximately 90 schools, including elementary, middle, high, and alternative programs, spanning a large and diverse urban and suburban area. For parents, the most important takeaway is that school performance varies dramatically across the district, often tied more to neighborhood and school type than to any single district-wide trend.

If you are looking for top academic performers, your best bets are concentrated in a few areas. Bear Valley Elementary, Ravenwood Elementary, and Eagle Academy Charter School consistently post proficiency rates double the district average, with Eagle Academy ranking #1 in the state. At the secondary level, Steller Secondary School is a standout with a 100% graduation rate and a #2 state ranking, while South Anchorage High School leads traditional high schools with a 92.3% graduation rate. Notably, charter and optional programs like Aquarian Charter School and Rilke Schule Charter School punch well above their weight, suggesting specialized curricula can drive success.

However, the district also has stark challenges. Schools like Muldoon Elementary, William Tyson Elementary, and Williwaw Elementary rank in the bottom 1-5% statewide, with proficiency rates in the single digits and very high poverty levels. High schools like Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School and Bartlett High School face similar struggles. A clear geographic pattern emerges: schools in the south (e.g., Rabbit Creek Elementary) and Eagle River/Chugiak (e.g., Eagle River High School) outperform those in central and eastern Anchorage. While the district spends more per student at high-need schools, the funding alone hasn't closed the achievement gap, and middle school math scores show a notable dip across the board—a key area for parents to watch.