Sit Eeti Shaanax - Glacier Valley School

Sit Eeti Shaanax - Glacier Valley School serves 322 students in grades PK–6 in Juneau, Alaska, and is part of the Juneau Borough School District. Once ranked in the bottom fifth of Alaska elementary schools — finishing at the 18th percentile in 2018–2019 — the school has improved steadily and now ranks 74th out of 166 schools statewide, landing in the 55th percentile with a 3-star rating.

Glacier Valley's test scores are comfortably ahead of district and state averages. ELA proficiency is 42.61%, compared with 35.49% for the district and 32.89% statewide; math proficiency is 44.00%, versus 34.97% for the district and 32.20% statewide. It is also outperforming its closest neighbors by a wide margin: Kax_dig_oowu Heen Elementary School, less than a mile away, ranks in the 22nd percentile with ELA and math proficiency near 29%, while Mendenhall River Community School sits in the 33rd percentile with scores in the mid-30s. The school also appears especially strong in upper elementary grades — sixth-grade ELA proficiency reaches 51%, well above district and state averages.

What makes the turnaround most encouraging is that Glacier Valley serves a higher proportion of low-income families than nearby schools. Its free/reduced-price lunch rate is about 31%, yet it posts higher math scores than lower-poverty schools such as Montessori Borealis Public Alternative School and Juneau Community Charter School. The school's special education program is a standout, ranking 3rd out of 30 schools statewide in 2025–2026, supported in part by a low student-teacher ratio of 14.9 to 1. Gains have not been shared evenly, however: students from low-income families have ranked in the 16th to 26th percentile range in prior years. Still, the strong upward trajectory makes Glacier Valley one of the district's more promising schools.