The top reported proficiency rate is 35% in Science. The lowest is 12% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Charles R. Leask Sr. Middle School
Charles R. Leask Sr. Middle School sits in Metlakatla, a small Indigenous community on Annette Island, the only Indian Reserve in Alaska. The school serves grades six through eight as part of the Annette Island School District. It is a conventional public school, not a charter or magnet program. Its enrollment is small, consistent with the village it serves, with roughly equal numbers of students across the three grade levels.
The student body is almost entirely American Indian or Alaska Native, predominantly Tsimshian, reflecting the community that surrounds it. Nearly every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which speaks to the economic realities of this isolated island village. The school does not report figures for English learners or students with individualized education programs, so those portions of the picture are absent from the available data. A parent wanting to understand special-population services would need to ask the school directly.
Metlakatla itself shapes much of what this school is. Publicly reported sources describe a settlement laid out in a European-style grid at its founding, with civic functions embedded in the village core from the start. The community maintains strong cultural traditions including song, dance, totem poles, a longhouse, and cedar bark basketry. Access is only by Alaska Marine Highway ferry, seaplane, or boat; there is no road connection to the outside world. The local economy revolves around fishing, seafood processing, services, tourism, and forest products, with the Metlakatla Indian Community tribal government providing administrative and community services. The village is small enough that most functions cluster near the harbor and community buildings, with the longhouse facing the boat harbor as a central cultural anchor. Visitors staying beyond a short window must apply for a permit, and the community's isolation naturally constrains large-scale development.
On state assessments through the AK STAR system, the school's results are low. In math, a small fraction of tested students reached proficiency. In English language arts, the share meeting proficiency was also low, though slightly above the math figure. Science results were stronger by comparison, with a considerably higher share of tested students demonstrating proficiency, though the science assessment covered far fewer students since it is administered at a single grade level. Participation rates were high across all subjects. No average scale scores were reported, and no multi-year trend data is available, so there is no way to tell from the data whether these proficiency levels represent a change from prior years. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, particularly to understand what academic supports and interventions are in place and how the school is working to strengthen math and reading outcomes.
Because this is a middle school, there is no graduation rate to report. No course access, staffing, discipline, or attendance data was provided, and no information on program offerings was available. Civil rights data was not included. The district brief turned up little about recent parent-relevant changes in the Annette Island School District, so there is nothing to relay on that front. No neighbor comparison set was available for this school, so it cannot be positioned against nearby districts or schools in the county.
What emerges is a portrait of a very small, culturally grounded middle school in one of Alaska's most geographically isolated communities. The peer environment is tight-knit and rooted in Tsimshian tradition. Academic proficiency as measured by the state is a soft spot, strongest in science and weakest in math. The gaps in the available data are wide enough that a family considering or already connected to this school would benefit from direct conversation with school staff about what happens day to day in classrooms, what supports exist for students working below grade level, and how the school weaves cultural heritage into its academic program.
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