Sterling Elementary

Q: Is Sterling Elementary a good school?

Sterling Elementary ranks 101 st of 173 Alaska elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Sterling Elementary is a public elementary school located in Sterling, Alaska, serving grades PK-6 with a student population of around 150. The school is part of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, which is ranked 10th out of 24 districts in Alaska and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Sterling Elementary has a higher percentage of White students (70.67%) and Native American students (8.67%) compared to nearby schools, the school has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Alaska elementary schools, with a 1-2 star rating from SchoolDigger. Student performance on standardized tests is generally lower than the district and state averages, with only 25.68% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 24.32% in Mathematics. However, the school performs relatively well for students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, ranking 31st out of 122 Alaska elementary schools for this subgroup.

Compared to nearby schools like Soldotna Elementary and Aurora Borealis Charter School, Sterling Elementary generally underperforms, with significantly lower student proficiency rates and lower rankings and ratings from SchoolDigger. Over the past three years, the school has also seen a decrease in the percentage of White students and an increase in the percentage of students identifying as two or more races, which could present both opportunities and challenges for the school to address.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

35096 Sterling Hwy
Sterling, AK 99672

(907) 262-4944

District: Kenai Peninsula Borough School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
101^st of 173 Alaska Elementary Schools

Students who attend Sterling Elementary usually attend:

Middle:

Skyview Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.1

Number of students: 124

Racial breakdown:

White:

71.0%

Two or more races:

16.1%

Hispanic:

6.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 46.8%

See top rated Alaska elementary schools

Compare Sterling Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sterling Elementary ranks worse than 58.4% of elementary schools in Alaska. It also ranks 10^th among 13 ranked elementary schools in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 43.39. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (71%), two or more races (16.1%), American Indian (6.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 46.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sterling Elementary is 11.1, which is the 2^nd best among 13 elementary schools in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District. (See more...)

Compare Sterling Elementary employs 11 full-time teachers.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sterling Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Sterling Elementary 101^st of 173 Alaska public elementary schools. (See Sterling Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Kenai Peninsula Borough School District 10^th of 24 Alaska school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Sterling Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Sterling Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AK State Percentile
2005	69.23	71^st	213	66.7%
2006	55.58	122^nd	218	44.0%
2007	59.41	111^th	212	47.6%
2008	71.71	66^th	219	69.9%
2009	74.25	58^th	226	74.3%
2010	73.08	67^th	229	70.7%
2011	67.97	73^rd	223	67.3%
2012	65.65	85^th	227	62.6%
2013	66.80	79^th	223	64.6%
2014	77.75	39^th	218	82.1%
2015	58.21	96^th	246	61.0%
2017	26.20	148^th	180	17.8%
2018	20.72	158^th	186	15.1%
2019	35.97	123^rd	185	33.5%
2021	27.81	132^nd	173	23.7%
2022	31.08	125^th	171	26.9%
2023	15.99	153^rd	176	13.1%
2024	43.39	101^st	173	41.6%

See the entire list of Alaska Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sterling Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AK State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	75.69	27^th	147	81.6%
2024	67.75	31^st	122	74.6%

See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Sterling Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AK State Percentile
2019	32.96	115^th	159	27.7%
2021	17.75	122^nd	141	13.5%
2022	55.77	58^th	143	59.4%
2023	21.13	125^th	152	17.8%
2024	45.67	80^th	142	43.7%

See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Sterling Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AK State Percentile
2019	47.34	85^th	159	46.5%
2021	34.98	94^th	142	33.8%
2024	47.55	83^rd	150	44.7%

See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Sterling Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AK State Percentile
2019	31.61	108^th	147	26.5%
2021	13.46	125^th	127	1.6%
2022	14.86	127^th	137	7.3%
2023	8.60	133^rd	138	3.6%
2024	27.10	107^th	133	19.5%

See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary 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.

Data source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

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Enrollment information for Sterling Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	229	0	4	1	12	n/a	n/a	0	246
1990	256	0	7	3	13	n/a	n/a	0	279
1991	262	0	6	3	21	n/a	n/a	0	292
1992	271	0	5	5	25	n/a	n/a	0	306
1993	288	0	5	2	27	n/a	n/a	0	322
1994	311	0	7	4	29	n/a	n/a	0	351
1995	341	2	3	4	34	n/a	n/a	0	384
1996	341	2	3	4	34	n/a	n/a	0	384
1997	319	1	2	4	29	n/a	n/a	0	355
1998	306	1	1	5	21	n/a	n/a	0	334
1999	283	1	1	5	24	n/a	n/a	0	314
2000	266	1	2	4	30	n/a	n/a	0	303
2001	218	1	1	4	20	n/a	n/a	0	244
2002	201	1	1	3	19	n/a	n/a	0	225
2003	201	1	1	3	19	n/a	n/a	0	225
2004	185	1	1	3	18	n/a	n/a	0	208
2005	174	2	0	1	24	n/a	n/a	0	201
2006	152	3	2	8	20	n/a	n/a	0	185
2007	158	2	0	8	19	n/a	n/a	0	187
2008	133	0	0	10	15	n/a	n/a	15	173
2009	134	0	0	5	13	0	9	0	161
2010	113	0	0	7	12	0	7	0	139
2011	137	0	0	5	12	0	10	0	164
2012	143	1	0	6	8	0	9	0	167
2013	161	0	0	2	8	0	14	0	185
2014	176	1	0	6	11	0	15	0	209
2015	214	1	1	9	7	0	17	0	249
2016	207	2	1	7	11	0	11	0	239
2017	188	1	1	6	16	1	26	0	239
2018	180	1	1	10	12	1	27	0	232
2019	168	1	1	6	11	1	29	0	217
2020	147	1	1	10	10	1	26	0	196
2021	100	1	1	11	10	1	13	0	137
2022	118	0	0	4	12	0	16	0	150
2023	106	0	0	6	13	1	24	0	150
2024	88	0	0	8	8	0	20	0	124

