Connections

Connections is an alternative school in Soldotna, Alaska, serving 1,188 students in grades PK–12 through the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District. Because the school's student-to-teacher ratio is very high — about 80 to 1 — it almost certainly uses a nontraditional model such as online learning, correspondence courses, or parent-guided study rather than a typical classroom setup. That structure may help explain why the school's test results stand out: it performs well above what most people expect from an alternative school.

On the 2025–2026 state assessments, Connections posted science proficiency of 69%, compared with 43.9% for the district and 37.8% for Alaska as a whole. English language arts proficiency was 53.6%, well ahead of the district's 37.7% and the state's 32.9%. Math proficiency reached 48.5%, outpacing the district by about ten points and the state by about sixteen. Science has been a clear strength for four straight years, and the school is especially strong at the middle-school level, with 8th grade ELA proficiency of 73.3% roughly double the district average of 35.8%.

The main area of concern is the graduation rate. At 77% in 2024–2025, it trails the district's 85% and remains below where school leaders likely want it, though it is the highest Connections has posted in five years and the gap has narrowed. Another notable pattern is that early elementary results are less impressive: third-grade math proficiency of 30% falls well below the district average of 42.4%, while middle and secondary grades show much stronger performance. With no other schools within 20 miles for direct comparison, parents should weigh these district and state benchmarks carefully. For families seeking an alternative or distance-learning environment, Connections appears to offer strong academics, especially in middle school and science, but families should also ask questions about graduation support and early-elementary programming.