The top reported proficiency rate is 60% in Science. The lowest is 46% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Ladd Elementary
Ladd Elementary sits on F Street in downtown Fairbanks, serving students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade as part of the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. The school's name carries local history: Fort Wainwright, the Army installation just east of the city, was originally called Ladd Field, and the school's location in the borough seat places it in the commercial and civic core of Interior Alaska's primary supply center.
The enrollment is moderate for a combined elementary and middle school, and the grade distribution tilts heavily toward the early grades. The largest cohorts are in third, fourth, and first grade, while the upper grades thin out considerably, with only a handful of students in sixth through eighth grade. A family considering this school for a young child would find a full elementary experience here, but the middle grades are very small, which may shape what peers and electives are available to older students. The pre-kindergarten program serves a small group, and kindergarten is one of the larger single-grade cohorts.
The student body reflects Fairbanks's mixed character. Half the students identify as white, and the other half come from a range of backgrounds, with Hispanic students, multiracial students, and Black students making up the largest groups after that. A meaningful share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, though the rate sits below what many urban Alaska schools report. Data on English learners and special education enrollment was not available, so those populations could not be characterized here.
On state assessments, Ladd's results tell a solid story in science and a more mixed one in math and reading. Science proficiency stands out as a clear strength, with a majority of tested students reaching proficiency on the Alaska Science Assessment. Math and English language arts proficiency each landed in the middle range, with roughly half of tested students meeting the proficiency bar on the AK STAR assessment. Participation was full or nearly full across all three subjects. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability. A parent wanting to understand the trajectory would need to ask the school directly.
Because Ladd serves only through eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and the school does not have a high school program or the AP, dual-credit, or career-pathway offerings that come with one. Program-specific data beyond the assessment results was not provided, so details about specialized instruction, extracurriculars, or interventions are not included here.
The surrounding housing market in the school's zip code is relatively affordable compared with the rest of Alaska and the nation. Typical home values sit well below the state benchmark and modestly below the national one, and rents are correspondingly moderate. With current mortgage rates, monthly ownership costs run somewhat higher than renting, but the price-to-income ratio remains favorable. Home values have been climbing at a steady pace year over year, while rents have moved only slightly. This places Ladd's attendance area in the more accessible tier of Fairbanks-area housing, particularly for families connected to the military, the university, or the service-and-supply economy that defines the city.
Fairbanks itself is a car-dependent place with a compact downtown along the Chena River and spread-out residential neighborhoods, military bases, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus distributed across the broader area. The economy draws on mining, tourism, the university, and military operations at Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base. Publicly reported sources describe the city as the second-largest metropolitan area in Alaska, with a relatively young population shaped by military families and university presence. For a family at Ladd, that means a community with steady employment anchors, seasonal cultural events, and a downtown within reach, but one where nearly every errand requires a drive.
The district brief returned no specific parent-relevant changes from recent years, so there is nothing to report on strategic initiatives, boundary adjustments, or program shifts at the district level. Ladd's own profile carries enough to place it as a downtown Fairbanks school with a diverse student body, respectable science outcomes, average math and reading performance, and a housing market that keeps the neighborhood relatively reachable for working families.
See more original research from School Decision →