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 Sterling Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	246	13.5	18.2	11.8
1990	279	13.0	21.4	13.6
1991	292	14.5	20.1	14
1992	306	14.5	21.1	18.3
1993	322	14.5	22.2	17.4
1994	351	14.5	24.2	16
1995	384	20.0	19.2	32.8
1996	384	20.0	19.2	32.8
1997	355	20.0	17.8	27
1998	334	18.9	17.7	32
1999	314	19.0	16.5	40.1
2000	303	17.0	17.8	39.9
2001	244	16.0	15.3	36.1
2002	225	12.0	18.8	41.8
2003	225	12.0	18.8	41.8
2004	208	11.5	18.1	44.7
2005	201	8.0	25.1	52.2
2006	185	11.0	16.8	55.1
2007	187	11.7	16.0	49.2
2008	173	11.5	15.0	55.1
2009	161	14.9	10.8	46
2010	139	13.0	10.6	51.8
2011	164	13.3	12.2	48.2
2012	167	14.2	11.6	47.9
2013	185	16.1	11.4	43.2
2014	209	17.4	11.9	41.6
2015	249	17.0	14.6	42.2
2016	239	18.0	13.2	40.6
2017	239	16.8	14.1	41.8
2018	232	16.9	13.7	49.1
2019	217	15.9	13.6	47.5
2020	196	14.0	14.0	52.6
2021	137	13.5	10.0	n/a
2022	150	12.0	12.4	n/a
2023	150	13.0	11.5	46
2024	124	11.0	11.1	46.8

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 Sterling Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	246	13.5	18.2	11.8
1990	279	13.0	21.4	13.6
1991	292	14.5	20.1	14
1992	306	14.5	21.1	18.3
1993	322	14.5	22.2	17.4
1994	351	14.5	24.2	16
1995	384	20.0	19.2	32.8
1996	384	20.0	19.2	32.8
1997	355	20.0	17.8	27
1998	334	18.9	17.7	32
1999	314	19.0	16.5	40.1
2000	303	17.0	17.8	39.9
2001	244	16.0	15.3	36.1
2002	225	12.0	18.8	41.8
2003	225	12.0	18.8	41.8
2004	208	11.5	18.1	44.7
2005	201	8.0	25.1	52.2
2006	185	11.0	16.8	55.1
2007	187	11.7	16.0	49.2
2008	173	11.5	15.0	55.1
2009	161	14.9	10.8	46
2010	139	13.0	10.6	51.8
2011	164	13.3	12.2	48.2
2012	167	14.2	11.6	47.9
2013	185	16.1	11.4	43.2
2014	209	17.4	11.9	41.6
2015	249	17.0	14.6	42.2
2016	239	18.0	13.2	40.6
2017	239	16.8	14.1	41.8
2018	232	16.9	13.7	49.1
2019	217	15.9	13.6	47.5
2020	196	14.0	14.0	52.6
2021	137	13.5	10.0	n/a
2022	150	12.0	12.4	n/a
2023	150	13.0	11.5	46
2024	124	11.0	11.1	46.8

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.

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sterling Elementary

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 123^rd of 185 Elementary schools	Ranks 153^rd of 176 Elementary schools	20.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
All Grades Science (Sterling Elementary)	21.7	35.3	13.6%
All Grades Science (Kenai Peninsula Borough School District)	55	43.6	11.4%
All Grades Science (Alaska)	44.7	36.9	7.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	217	150	30.9%
African American	1	0	100%
American Indian	11	13	18.2%
Asian	1	0	100%
Hispanic	6	6
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	168	106	36.9%
Two or More Races	29	24	17.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	47.5%	46%	1.5%

