The top reported proficiency rate is 26% in Math. The lowest is 20% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ketchikan Charter School
Ketchikan Charter School is a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade charter school operating within the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District in southeast Alaska. It sits on Schoenbar Road in Ketchikan, a city accessible only by sea and air, built along a narrow waterfront corridor hemmed in by steep, forested terrain. The school is small for its grade band, with enrollment distributed fairly evenly across all nine grades.
The student body reflects the community it serves. American Indian and Alaska Native students make up the largest single group, with White students close behind, followed by smaller shares of Asian, multiracial, Black, Hispanic, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school does not report data on individualized education programs or English learner status, so those populations are not characterized here.
On state assessments administered under Alaska's AK STAR system for grades three through eight, the school's proficiency results were modest. Roughly a quarter of tested students reached proficiency in math, and a similar share did so in English language arts. Science proficiency, measured through the Alaska Science Assessment, was lower still, though far fewer students were tested in that subject, which reflects the grade-band structure of science testing rather than a participation problem. Participation rates across all three subjects were strong. Average scale scores were not reported for any subject. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, particularly to understand how the charter's instructional approach maps onto these outcomes.
Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. The school does not have a reported Title I status, and data on staffing, attendance, discipline, and course access was not available. Program offerings were not reported in the data provided, so the picture of what the school offers beyond the standard grade-level curriculum remains incomplete.
Ketchikan itself is a place of distinct character. The economy runs on government services, tourism, and commercial fishing, with a large seasonal workforce that peaks during the summer cruise ship season. Downtown is a National Historic Landmark District, with many buildings constructed on pilings above the water. The surrounding borough extends north and south along the Tongass Highway, with small rural settlements accessible mostly by water. The city is not connected to the broader road system, which shapes daily life and logistics for families. The Tongass National Forest surrounds the community, and the region has the world's largest collection of standing totem poles. The University of Alaska Southeast maintains a campus in Ketchikan. The economy has diversified since the closure of the Ketchikan Pulp Company mill at Ward Cove, which ended the timber era, and the population has grown modestly over time.
The housing market in Ketchikan sits above the national benchmark for typical home values and modestly above the Alaska state benchmark as well. Year-over-year home value growth has been strong. Rent data was not available for this area. With a price-to-income ratio above the national reference point and mortgage rates in the mid-six percent range, buying a home here requires a meaningful income relative to local prices.
At the district level, the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District recently approved a budget that included the first local property tax mill rate increase in several years, generating additional local revenue and directly affecting residents' property taxes. The school board also approved a multi-year agreement with Sealaska Heritage Institute for the Tlingit Language Reclamation Project, a publicly reported effort to integrate Tlingit language and culture into district curriculum across schools.
For a family considering Ketchikan Charter School, the picture is one of a small, community-rooted charter option serving the full elementary and middle grade range in a remote southeast Alaska town. The academic data available is limited in scope and shows modest proficiency levels, with no trend information to contextualize those results. The school's charter status gives it a distinct governance structure within the district. The surrounding community offers a waterfront-centered, culturally rich environment shaped by Alaska Native heritage, seasonal tourism, and geographic isolation. Housing is more expensive than the national norm and has been appreciating. A parent weighing this option would benefit from asking the school directly about its instructional model, program offerings, support services, and how it is working to move proficiency outcomes.
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