Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 99705

Zip code 99705 in North Pole, Alaska, is served by exactly one public middle school—North Pole Middle School—which enrolls about 631 students in grades 6 through 8 and is part of the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. Because there is just one school in this area, the most useful context for families comes from comparing North Pole Middle School’s performance against the district and Alaska state averages, as well as looking at changes over time. The school serves a moderately economically diverse community, with roughly 33.9% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

North Pole Middle School has a clear academic strength in science. In the most recent school year, 44% of students scored proficient in science, nearly matching the district rate of 43.9% and beating the state average by about 6 percentage points. The year before, science proficiency was even higher at 47.5%, which was over 9 points above the state. In contrast, English language arts and mathematics are more challenging areas. Current ELA proficiency is 29.9%, which trails both the district and the state, while math proficiency is 27.5%, also below both benchmarks. These results contributed to the school ranking 71st out of 90 Alaska middle schools, placing it in the bottom quarter and earning a one-star rating. Its state rank has fluctuated recently—it improved from 67th in 2023–2024 to 62nd in 2024–2025, then fell to 71st in 2025–2026.

Year-to-year trends point to notable declines in ELA and math. Between 2024–2025 and 2025–2026, ELA proficiency dropped by more than 8 percentage points, and math proficiency fell by nearly 3 points, while the district and state remained relatively stable or improved. Grade-level data from the latest year shows specific areas of concern: 6th graders had the biggest math gap relative to both district and state, and 6th-grade ELA also lagged the district by more than 7 points. Seventh-grade math was the only grade-level math subject where the school kept pace with its district, though it still trailed the state. Overall, North Pole Middle School demonstrates that science instruction is a strength that could be built upon, while targeted support in 6th-grade math and ELA may be the most urgent priority for raising the school’s standing.