Elementary Schools in Northwest Arctic Borough School District

The Northwest Arctic Borough School District has only one elementary school, June Nelson Elementary, which serves a predominantly Native American student population. The school faces significant academic challenges, with consistently low test scores and a declining statewide ranking, despite high per-student spending and a relatively low student-teacher ratio.

June Nelson Elementary's performance on standardized tests is well below state averages, with only 5.26% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, 9.65% in Mathematics, and 10.64% in Science. This poor academic performance has led to the school's statewide ranking dropping from 158th out of 171 Alaska elementary schools in 2021-2022 to 172nd out of 173 in 2023-2024. The high rate of free and reduced-price lunch recipients, at 93.96%, indicates that the school serves a population with significant socioeconomic challenges.

Despite the high per-student spending of $34,036, which is significantly higher than the state average, and the relatively low student-teacher ratio of 15.5, the school's academic outcomes remain poor. This suggests that simply increasing funding or reducing class sizes may not be enough to improve student performance, and a more comprehensive approach addressing factors such as curriculum, teaching methods, and student support services may be necessary. The challenges faced by June Nelson Elementary reflect systemic issues within the Northwest Arctic Borough School District, which is ranked 24th out of 24 districts in the state with a 0-star rating.