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Interior Distance Education of Alaska (IDEA)

Q: Is Interior Distance Education of Alaska (IDEA) a good school?

Interior Distance Education of Alaska (IDEA) ranks 66 th of 175 Alaska alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Alternative Grades PK, KG-12

66^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 175 Alaska Alternative Schools

Better than 62% of Alaska alternative schools

Summary

Interior Distance Education of Alaska (IDEA) is an alternative public school located in Fairbanks, Alaska, serving grades PK-12 with a total enrollment of 7,486 students. As part of the Galena City School District, IDEA is a unique school that provides distance education to students across the state of Alaska.

IDEA consistently outperforms the Galena City School District and the state of Alaska in academic assessments, with projected proficiency rates of 70.83% in Science, 53.27% in English Language Arts, and 38% in Mathematics for the 2024-2025 school year. However, IDEA has a significantly higher student-teacher ratio of 120.9, compared to 15.5 for Alternative Learning Systems and 470 for Fairbanks B.E.S.T. Additionally, IDEA has a very low percentage of free and reduced lunch recipients, at only 0.04% in 2022-2023.

Compared to nearby schools, Alternative Learning Systems has lower academic performance, while Fairbanks B.E.S.T. and Raven School also lag behind IDEA's impressive proficiency rates. The high student-teacher ratio at IDEA raises questions about the school's ability to provide personalized attention and support, but its unique distance education model appears to be highly effective in serving students across Alaska.

7,876

Students ?

118.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

Free/discounted lunch ?

2157 Van Horn Rd
Fairbanks, AK 99701

(907) 374-2200

District: Galena City School District

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.9%

Two or more races:

10.4%

American Indian:

10.1%

See top rated Alaska elementary schools

Compare Interior Distance Education of Alaska (IDEA) to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 54th percentile in 2024 → 88th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Alaska average (47% vs 33% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 88th (2025) from a 54th-percentile low (2024)

✓Above the Alaska median (62nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Large classes — about 119 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school47%

District avg43%

Alaska avg33%

Elementary school

66^th of 175

Alaska public elementary schools ?

Top 38%▲ up 20 pts since 2015

From bottom 42% (2015) to top 38% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Alaska Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

26^th of 94

Alaska public middle schools ?

Top 28%▲ up 13 pts since 2015

From top 40% (2015) to top 28% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Alaska Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

7^th of 60

Alaska public high schools ?

