Schools in Zip Code 99752

Zip code 99752 serves the Kotzebue, Alaska area and includes three schools within the Northwest Arctic Borough School District: June Nelson Elementary (PK–6), Kotzebue Middle/High School (7–12), and NWABSD Home School (K–12), together enrolling about 626 students. These schools sit in a district currently ranked last among all 23 Alaska districts, with very low overall proficiency, but each school has its own distinct profile.

For parents choosing among options, the most notable difference is that NWABSD Home School reports an ELA proficiency rate of 55.56%, far above the district’s 3.65% and even the state’s 32.89% — but this alternative program has only 25 students, no reported math or science scores, a 22.2% graduation rate, and much lower per-student spending ($12,473). In contrast, June Nelson Elementary shows an unusual pattern where math proficiency (11.41%) is more than double its ELA proficiency (4.7%), with a strong 3rd-grade math score of 23.91% that approaches the state average. Kotzebue Middle/High School stands out for its better graduation rate (74.3%) and relatively stronger 8th-grade science (14.63%), though its overall math proficiency is just 3.2%.

The biggest takeaway is that proficiency levels at the two physical schools are dramatically below Alaska’s averages — roughly 85–95% of students are not meeting benchmarks in ELA, math, or science. Both physical schools serve high-poverty populations (over 83% free/reduced lunch) and spend generously, about $34,000–$40,000 per student, yet outcomes remain low. Grade-level data also reveal concerning declines, such as math dropping from 23.91% in 3rd grade to 9.52% in 4th grade at June Nelson, and science falling from 14.63% in 8th grade to 6.67% in 10th grade at the middle/high school. While these schools face clear challenges, the home school’s unusual results and the elementary school’s early-grade math strength offer at least some bright spots worth investigating.