Sand Point School

Sand Point School is a tiny public alternative school in Sand Point, Alaska, serving roughly 85 students from Pre-K through 12th grade within the Aleutians East Borough School District. Because it is the only school for miles in this remote Aleutian community, district and state averages serve as the most meaningful comparisons. The school operates with an exceptionally low student-teacher ratio of about 9.1 to 1, and the high per-student spending of $41,083 reflects the steep costs of running a small, isolated school system rather than any particular educational program.

Academically, Sand Point has several clear bright spots. Its science proficiency has exceeded the district every year and outpaced the state in three of the four most recent school years, at one point reaching 42.9% versus 36.9% statewide. English Language Arts results have also been consistently above the district and generally in line with or above the Alaska state average. Graduation rates have been especially impressive: after trailing the district in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022, the school has beaten the district three years in a row, including two straight years at a perfect 100% rate.

The main concern is mathematics at the all-grades level. In 2022-2023, Sand Point's math proficiency was 37.5%, above both the district and the state, but it has since declined to 19.1% in the most recent year. At the same time, the school's 9th-grade results are remarkably strong, with math proficiency roughly two-and-a-half times the state average and ELA proficiency about 24 points higher than the state. Because individual grade cohorts contain only a handful of students, these numbers can swing sharply from year to year. Still, the overall picture is a good one: a small remote school that consistently outpaces its district and holds its own against the state in most subjects, with science and its secondary program as genuine strengths.