The top reported proficiency rate is 30% in Science. The lowest is 20% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Klawock City School
Klawock City School is a single-school district serving pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade on the west coast of Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska. It is a small, rural, island-based school where students stay in one building from their earliest years through graduation. The enrollment is modest, with only a handful of students per grade, which means class sizes are small and teachers know nearly every student by name. The school draws from a community where a large majority of students identify as American Indian or Alaska Native, specifically Tlingit, and the Klawock Cooperative Association, a federally recognized tribe, is headquartered in town. This cultural identity runs through civic life. The city's totem park holds one of the largest collections of totem poles in Alaska, and a longhouse and carving shed sit near the edge of town where carvers sometimes work visibly. The Alaska Native Brotherhood and Sisterhood, established by local residents, remain active civic organizations. A parent weighing this school should understand that the Tlingit cultural context is not incidental here. It is woven into community events like the Elizabeth Peratrovich Celebration each February and the summer Celebration by the Sea festival.
Klawock itself is geographically compact, sitting where the island's paved Scenic Byways intersect. It is described as the Crossroads of Prince of Wales Island, with roads leading south to Craig, east to Hollis and the ferry terminal, and north to other island communities. The school and civic life are integrated within the small community rather than on separated campuses. Major employers include the largest employee-owned sawmill on the island, the tribal government, the school district, city government, and the fishing industry, which includes the oldest hatchery in Alaska. A new cruise ship port owned and operated by Tlingit companies opened in May 2024, adding tourism to the economic base. The community has no property tax and relies on a local sales tax, a portion of which goes to education. Housing values and rent data were not available in the materials provided, so a parent considering relocation would need to research the local market independently.
On state assessments for the most recent school year, the school's proficiency rates in grades three through eight were low across all three tested subjects. Math proficiency fell below a quarter of tested students, English language arts was at roughly one in five, and science was strongest but still reached only about three in ten. Participation rates were solid across subjects. Average scale scores were not reported. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent a decline, a plateau, or a typical year for this school. The small number of tested students means a few children moving in or out can shift results noticeably, which is worth keeping in mind when reading any single year's figures. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, asking how instruction is structured across combined grade levels and what supports are in place for students performing below proficiency.
Data on graduation rate, English learner status, special education enrollment, discipline, course access, staffing, and attendance was not provided. For a school spanning pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, the absence of a reported graduation rate is a gap a parent would want to ask about directly. The same applies to information about advanced coursework, career and technical education, or dual-credit options. Nothing in the available data describes the high school program in detail, so families with older students should request specifics about what the upper grades offer and how graduates fare after leaving. The free and reduced-price lunch count exceeds total enrollment, which likely reflects community eligibility provisions rather than an error, pointing to the economic challenges many families face in this remote setting.
Who does this school fit. It fits families who want their children educated in a close-knit, culturally grounded Tlingit community where the school is a central institution rather than one option among many. It fits families who value small class sizes and continuity across grade levels within a single building. The academic results as measured by state tests are currently below where most families would want them, and the data does not give enough context to explain why. A family considering Klawock City School should treat the proficiency numbers as a starting question, not a final answer, and ask the school directly about its instructional approach, its high school pathway, and how it supports students at every level in a community where the school is one of the largest employers and most important civic anchors.
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