The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in Science. The lowest is 42% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Auke Bay Elementary
Auke Bay Elementary sits on Glacier Highway in Juneau, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Juneau Borough School District. It is a traditional public school, neither charter nor magnet, and its enrollment places it in the mid-range for an elementary school in this area. The grade span covers the full early-childhood-through-elementary sequence, from PK into fifth grade.
The school's state assessment results from the most recent year tell a mixed but broadly solid story. In math, roughly half of tested students reached proficiency, which is a respectable mark for an Alaska elementary school. English language arts proficiency landed somewhat lower, with closer to two in five students meeting the bar. Science results were the strongest of the three subjects, with a clear majority of the tested cohort scoring proficient. Participation was high across all subjects. Average scale scores were not reported, so it is hard to see the full distribution beyond the proficiency cut. No multi-year trend data was available, so we cannot say whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability. A parent weighing the ELA result may want to look into this further with the school, asking how reading instruction is structured and what interventions are in place for students below proficiency.
The student body skews majority white, with a meaningful Hispanic population and a substantial group identifying as two or more races. American Indian and Alaska Native students are present in small numbers, along with a handful of Asian and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. The economic need profile is low compared with many public schools nationally: only a small fraction of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This suggests a relatively advantaged student population, which often correlates with the school's strong showing in subjects like science and math, though the ELA dip is worth noting regardless of demographics. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not reported, so we cannot characterize those populations here.
Juneau's housing market is expensive relative to both Alaska and the nation. Typical home values in the school's zip code sit well above the state benchmark and the national one, and the price-to-income ratio is elevated, meaning families need a strong income to buy into the area. Renting is comparatively more manageable, with rent consuming roughly a third of a typical household's income, and renting runs cheaper each month than carrying a mortgage at current rates. For a family considering a move specifically for this school, the rental path may offer a more accessible entry point than buying.
We looked for recent district-level changes that might affect families at Auke Bay, such as program shifts, boundary adjustments, or leadership transitions, but found little of lasting impact in publicly available sources. The district brief came back essentially empty, which means there is nothing concrete to flag here. This is not necessarily a sign of inactivity; it may simply reflect limited reporting.
No locale brief was provided for Juneau, so we cannot speak to neighborhood character, commute patterns, or nearby amenities beyond what the address and housing data imply. No comparison fact-set was available to position Auke Bay against other schools in the borough, so we cannot say how it stacks up locally. Program offerings, staffing details, discipline data, and attendance figures were also absent from the payload.
What the available evidence does show is an elementary school with solid math and science results, a weaker but not alarming ELA result, a relatively low-poverty student population, and a setting in a high-cost housing market. Families drawn to the area for its outdoor access and small-city character in Juneau will find here a conventional public elementary option with results that are generally above average for the state, with room to ask questions about reading instruction.
See more original research from School Decision →