Polaris K-12 School

Summary:

Polaris K-12 School is an alternative public magnet school in Anchorage, Alaska, serving students from kindergarten through 12th grade. With a diverse student population, the school consistently outperforms the Anchorage School District and the state of Alaska in academic assessments, including science, English language arts, and mathematics.

Polaris K-12 School's academic excellence is evident in its strong performance. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 51.61% of Polaris students were proficient or better in science, compared to 38.66% for the Anchorage School District and 36.94% for the state. In English language arts, 49.15% of Polaris students were proficient or better, compared to 35.51% for the district and 31.5% for the state. The school also outperformed the district and state in mathematics, with 43.39% of Polaris students proficient or better, compared to 35.52% for the district and 31.11% for the state. Additionally, Polaris K-12 School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 18.7 to 19.5 over the past three years, which may contribute to its academic success.

The diversity of Polaris K-12 School's student population, with a racial makeup that is more balanced compared to nearby schools like Bartlett High School and Hope School, may also be a factor in its academic performance. Research has shown that diverse learning environments can foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and cultural understanding. Furthermore, the higher spending per student at Polaris K-12 School compared to the Anchorage School District average suggests that the school has access to more resources and funding, which may support its effective educational programs and contribute to its students' academic achievements.


Detail:

Public, Magnet, Alternative K-12

 6200 Ashwood St
       Anchorage, AK  99507-1911


(907) 742-8700

District: Anchorage School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
52nd of 173 Alaska Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,651 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  19.3 Help
Number of students:  495

Racial breakdown:

White:
60.8%
Two or more races:
15.2%
Hispanic:
12.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  26.3% Help


 See top rated Alaska elementary schools

 Compare Polaris K-12 School to nearby alternative schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Polaris K-12 School ranks better than 69.9% of elementary schools in Alaska. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 67.49. (See more...)
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Compare Details Polaris K-12 School ranks better than 60.4% of middle schools in Alaska. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 59.92. (See more...)
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Compare Details Polaris K-12 School ranks better than 69.8% of high schools in Alaska. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 64.65. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Polaris K-12 School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (60.8%), two or more races (15.2%), Hispanic (12.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 26.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Polaris K-12 School is 19.3. 3 alternative schools in the Anchorage School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Polaris K-12 School employs 25.6 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Polaris K-12 School is $12,651. 4 alternative schools in the Anchorage School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Polaris K-12 School:

SchoolDigger ranks Polaris K-12 School 52nd of 173 Alaska public elementary schools. (See Polaris K-12 School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Polaris K-12 School 36th of 91 Alaska public middle schools. (See Polaris K-12 School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Polaris K-12 School 19th of 63 Alaska public high schools. (See Polaris K-12 School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Anchorage School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Anchorage School District 14th of 24 Alaska school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for Polaris K-12 School?

Rank History for Polaris K-12 School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Polaris K-12 School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 81.06 22nd 213 89.7%
2006 84.10 13th 218 94.0%
2007 73.89 52nd 212 75.5%
2008 66.54 86th 219 60.7%
2009 74.82 52nd 226 77.0%
2010 78.24 40th 229 82.5%
2011 82.95 21st 223 90.6%
2012 82.51 22nd 227 90.3%
2013 81.44 20th 223 91.0%
2014 81.10 22nd 218 89.9%
2015 64.00 76th 246 69.1%
2017 45.30 101st 180 43.9%
2018 49.87 97th 186 47.8%
2019 52.28 87th 185 53.0%
2021 51.48 81st 173 53.2%
2022 52.67 73rd 171 57.3%
2023 51.71 84th 176 52.3%
2024 67.49 52nd 173 69.9%
See the entire list of Alaska Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Polaris K-12 School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 66.65 44th 147 70.1%
2021 53.64 47th 110 57.3%
2022 74.02 16th 104 84.6%
2023 50.26 58th 119 51.3%
2024 72.41 23rd 122 81.1%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Polaris K-12 School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 48.92 86th 159 45.9%
2021 44.56 74th 141 47.5%
2022 44.22 76th 143 46.9%
2023 48.96 74th 152 51.3%
2024 65.76 45th 142 68.3%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Polaris K-12 School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 52.39 73rd 159 54.1%
2021 55.14 60th 142 57.7%
2022 54.08 62nd 148 58.1%
2023 52.00 67th 148 54.7%
2024 67.56 42nd 150 72.0%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Polaris K-12 School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 54.27 13th 26 50.0%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Alternative Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at Polaris K-12 School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 44.12 84th 147 42.9%
2021 41.78 86th 127 32.3%
2022 42.30 84th 137 38.7%
2023 42.07 83rd 138 39.9%
2024 64.64 35th 133 73.7%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Alternative Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Alaska Department of Education and Early Developmenr, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Polaris K-12 School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Polaris K-12 School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 89.16 5th 138 96.4%
2006 88.68 3rd 132 97.7%
2007 91.20 2nd 128 98.4%
2008 91.44 1st 132 99.2%
2009 91.58 1st 131 99.2%
2010 88.87 3rd 136 97.8%
2011 89.48 4th 133 97.0%
2012 89.65 3rd 135 97.8%
2013 89.01 5th 136 96.3%
2014 86.46 7th 138 94.9%
2015 84.01 17th 151 88.7%
2017 73.21 18th 88 79.5%
2018 71.81 23rd 96 76.0%
2019 67.26 31st 99 68.7%
2021 57.60 37th 84 56.0%
2022 53.64 39th 95 58.9%
2023 64.17 30th 92 67.4%
2024 59.92 36th 91 60.4%
See the entire list of Alaska Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Polaris K-12 School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 76.23 11th 64 82.8%
2021 65.07 13th 43 69.8%
2022 59.29 15th 43 65.1%
2023 58.50 20th 55 63.6%
2024 58.17 20th 54 63.0%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Migrant students at Polaris K-12 School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 80.25 3rd 20 85.0%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Alternative Schools for Migrant Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Polaris K-12 School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 66.99 25th 74 66.2%
2021 35.21 40th 57 29.8%
2022 45.73 32nd 66 51.5%
2023 63.46 24th 66 63.6%
2024 54.91 28th 69 59.4%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Polaris K-12 School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 62.44 28th 73 61.6%
2021 68.18 16th 62 74.2%
2022 63.76 22nd 68 67.6%
2023 66.21 23rd 72 68.1%
2024 61.96 23rd 72 68.1%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Polaris K-12 School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 82.26 4th 26 84.6%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Alternative Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Polaris K-12 School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 53.42 34th 72 52.8%
2021 46.82 33rd 58 43.1%
2022 39.18 46th 69 33.3%
2023 59.48 27th 75 64.0%
2024 57.52 28th 74 62.2%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Alternative Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Alaska Department of Education and Early Developmenr, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Polaris K-12 School

