The top reported proficiency rate is 35% in Science. The lowest is 22% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Kax_dig_oowu Heen Elementary School
Kaxdigoowu Heen Elementary School sits on Riverside Drive in Juneau, the capital city of Alaska, and serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Juneau Borough School District. The school's name comes from the Tlingit language, reflecting the deep Indigenous heritage of the region, and that heritage is visible in the student body. Alaska Native students make up a meaningful share of enrollment, and the largest single racial group is students of two or more races, followed by white students. Asian, Hispanic, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students are also present in smaller numbers. The school's enrollment is moderate for an elementary in this district, with roughly even distribution across the grade levels from kindergarten through fifth.
On the most recent AK STAR state assessment, the school's proficiency results were modest. In math, roughly a fifth of tested students reached proficiency, while in English language arts the share was somewhat higher but still below a third. Science, tested in fewer grades, saw a somewhat larger share of students meeting proficiency. Participation was high across all three subjects. These are not strong numbers, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school, asking how the staff approaches literacy and math instruction and what interventions are in place for students who are below grade level. The school did not report average scale scores, so there is no way to compare how students perform on the full score scale versus the proficiency cut alone. Multi-year trend data was not available, so it is unclear whether these results represent a decline, an improvement, or a stable pattern.
Information on English learner status and special education enrollment was not reported, so the size and needs of those populations cannot be characterized here. Data on discipline, staffing ratios, attendance patterns, course access, and Title I status was also absent, which limits the picture of day-to-day school climate and support structures.
Juneau itself is a small capital city accessible mainly by air and sea, set between steep mountains and the Gastineau Channel. The housing market in the school's zip code sits above both the Alaska state benchmark and the national benchmark for typical home values, and rents are also elevated relative to national norms. Rent absorbs roughly a third of typical household income, while the estimated monthly mortgage payment is higher than typical rent, making ownership a stretch for many families. Home values have been climbing modestly year over year, in line with broader state trends. The cost of living in Juneau is a practical consideration for families evaluating the area.
The district brief returned little on recent parent-relevant changes in the Juneau Borough School District, so there is nothing to report on strategic shifts, program launches, or budget decisions that might affect this school in the near term.
What emerges from the available data is an elementary school with a diverse, predominantly Indigenous and multiracial student body in a small, geographically isolated capital city where housing costs run high. Academic proficiency as measured by the state is on the lower side across all tested subjects. Families considering this school would benefit from visiting and asking direct questions about instruction, support services, and how the staff works with the specific communities the school serves.
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