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Northwest Arctic Borough School District

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At a glance

23^rdof 23 Alaska districts▲ 1

Better than 0% of Alaska districts

Elementary 1 High 1 Alternative 11Grades PK, KG-12

776 Third Ave
Kotzebue, AK 99752·(907) 442-1802·All Alaska district rankings →

Statewide performance 2018–2026

2026: better than 0% of districts

Schools

1,945

Students

Top rankedJune Nelson Elementary153^rd of 166 Alaska elementary schools

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Biggest riser

June Nelson Elementary up 20 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Aqqaluk High/Noorvik Elementary 15.1 students per teacher

Compare Alaska districts →See the top-ranked Alaska schools →

Summary:

The Northwest Arctic Borough School District is a remote Arctic Alaska district centered on Kotzebue that operates 13 schools serving roughly 1,945 students, with only two traditional campus schools — June Nelson Elementary (PK-6) and Kotzebue Middle/High School (7-12) — while the other 11 schools are small village schools, many covering PK-12 in a single building across remote communities.

Parents comparing schools will find dramatic differences, mostly driven by school size. June Nelson Elementary is the district's academic bright spot, posting 11.41% math proficiency versus the 3.33% district average and the highest grade-level scores in the district. Kotzebue Middle/High School is the strongest traditional secondary school with a 74.3% graduation rate and 10.47% science proficiency. Among village schools, Kobuk School reports a 100% graduation rate and Kisimgiugtuq School follows at 92.3%, but these small cohorts can swing sharply from year to year. NWABSD Home School is a striking outlier: it spends the least per student but posted the district's only above-state-average ELA score at 55.56%, while also having the lowest graduation rate at 22.2%. At the other end, Davis-Ramoth School serves the largest village population (252 students) but has just a 47% graduation rate.