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Rank History for all high school students at Polaris K-12 School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2008 94.82 2nd 151 98.7%
2011 92.16 4th 142 97.2%
2014 93.34 3rd 139 97.8%
2015 90.21 6th 135 95.6%
2017 90.96 6th 83 92.8%
2018 65.04 22nd 74 70.3%
2019 85.72 8th 77 89.6%
2021 56.97 25th 61 59.0%
2022 83.34 8th 62 87.1%
2023 83.22 8th 62 87.1%
2024 64.65 19th 63 69.8%
See the entire list of Alaska Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Multi-racial students at Polaris K-12 School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 82.77 4th 24 83.3%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Alternative Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Polaris K-12 School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 95.88 2nd 55 96.4%
2021 81.72 7th 37 81.1%
2022 98.16 1st 34 97.1%
2023 85.01 4th 42 90.5%
2024 88.27 2nd 41 95.1%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Female students at Polaris K-12 School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 70.36 10th 54 81.5%
2021 50.26 20th 37 45.9%
2022 85.57 6th 43 86.0%
2023 77.86 9th 54 83.3%
2024 54.93 18th 45 60.0%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at Polaris K-12 School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 92.77 3rd 58 94.8%
2021 58.06 14th 42 66.7%
2022 84.43 7th 46 84.8%
2023 79.81 8th 47 83.0%
2024 69.54 10th 48 79.2%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school White students at Polaris K-12 School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 81.65 5th 56 91.1%
2021 30.90 31st 43 27.9%
2022 67.22 15th 47 68.1%
2023 82.00 8th 47 83.0%
2024 63.04 13th 46 71.7%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Alternative Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Alaska Department of Education and Early Developmenr, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Polaris K-12 School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 











Data source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4.5)
50%

50%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a student
Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Open Quote I am a former student of Polaris K-12. I attended the school for four years. My last year was in 2005. The school is great at allowing the students to take responsibility with their education and encouraging self disipline. Students need to be self motivated to survive in this set up. The fact that the school offers intensive three times a year provide a unigue learning experience students would not get other wise. Overall it has a great program. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Polaris K-12 School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1995 422 21 11 9 24 n/a n/a 0 487
1996 422 21 11 9 24 n/a n/a 0 487
1997 425 24 5 13 27 n/a n/a 0 494
1998 408 18 4 14 29 n/a n/a 0 473
1999 407 20 8 11 36 n/a n/a 0 482
2000 375 18 7 8 41 n/a n/a 0 449
2001 372 22 11 11 34 n/a n/a 0 450
2002 358 19 21 17 35 n/a n/a 0 450
2003 358 19 21 17 35 n/a n/a 0 450
2004 364 21 21 17 37 n/a n/a 0 460
2005 367 13 19 15 37 n/a n/a 0 451
2006 364 14 23 13 38 n/a n/a 0 452
2007 380 8 29 14 47 n/a n/a 0 478
2008 357 7 22 25 15 n/a n/a 41 467
2009 360 4 25 30 18 0 42 0 479
2010 369 5 23 24 19 0 33 0 473
2011 364 7 17 28 21 0 42 0 479
2012 345 6 17 37 19 0 51 0 475
2013 331 7 23 43 19 0 57 0 480
2014 335 10 26 43 17 1 52 0 484
2015 322 9 24 42 18 1 59 0 475
2016 319 8 20 44 21 1 62 0 475
2017 322 9 21 44 24 1 58 0 479
2018 323 9 21 41 21 2 65 0 482
2019 313 7 23 43 25 4 68 0 483
2020 309 8 23 51 27 4 60 0 482
2021 283 6 22 56 22 8 63 0 460
2022 308 7 26 57 18 4 66 0 486
2023 301 8 26 60 22 3 75 0 495

