High Schools in Annette Island School District

Annette Island School District has just one high school, Metlakatla High School, which serves about 98 students in grades 9–12 in the small, remote community of Metlakatla, Alaska. Because it is the district’s only high school, the school and district share the same graduation rate of 86.3%, and the district’s high school ranking of 20th out of 23 Alaska districts is entirely tied to this one school. Metlakatla High School itself ranks near the bottom of the state—59th out of 62 Alaska high schools. The student body is small enough that each grade level likely has only 20–25 students, meaning a change of just a few students can shift percentages noticeably from year to year.

Students at Metlakatla High School test well below Alaska state averages. In science, only 19.05% of 10th graders are proficient, compared to 33.03% statewide. In English Language Arts, just 15.00% of 9th graders are proficient, versus 31.23% across Alaska. These gaps are consistent across subjects and recent school years, so this is not a one-year fluke. The school’s graduation rate of 86.3% is a relative bright spot, though it suggests that many students are earning diplomas without reaching proficiency benchmarks in core subjects. About 75.5% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a strong indicator of the economic challenges facing the community.

Perhaps the most striking finding is the contrast between resources and results. Metlakatla High School spends $37,892 per student—well above typical levels—and has a very low student–teacher ratio of 9.1 to 1. Despite this substantial investment in staffing and funding, proficiency rates remain far below state averages. In fact, the school’s state ranking has slipped over time, from 52nd in 2021–2022 to 59th in 2025–2026. With only one high school in the district, efforts to improve Metlakatla High School are the only high school-level lever available for raising the district’s overall standing. For parents, this means a small, well-resourced school environment, but also one where academic performance on state tests is a serious concern.