Kotzebue Middle/High School

Kotzebue Middle/High School serves 299 students in grades 7–12 in Kotzebue, a remote community in Alaska's Northwest Arctic Borough, where the majority of students come from economically disadvantaged families. The school consistently outperforms its own district, the Northwest Arctic Borough School District, which is ranked last among Alaska's 23 districts. For example, in 2025–2026 science proficiency reached 10.5% at the school versus 4.6% district-wide, and graduation rates have exceeded the district average every year, most recently 74.3% versus 69.1%. The student-teacher ratio has also improved steadily, falling from 21.8 to 16.6 over three years. Per-pupil spending is exceptionally high at nearly $40,000, reflecting the high cost of operating a school in this remote setting.

Despite being a relative success within its district, Kotzebue Middle/High School faces enormous academic challenges when compared to Alaska as a whole. In 2025–2026, only 5.6% of students were proficient in English language arts and 3.2% in math, while statewide rates were 32.9% and 32.2%. Even science, the school's relative strength, trailed the state by a wide margin (10.5% versus 37.8%). Academic performance has also been volatile, with math proficiency dropping from 6.5% a few years ago to just over 3%, and English language arts showing a similar decline. The school's state ranking has fallen sharply over the past decade, from the 63rd percentile in 2013–2014 to the 6th percentile in 2022–2023.

One of the most striking findings is the disconnect between graduation and proficiency: even in a strong graduation year, about 84% of students earned diplomas while only around 6% were proficient in core subjects. There are also notable differences among student groups. Native American students, who make up the largest subgroup, have shown meaningful relative improvement, rising from the 6th to the 30th percentile among Alaska schools serving Native American students between 2020–2021 and 2022–2023. However, female students and students facing economic disadvantage rank near the bottom statewide. Since there are no other schools within 20 miles, this school is the primary educational option for families in the area.