Top 12%▲ up 4 pts since 2015

From top 16% (2015) to top 12% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Alaska High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	61.3	66 of 175	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.6	80 of 173	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.9	72 of 176	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.3	54 of 171	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.2	80 of 185	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.1	72 of 186	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	51.3	82 of 180	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	40.4	142 of 246	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	47.9	132 of 218	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	47.8	140 of 223	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	53.6	125 of 227	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	54.1	123 of 223	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	55.3	119 of 229	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	56.8	115 of 226	49.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	56.1	121 of 219	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	60.2	107 of 212	49.5%	★★★☆☆
2006	62.0	106 of 218	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2005	57.2	113 of 213	46.9%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	61.7	54 of 154	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.7	62 of 142	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.2	60 of 152	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.1	48 of 143	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.9	80 of 159	49.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	73.0	27 of 125	78.4%	★★★★☆
2024	66.3	37 of 122	69.7%	★★★★☆
2023	76.0	19 of 119	84.0%	★★★★☆
2022	71.7	21 of 104	79.8%	★★★★☆
2019	57.7	61 of 147	58.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	53.9	67 of 149	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.0	76 of 150	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.8	72 of 148	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.5	48 of 148	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.1	64 of 159	59.7%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	60.6	6 of 20	70.0%	★★★★☆
2024	46.5	12 of 23	47.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	30.8	19 of 22	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.1	17 of 22	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.9	16 of 27	40.7%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	44.8	38 of 62	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.3	50 of 68	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	65.8	25 of 74	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.0	40 of 58	31.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	53.6	67 of 139	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.1	79 of 133	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.8	94 of 138	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.2	70 of 137	48.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.6	78 of 147	46.9%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	63.8	26 of 94	72.3%	★★★★☆
2024	57.1	40 of 91	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.9	29 of 92	68.5%	★★★★☆
2022	59.6	29 of 95	69.5%	★★★★☆
2021	71.3	17 of 84	79.8%	★★★★☆
2019	63.2	37 of 99	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.5	34 of 96	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	56.6	38 of 88	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	56.9	61 of 151	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	66.2	48 of 138	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	66.4	52 of 136	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	67.0	52 of 135	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	70.2	38 of 133	71.4%	★★★★☆
2010	74.2	34 of 136	75.0%	★★★★☆
2009	74.5	27 of 131	79.4%	★★★★☆
2008	72.8	35 of 132	73.5%	★★★★☆
2007	75.1	34 of 128	73.4%	★★★★☆
2006	72.6	40 of 132	69.7%	★★★★☆
2005	74.7	33 of 138	76.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	60.9	27 of 72	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.9	22 of 69	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.3	28 of 66	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.1	24 of 66	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.0	33 of 74	55.4%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	73.4	11 of 51	78.4%	★★★★☆
2024	70.3	12 of 54	77.8%	★★★★☆
2023	87.3	4 of 55	92.7%	★★★★★
2022	63.9	12 of 43	72.1%	★★★★☆
2019	68.3	16 of 64	75.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	62.7	21 of 68	69.1%	★★★★☆
2024	53.5	34 of 72	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.8	18 of 72	75.0%	★★★★☆
2022	65.5	20 of 68	70.6%	★★★★☆
2019	69.1	17 of 73	76.7%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	61.5	4 of 12	66.7%	★★★★☆
2023	61.5	6 of 17	64.7%	★★★★☆
2022	46.4	9 of 17	47.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.9	3 of 20	85.0%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	55.0	12 of 30	60.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	64.0	19 of 70	72.9%	★★★★☆
2024	53.1	35 of 74	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.3	25 of 75	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.1	28 of 69	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.8	29 of 72	59.7%	★★★☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	85.3	7 of 60	88.3%	★★★★☆
2024	63.4	22 of 63	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	87.2	5 of 62	91.9%	★★★★★
2022	89.2	4 of 62	93.5%	★★★★★
2019	75.2	16 of 77	79.2%	★★★★☆
2018	72.2	15 of 74	79.7%	★★★★☆
2017	61.8	25 of 83	69.9%	★★★★☆
2015	77.8	21 of 135	84.4%	★★★★☆
2014	73.2	35 of 139	74.8%	★★★★☆
2013	75.5	28 of 148	81.1%	★★★★☆
2012	68.9	43 of 136	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	80.5	20 of 142	85.9%	★★★★☆
2010	71.9	31 of 140	77.9%	★★★★☆
2009	69.5	46 of 151	69.5%	★★★★☆
2008	70.2	42 of 151	72.2%	★★★★☆
2007	74.5	39 of 139	71.9%	★★★★☆
2006	77.4	26 of 135	80.7%	★★★★☆
2005	76.3	32 of 116	72.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	81.8	8 of 45	82.2%	★★★★☆
2024	52.5	20 of 45	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.7	26 of 54	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	94.4	1 of 43	97.7%	★★★★★
2019	66.7	17 of 54	68.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	79.3	7 of 39	82.1%	★★★★☆
2024	80.6	4 of 41	90.2%	★★★★★
2023	91.2	2 of 42	95.2%	★★★★★
2022	87.1	4 of 34	88.2%	★★★★★
2019	78.7	11 of 55	80.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	85.8	5 of 45	88.9%	★★★★★
2024	66.1	18 of 48	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	95.8	3 of 47	93.6%	★★★★★
2022	88.5	5 of 46	89.1%	★★★★★
2019	81.6	7 of 58	87.9%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	70.8	10 of 43	76.7%	★★★★☆
2024	64.3	12 of 46	73.9%	★★★★☆
2023	87.3	5 of 47	89.4%	★★★★★
2022	88.6	4 of 47	91.5%	★★★★★
2019	71.0	18 of 56	67.9%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)78th percentile+16 vs school

