The top reported proficiency rate is 45% in Science. The lowest is 39% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Teeland Middle School
Teeland Middle School sits on Seward Meridian Parkway in Wasilla, part of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. Despite its name, it serves grades six through eight, with a small pre-kindergarten program also on the rolls. The enrollment is mid-sized for a middle school in this district, drawing from a community that has grown steadily over the past several decades.
Wasilla itself is a commuter suburb and regional commercial hub strung along the George Parks Highway. Nearly a third of residents commute to Anchorage for work, and the city's economic base shifted decades ago from small-scale agriculture and recreation toward supporting workers employed in Anchorage or on Alaska's North Slope oilfields. The built environment is car-dependent and highway-oriented, with low population density and no traditional walkable downtown grid. Schools sit on separated campuses rather than being woven into a commercial core, and Teeland follows that pattern. The city has positioned itself for continued growth, with ample industrially zoned land near the airport and the highway, and the population has climbed steadily since the last census. For families considering the area, this means a setting that blends suburban convenience with rural openness, where a car is essential and where residential development continues to serve a bedroom-community function for the Anchorage metro.
On state assessments, Teeland's results are mixed. In math, roughly two-fifths of tested students reached proficiency on the AK STAR assessment, with participation strong. English language arts proficiency came in slightly below that, with a similar participation rate. Science results, measured through the ASA and covering fewer tested students, landed at a somewhat higher proficiency level, with near-universal participation. Average scale scores were not available for any subject, so a family looking to compare Teeland's absolute performance against state benchmarks would need to seek that out directly. No multi-year trend data was provided, which means there is no picture here of whether proficiency is improving or declining over time. A parent may want to ask the school about year-over-year trends and how the district is responding to the share of students who have not yet reached proficiency.
The student body is predominantly white, with a meaningful multiracial segment and smaller Hispanic, Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and Black populations. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a moderate level for the area. Data on special education enrollment and English learner status was not reported, so those dimensions of the school's student support picture are missing here. A family whose child receives special education services or English language support would want to ask the school directly about staffing and program models.
The housing market around the school tells a story of a place that has become more expensive but remains relatively accessible by Alaska standards. Home values in the zip code are above the state benchmark and above the national benchmark, with solid year-over-year appreciation. Rents are modest by national comparison, and the rent-to-income ratio sits at a level most households can manage. The gap between estimated monthly mortgage costs and rent is wide enough that renting remains meaningfully cheaper than buying for a family watching its budget, though mortgage rates have been elevated. The price-to-income ratio is moderate, suggesting that for working families with stable employment, ownership is attainable but not effortless.
No data was available on discipline, course access, staffing ratios, attendance, Title I status, or specific program offerings. This is a thin profile for a school of this size, and it limits what can be said about the day-to-day academic experience. The district-level search returned no specific parent-relevant changes such as referenda, curriculum overhauls, or property-tax shifts, so there is little to report on that front. A parent evaluating Teeland would do well to visit, ask about course electives and extracurriculars, and get a sense of how the school communicates with families and supports students who are working below grade level. What the data does show is a school in a growing, auto-oriented community where housing is getting pricier but remains within reach, with state test results that are middling and participation rates that are strong.
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