Summary:
Zip code 99587 is served by a single school, Girdwood School, a Pre-K through 8th grade campus within the Anchorage School District, meaning all students in the area remain at one school until they move on for high school after 8th grade. Despite being the only school in the zip code, Girdwood is a standout performer on a statewide level. Recent rankings placed it in the top 10 percent of Alaska schools (16th of 166) with a 5-star rating in two of the last three school years.
Girdwood School exceeds the Anchorage School District and the state of Alaska in every tested subject. Math is the strongest area, with 61.68 percent proficiency—nearly double the state average of 32.20 percent—and 5th grade math is exceptional at 83.33 percent proficient. Science proficiency sits at 57.14 percent and English language arts at 54.21 percent, both running roughly 18 to 21 percentage points above state averages. The school also improved in every subject compared with the prior year, and it outperforms district and state norms in nearly all grade-level results from 3rd through 7th grade.
Only 12.85 percent of students at Girdwood School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student-to-teacher ratio is a low 12.5, giving families a small, supportive learning environment. While the Anchorage School District ranks near the middle among Alaska districts, Girdwood's top-10-percent standing shows how much variation can exist within a single district. The one soft spot worth watching is 7th grade English language arts, where 35.29 percent proficiency is still above district and state averages but by a much narrower margin than in lower grades. Overall, Girdwood School delivers consistently strong academic results, particularly in mathematics and the elementary grades, making it a clear academic strength for zip code 99587.
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