Overall, the district ranks 23rd out of 23 Alaska districts, and proficiency rates trail state averages by 10 to 20 points in nearly every subject. Per-student spending is remarkably high — from $58,533 at Deering School to $12,473 at NWABSD Home School — yet higher spending does not consistently produce better outcomes. Nearly all schools report near-universal poverty, with free/reduced-price meal eligibility above 83% and often at or above 100%. For parents, the key takeaway is that this district faces severe systemic challenges, but families in Kotzebue may find relatively stronger academics at June Nelson Elementary and Kotzebue Middle/High School, while village school statistics should be interpreted cautiously due to very small student populations.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				STAR English Language Arts (2026)								STAR Mathematics (2026)								ASA Science (2026)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAR English Language Arts 3rd Grade	STAR English Language Arts 4th Grade	STAR English Language Arts 5th Grade	STAR English Language Arts 6th Grade	STAR English Language Arts 7th Grade	STAR English Language Arts 8th Grade	STAR English Language Arts 9th Grade	STAR English Language Arts All Grades	STAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAR Mathematics 9th Grade	STAR Mathematics All Grades	ASA Science 5th Grade	ASA Science 8th Grade	ASA Science 10th Grade	ASA Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ambler School	Public, Virtual, Alternative	PK, KG-12	109 Ambler Dr	Ambler	99786	Northwest Arctic Borough	Northwest Arctic Borough School District	No	No	Yes	Yes	(907) 445-2154	60	5	12.0	98.3%	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (93.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.0%)								(n/a)	< 40%		< 40%	< 40%			< 40%	< 10%	< 40%		< 40%	< 40%			< 40%	< 10%				< 20%	$45,596	$4,296	$41,300
Buckland School	Public, Virtual, Alternative	PK, KG-12	9900 University Dr	Buckland	99727	Northwest Arctic Borough	Northwest Arctic Borough School District	No	No	Yes	Yes	(907) 494-2127	224	13	17.2	100.9%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	218 (97.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.7%)								(n/a)	< 10%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	3.5	< 10%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	2.6	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	< 5%	$35,374	$4,248	$31,125
Deering School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	36 Main St	Deering	99736	Northwest Arctic Borough	Northwest Arctic Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 363-2121	57	5	11.4	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	< 40%	< 40%		< 20%			< 40%	< 10%	< 40%	< 40%		< 20%			< 40%	< 10%				< 25%	$58,533	$6,136	$52,397
Kiana School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	190 Casanoff St	Kiana	99749	Northwest Arctic Borough	Northwest Arctic Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 475-2115	91	7	13.0	100.0%	3 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (91.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.5%)								(n/a)	< 25%	< 25%	< 40%	< 40%	< 25%	< 20%		6.1	< 25%	< 25%	< 40%	< 40%	< 25%	< 20%		< 5%	< 40%	< 20%		< 20%	$38,622	$4,314	$34,308
Kobuk School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	101 Mushers Way	Kobuk	99751	Northwest Arctic Borough	Northwest Arctic Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 948-2231	42	4	10.5	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (97.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.4%)								(n/a)			< 40%					< 10%			< 40%					< 10%	< 40%			< 20%	$48,913	$4,594	$44,319
June Nelson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	744 Third Ave	Kotzebue	99752	Northwest Arctic Borough	Northwest Arctic Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 442-1877	302	19	15.8	83.1%	8 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.6%)	249 (82.5%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (12.3%)	8.9	153^rd of 166 public elementary schools	7.8%		4.4	173^rd of 175 public elementary schools	1.1%	20	< 5%	7.1	< 10%	< 10%				4.7	23.9	9.5	< 10%	< 10%				11.4	< 10%			< 10%	$34,036	$4,453	$29,583
Kisimgiugtuq School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	#6 Oceanside Expressway	Kivalina	99750	Northwest Arctic Borough	Northwest Arctic Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 645-2125	150	9	16.6	86.7%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.7%)	140 (93.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.0%)								(n/a)	< 25%	< 40%	< 40%	17.7	< 20%	< 20%	< 25%	4.4	< 25%	< 40%	< 40%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	< 25%	< 5%	< 40%	< 20%	< 20%	< 10%	$36,508	$4,602	$31,906
Napaaqtugmiut School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	#2 Airport Rd	Noatak	99761	Northwest Arctic Borough	Northwest Arctic Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 485-2153	161	9	17.8	98.8%	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	159 (98.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	< 20%	< 25%	< 40%	< 20%	< 25%	< 25%	< 25%	< 5%	< 20%	< 25%	< 40%	< 20%	< 25%	< 25%	< 25%	< 5%	< 40%	< 25%	< 20%	< 10%	$41,029	$4,306	$36,723
Aqqaluk High/Noorvik Elementary	Public, Virtual, Alternative	PK, KG-12	165 Fireweed Dr	Noorvik	99763	Northwest Arctic Borough	Northwest Arctic Borough School District	No	No	Yes	Yes	(907) 636-2178	212	14	15.1	99.5%	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	199 (93.9%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.2%)								(n/a)	< 20%	< 20%	< 10%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	< 5%	< 20%	< 20%	< 10%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	2.5	< 10%	< 20%	< 20%	< 5%	$36,175	$4,459	$31,715
Shungnak School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	#6 West River Rd	Shungnak	99773	Northwest Arctic Borough	Northwest Arctic Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 437-2151	70	5	14.0	101.4%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.9%)	68 (97.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	< 25%				< 40%	< 40%		< 10%	< 25%				< 40%	< 40%		< 10%		< 40%		< 20%	$51,026	$4,689	$46,337
Davis-Ramoth School	Public, Virtual, Alternative	PK, KG-12	2600 Musk Ox Pkwy	Selawik	99770	Northwest Arctic Borough	Northwest Arctic Borough School District	No	No	Yes	Yes	(907) 484-2142	252	14	18.6	98.8%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	241 (95.6%)	1 (0.4%)	10 (4.0%)								(n/a)	< 10%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	< 5%	< 10%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	< 5%	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%	< 5%	$38,064	$5,754	$32,309
Kotzebue Middle/High School	Public	7-12	744 Third Ave	Kotzebue	99752	Northwest Arctic Borough	Northwest Arctic Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 442-1875	299	18	16.6	84.3%	11 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	2 (0.7%)	257 (86.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (8.7%)								(n/a)					< 5%	7.3	< 10%	5.6					< 5%	9.8	< 10%	3.2		14.6	6.7	10.5	$39,784	$4,358	$35,426
NWABSD Home School	Public, Alternative	K-12	744 Third Ave	Kotzebue	99752	Northwest Arctic Borough	Northwest Arctic Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 442-1811	25	1	25.0		2 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (92.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)								55.6								< 25%					$12,473	$2,658	$9,815

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alaska Department of Education and Early Developmenr.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.