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Polaris K-12 School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1995 487 25.0 19.5 0
1996 487 25.0 19.5 0
1997 494 25.0 19.8 0
1998 473 25.6 18.5 3.2
1999 482 24.0 20.1 0.6
2000 449 24.5 18.3 4
2001 450 25.0 18.0 6
2002 450 26.4 17.0 4
2003 450 26.4 17.0 4
2004 460 25.0 18.4 4.6
2005 451 24.9 18.1 6
2006 452 24.8 18.2 10.4
2007 478 25.3 18.9 6.7
2008 467 25.2 18.5 8.2
2009 479 25.4 18.9 9.4
2010 473 24.5 19.3 9.7
2011 479 26.4 18.1 12.7
2012 475 26.9 17.6 16.2
2013 480 28.0 17.1 16.5
2014 484 28.0 17.2 23.1
2015 475 27.0 17.5 20
2016 475 27.0 17.5 18.3
2017 479 28.5 16.7 18.6
2018 482 26.5 18.1 21.2
2019 483 27.7 17.4 n/a
2020 482 27.3 17.6 26.1
2021 460 24.4 18.7 n/a
2022 486 24.8 19.5 n/a
2023 495 25.6 19.3 26.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Polaris K-12 School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1995 487 25.0 19.5 0
1996 487 25.0 19.5 0
1997 494 25.0 19.8 0
1998 473 25.6 18.5 3.2
1999 482 24.0 20.1 0.6
2000 449 24.5 18.3 4
2001 450 25.0 18.0 6
2002 450 26.4 17.0 4
2003 450 26.4 17.0 4
2004 460 25.0 18.4 4.6
2005 451 24.9 18.1 6
2006 452 24.8 18.2 10.4
2007 478 25.3 18.9 6.7
2008 467 25.2 18.5 8.2
2009 479 25.4 18.9 9.4
2010 473 24.5 19.3 9.7
2011 479 26.4 18.1 12.7
2012 475 26.9 17.6 16.2
2013 480 28.0 17.1 16.5
2014 484 28.0 17.2 23.1
2015 475 27.0 17.5 20
2016 475 27.0 17.5 18.3
2017 479 28.5 16.7 18.6
2018 482 26.5 18.1 21.2
2019 483 27.7 17.4 n/a
2020 482 27.3 17.6 26.1
2021 460 24.4 18.7 n/a
2022 486 24.8 19.5 n/a
2023 495 25.6 19.3 26.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Polaris K-12 School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $699 (5.5%) $11,951 (94.5%) $12,651

Data source: Alaska Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Polaris K-12 School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 87th of 185 Elementary schoolsRanks 84th of 176 Elementary schools
 0.7%
Ranks 31st of 99 Middle schoolsRanks 30th of 92 Middle schools
 1.3%
Ranks 8th of 77 High schoolsRanks 8th of 62 High schools
 2.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
8th Grade Science (Polaris K-12 School)76.250
 26.2%
   8th Grade Science (Anchorage School District)45.237.3
 8%
   8th Grade Science (Alaska)43.134.5
 8.6%
10th Grade Science (Polaris K-12 School)71.456.7
 14.8%
   10th Grade Science (Anchorage School District)5734.9
 22.1%
   10th Grade Science (Alaska)53.633
 20.6%
All Grades Science (Polaris K-12 School)61.550
 11.5%
   All Grades Science (Anchorage School District)46.639.4
 7.2%
   All Grades Science (Alaska)44.736.9
 7.7%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students483495
 2.5%
African American78
 14.3%
American Indian2522
 12%
Asian2326
 13%
Hispanic4360
 39.5%
Pacific Islander43
 25%
White313301
 3.8%
Two or More Races6875
 10.3%


Schools Near Polaris K-12 School









Frequently Asked Questions about Polaris K-12 School

Polaris K-12 School ranks 52nd of 173 Alaska alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Polaris K-12 School are 61% White, 15% Two or more races, 12% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 4% American Indian, 2% African American.

In the 2022-23 school year, 495 students attended Polaris K-12 School.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alaska Department of Education and Early Developmenr.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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