Schools Near Sterling Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				STAR English Language Arts (2024)							STAR Mathematics (2024)					ASA Science (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAR English Language Arts 3rd Grade	STAR English Language Arts 4th Grade	STAR English Language Arts 5th Grade	STAR English Language Arts 6th Grade	STAR English Language Arts 7th Grade	STAR English Language Arts 8th Grade	STAR English Language Arts All Grades	STAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAR Mathematics All Grades	ASA Science 5th Grade	ASA Science 8th Grade	ASA Science All Grades	Total
Sterling Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	35096 Sterling Hwy	Sterling	99672	Kenai Peninsula Borough	Kenai Peninsula Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 262-4944	124	11	11.1	46.8%	88 (71.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (16.1%)	43.4	101^st of 173 public elementary schools	41.6%		16	153^rd of 176 public elementary schools	13.1%	52		14.3	37.5	42.9			25.7			37.5	42.9	24.3	62.5		62.5
Soldotna Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	162 E Park Ave	Soldotna	99669	Kenai Peninsula Borough	Kenai Peninsula Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 260-5100	253	21	12.1	34.4%	165 (65.2%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (8.7%)	2 (0.8%)	21 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (17.0%)	66	55^th of 173 public elementary schools	68.2%		68.2	47^th of 176 public elementary schools	73.3%	8	28.1	29.7	57.6	74.2			46.6	37.5	32.4	63.6	61.3	48.1	69.7		69.7
Soldotna Montessori Charter School	Public, Charter	K-6	158 E Park Ave	Soldotna	99669	Kenai Peninsula Borough	Kenai Peninsula Borough School District	Yes	No	No	No	(907) 260-9221	164	10	15.8	19.5%	131 (79.9%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.3%)	1 (0.6%)	8 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (10.4%)								(n/a)
Redoubt Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	486 W Redoubt Ave	Soldotna	99669	Kenai Peninsula Borough	Kenai Peninsula Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 260-4300	347	23	15.1	40.6%	219 (63.1%)	5 (1.4%)	22 (6.3%)	8 (2.3%)	31 (8.9%)	1 (0.3%)	61 (17.6%)	47.3	97^th of 173 public elementary schools	43.9%		46.8	94^th of 176 public elementary schools	46.6%	3	28.9	40.5	40.0	45.5			39.0	40.0	29.7	36.4	32.7	34.8	56.8		56.8
Kalifornsky Beach Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1049 E Poppy Lane	Soldotna	99669	Kenai Peninsula Borough	Kenai Peninsula Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 260-1300	412	28	14.8	36.7%	269 (65.3%)	2 (0.5%)	34 (8.3%)	5 (1.2%)	31 (7.5%)	1 (0.2%)	70 (17.0%)	54.2	85^th of 173 public elementary schools	50.9%		36.5	114^th of 176 public elementary schools	35.2%	29	23.5	23.2	60.0	45.7			39.0	29.4	26.8	50.8	52.2	39.9	69.2		69.2
Mt. View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	315 Swires Rd	Kenai	99611	Kenai Peninsula Borough	Kenai Peninsula Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 283-8600	411	28	14.6	50.9%	239 (58.2%)	2 (0.5%)	27 (6.6%)	2 (0.5%)	47 (11.4%)	3 (0.7%)	91 (22.1%)	29.8	126^th of 173 public elementary schools	27.2%		35.2	118^th of 176 public elementary schools	33.0%	8	22.7	21.3	35.5				26.5	30.3	29.5	21.0		27.0	51.6		51.6
Aurora Borealis Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	705 Frontage Rd Ste A	Kenai	99611	Kenai Peninsula Borough	Kenai Peninsula Borough School District	Yes	No	No	No	(907) 283-0292	193	12	16.0		148 (76.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.2%)	2 (1.0%)	12 (6.2%)	2 (1.0%)	19 (9.8%)	90.7	9^th of 173 public elementary schools	94.8%		94.4	5^th of 176 public elementary schools	97.2%	4		39.1	75.0	65.0	70.6	81.3	69.8	87.0	87.0		85.0	89.9		50.0	77.8
Kaleidoscope School of Arts & Science	Public, Charter	K-5	549 N Forest Dr	Kenai	99611	Kenai Peninsula Borough	Kenai Peninsula Borough School District	Yes	No	No	No	(907) 283-0804	200	14	14.2	35.0%	120 (60.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (7.5%)	4 (2.0%)	22 (11.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (19.5%)	10	161^st of 173 public elementary schools	6.9%		13.4	161^st of 176 public elementary schools	8.5%		12.9	17.7					13.3	16.1	14.7			13.3	22.2		22.2
Nikiski North Star Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	45600 Holt Lamplight Rd	Kenai	99611	Kenai Peninsula Borough	Kenai Peninsula Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 776-2600	252	17	14.4	47.6%	184 (73.0%)	1 (0.4%)	11 (4.4%)	3 (1.2%)	13 (5.2%)	2 (0.8%)	38 (15.1%)	36.5	113^th of 173 public elementary schools	34.7%		39.6	108^th of 176 public elementary schools	38.6%	5	38.9	22.2	16.3				25.2	38.2	50.0	14.0		32.7	46.5		46.5

Frequently Asked Questions about Sterling Elementary

Is Sterling Elementary a good school?

Sterling Elementary ranks 101^st of 173 Alaska elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Sterling Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 124 students attended Sterling Elementary.

What district is Sterling Elementary in?

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District

What schools do graduates of Sterling Elementary attend?

Students who attend Sterling Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Skyview Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Sterling Elementary?

Students at Sterling Elementary are 71% White, 16% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic, 6% American Indian.

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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.