Military Connected (2025)70th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2025)65th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)55th percentile-7 vs school

White (2025)52nd percentile-10 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)39th percentile-24 vs school

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)78th percentile+6 vs school

White (2025)73rd percentile~ school

Male (2025)69th percentile-3 vs school

Military Connected (2025)67th percentile-6 vs school

Female (2025)62nd percentile-10 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)60th percentile-12 vs school

High school

Male (2025)89th percentile~ school

Female (2025)82nd percentile-6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)82nd percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)77th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs Alaska (2024-2025) ?

Science60%+22 vs state

English Language Arts53%+21 vs state

Mathematics38%+6 vs state

★

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Schools Near Interior Distance Education of Alaska (IDEA)

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				STAR English Language Arts (2025)								STAR Mathematics (2025)								ASA Science (2025)				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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	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
Interior Distance Education of Alaska (IDEA)	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	2157 Van Horn Rd	Fairbanks	99701	Fairbanks North Star Borough	Galena City School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 374-2200	7,876	66	118.7		5,744 (72.9%)	91 (1.2%)	254 (3.2%)	85 (1.1%)	794 (10.1%)	92 (1.2%)	816 (10.4%)								(n/a)	50.7	44.9	52.8	53.1	51.3	56.1	62.8	53.3	38.2	33.3	45.7	32.1	46.9	41.0	28.6	38.0	66.7	49.1	70.8	59.7
Raven School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	4762 Old Airport Way	Fairbanks	99709	Fairbanks North Star Borough	Yukon-Koyukuk School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 357-9573	3,687	30	123.9		2,259 (61.3%)	82 (2.2%)	179 (4.9%)	59 (1.6%)	567 (15.4%)	148 (4.0%)	393 (10.7%)								(n/a)	31.7	35.3	36.8	56.3	35.5	43.3	46.9	40.3	26.8	44.1	37.5	36.4	40.0	24.2	13.8	32.1	50.0	39.3	32.4	40.4	$5,756	$05	$5,751
Alternative Learning Systems	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	397 Hamilton Avenue	Fairbanks	99701	Fairbanks North Star Borough	Fairbanks North Star Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 452-2000	184	12	15.6		74 (40.2%)	9 (4.9%)	16 (8.7%)	3 (1.6%)	41 (22.3%)	2 (1.1%)	39 (21.2%)								(n/a)																			25.0	21.1	$14,448	$693	$13,754
Fairbanks B.E.S.T.	Public, Virtual, Alternative	PK, KG-12	397 Hamilton Avenue	Fairbanks	99701	Fairbanks North Star Borough	Fairbanks North Star Borough School District	No	No	Yes	No	(907) 452-2000	784	1	784.0		493 (62.9%)	6 (0.8%)	81 (10.3%)	32 (4.1%)	39 (5.0%)	3 (0.4%)	130 (16.6%)								(n/a)		44.4		54.6	33.3	50.0	27.3	37.9		44.4		36.4	36.4	30.0		28.6		40.0	27.3	31.0	$8,068	$693	$7,374

Frequently Asked Questions about Interior Distance Education of Alaska (IDEA)

What is the racial makeup of Interior Distance Education of Alaska (IDEA)?

Students at Interior Distance Education of Alaska (IDEA) are 73% White, 10% Two or more races, 10% American Indian, 3% Hispanic, 1% Pacific Islander, 1% African American, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Interior Distance Education of Alaska (IDEA)?

In the 2024-25 school year, 7,876 students attended Interior Distance Education of Alaska (IDEA).

Is Interior Distance Education of Alaska (IDEA) a good school?

Interior Distance Education of Alaska (IDEA) ranks 66^th of 175 Alaska alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Interior Distance Education of Alaska (IDEA) in?

Galena City School District

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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.