Summary:
Middle Schools located in zip code 99686 (Valdez, Alaska) include just one school, George H. Gilson Middle School, serving grades 6 through 8 with 143 students in the Valdez City School District.
George H. Gilson Middle School is a solidly above-average school that outperforms Alaska state averages in every tested subject. In 2025–2026, the school posted 56.1% proficiency in science versus 37.81% statewide, 48.33% in math versus 32.2% statewide, and 40.0% in English Language Arts versus 32.89% statewide. The school’s math results are impressively stable across grades, with proficiency between 46.7% and 50% in grades 6 through 8, and 8th grade science is a clear standout at 56.1% proficient — nearly 21 points above the state. Year over year, the school improved significantly in all subjects, including a 9-point jump in ELA and a 6-point jump in science, which helped lift its state ranking from 51st to 34th out of roughly 90 middle schools.
Despite these strengths, the school faces a notable challenge: English Language Arts proficiency drops sharply as students advance, falling from 62.86% in 6th grade to 33.33% in 7th grade and just 27.5% in 8th grade — the last of which is below the state average. This suggests a need for stronger literacy support in grades 7 and 8. While the Valdez City School District earns 5 stars and ranks 3rd in Alaska, George H. Gilson Middle School itself is a 3-star school at the 62nd percentile, indicating it is not the district’s flagship. Still, with a relatively low free/reduced lunch rate of about 35%, strong per-pupil spending, and clear momentum after a strong improvement year, this school has the foundation to address its upper-grade ELA decline and become a top-tier middle school.
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