Summary:
The city of Kotzebue, Alaska is home to 3 schools serving students from elementary through high school, including Kotzebue Middle/High School, June Nelson Elementary, and the small NWABSD Home School alternative program. These schools serve a predominantly Native American student population, with 85-100% of students identifying as such, and very high rates of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 93.96% to 96.34%.
Academically, the schools in Kotzebue face significant challenges, with test scores well below the state averages across English Language Arts, Math, and Science. For example, only 10.4% of students at Kotzebue Middle/High School were proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state average of 31.5%. The alternative NWABSD Home School also appears to have even lower test scores and higher spending per student than the other two schools. This suggests the need for substantial interventions and support to improve student outcomes in the Northwest Arctic Borough School District.
Despite the high per-student spending, ranging from $12,473 to $39,784, the schools in Kotzebue are struggling to provide a high-quality education to their students. Addressing these challenges will likely require a multi-faceted approach, including targeted interventions, increased resources, and a focus on equity and cultural responsiveness to meet the unique needs of the predominantly Native American student population.
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