Schoenbar Middle School

Schoenbar Middle School serves 252 students in grades 7 and 8 in Ketchikan, Alaska. This standalone middle school is part of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District, a district that holds a low statewide reputation, ranking 19th out of 23 districts. Schoenbar itself currently ranks 67th out of 90 Alaska middle schools for the 2025–2026 school year, placing it at the 26th percentile.

For parents looking for context, the closest comparable school is Charles R. Leask Senior Middle School in Metlakatla, about 15 miles away, which serves grades 6–8 in the Annette Island School District. Despite both schools being in low-ranked Southeast Alaska districts, Schoenbar’s academic outcomes are dramatically stronger. In the latest testing, 33.33% of Schoenbar students were proficient in English Language Arts compared to just 5.66% at Leask. Math proficiency was 29.90% versus 11.32%, and science proficiency was 41.24% versus 20.00%. This achievement gap is notable because Leask actually has more resources on paper, spending over $6,000 more per student and maintaining a lower student-teacher ratio (10:1 vs. 12.6:1). However, Leask serves a much higher-poverty student body, with nearly 96% of its students qualifying for free or reduced lunch compared to about 35% at Schoenbar.

Looking at Schoenbar’s recent trends, the school is showing genuine improvement in ELA and science, but has suffered a sharp drop in math proficiency, falling from 38.53% to 29.90% in a single year. The school also struggles with consistency across different student groups. In the latest data, there is a significant gender gap, with the school ranking at the 12th percentile for effectiveness with male students compared to the 38th percentile for female students. While Schoenbar has declined from its peak performance in 2017–2019, when it ranked in the 67th–73rd percentile, it remains a relative academic bright spot in its district and a much stronger option than nearby Leask. However, the recent math slide and uneven subgroup performance are clear areas for parents to investigate or monitor.