Schools in Zip Code 99694

Zip code 99694 contains just one public school—Houston High School, a high school serving grades 9-12 in the small community of Big Lake, Alaska, within the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District.

Since Houston High School is the only school in this zip code, it represents both the sole educational option and the sole source of local school data. The school stands in sharp contrast to its district: while the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District is ranked 6th out of 23 Alaska districts and holds a 4-star rating, Houston High School ranks near the bottom of Alaska high schools—53rd out of 62, with just 1 star. The school does post a graduation rate of 89.2%, noticeably higher than the district’s 84.2%, suggesting real success in getting students to completion. However, test proficiency paints a much tougher picture. Math proficiency is exceptionally low at 6.49%—far below the district’s 41.97% and the state’s 32.20%—and remained at that same level in both 2024–2025 and 2025–2026. English Language Arts proficiency sits at 29.49%, which is below the district’s 41.47% and the state’s 32.89%, though it did improve modestly from the previous year’s 24.05%.

Science performance tells a more alarming story: it dropped from 50.65% proficiency in 2024–2025 to just 32.31% in 2025–2026, falling below both district and state averages after previously being ahead of them. The school serves a predominantly low-income population, with 61.13% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and its student-teacher ratio of 13.4:1 is relatively favorable. Per-student spending is listed at $20,488, though that figure dates to 2018–2019. Families should know that this zip code has no elementary or middle schools, so students must come from outside areas or transition into Houston High School from other communities. The overarching picture is one of a school that graduates its students well but struggles badly with academic proficiency, especially in math—a gap that deserves close attention from parents and community members.