Is Watershed Charter School a good school?

Yes! Watershed Charter School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 7 th of 173 Alaska elementary schools.

How many students attend Watershed Charter School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 200 students attended Watershed Charter School.

What is the racial makeup of Watershed Charter School?

Students at Watershed Charter School are 68% White, 21% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 5% American Indian.

Watershed Charter School

Summary:

Watershed Charter School is a high-performing public charter elementary school serving grades K-8 in Fairbanks, Alaska, part of the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. With 198 students and a student-teacher ratio of around 20:1, Watershed Charter School consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in the state, maintaining a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the past decade.

Watershed Charter School significantly outperforms the district and state in proficiency rates for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science across all grade levels. The school also has a more diverse student population compared to many nearby schools, with a higher percentage of non-white students (32.83%) and a relatively high percentage of students identifying as two or more races (around 20%). However, the school has a relatively low percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch (7.58%), suggesting it may be serving a more affluent population than some of the nearby Pearl Creek Elementary, Arctic Light Elementary, and Denali Elementary schools.

Watershed Charter School's exceptional academic performance, coupled with its diverse student population, suggests the school is effectively serving its community. However, the higher spending per student (approximately $16,174) compared to some nearby schools raises questions about the sustainability and equity of the school's funding model. Further investigation may be needed to understand the factors contributing to Watershed Charter School's success and ensure that it continues to provide equitable access and support for students from all backgrounds.

Detail:

Public, Charter K-8

4975 Decathlon Ave
Fairbanks, AK 99709

(907) 374-9350

District: Fairbanks North Star Borough School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
7^th of 173 Alaska Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,174

Student/teacher ratio: 20.4

Number of students: 200

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.5%

Two or more races:

21.0%

Hispanic:

6.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 9.5%

See top rated Alaska elementary schools

Compare Watershed Charter School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Watershed Charter School ranks better than 96% of elementary schools in Alaska. It also ranks first among 19 ranked elementary schools in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 90.8. (See more...)

Compare Details Watershed Charter School ranks better than 95.6% of middle schools in Alaska. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 92.29. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (67.5%), two or more races (21%), Hispanic (6.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 9.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Watershed Charter School is 20.4, which is the highest among 19 elementary schools in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District! (See more...)

Compare Watershed Charter School employs 9.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Watershed Charter School is $16,174. 12 elementary schools in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Watershed Charter School:

SchoolDigger ranks Watershed Charter School 7^th of 173 Alaska public elementary schools. (See Watershed Charter School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Watershed Charter School 4^th of 91 Alaska public middle schools. (See Watershed Charter School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Fairbanks North Star Borough School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Fairbanks North Star Borough School District 13^th of 24 Alaska school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Watershed Charter School?

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Rank History for Watershed Charter School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Watershed Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AK State Percentile
2010	81.08	24^th	229	89.5%
2011	81.84	26^th	223	88.3%
2012	79.56	29^th	227	87.2%
2013	78.52	34^th	223	84.8%
2014	74.40	56^th	218	74.3%
2015	95.22	4^th	246	98.4%
2017	92.85	6^th	180	96.7%
2018	94.88	4^th	186	97.8%
2019	94.79	2^nd	185	98.9%
2021	90.15	12^th	173	93.1%
2022	93.77	4^th	171	97.7%
2023	88.27	10^th	176	94.3%
2024	90.80	7^th	173	96.0%

See the entire list of Alaska Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Multi-racial students at Watershed Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AK State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	62.87	24^th	68	64.7%

See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Watershed Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AK State Percentile
2022	89.00	6^th	143	95.8%
2023	81.08	12^th	152	92.1%
2024	82.04	16^th	142	88.7%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Watershed Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AK State Percentile
2019	82.56	19^th	159	88.1%
2021	79.42	18^th	142	87.3%
2022	89.90	3^rd	148	98.0%
2023	85.95	9^th	148	93.9%
2024	88.95	5^th	150	96.7%

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

Rank History for elementary school White students at Watershed Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AK State Percentile
2019	89.26	4^th	147	97.3%
2021	78.13	17^th	127	86.6%
2022	88.10	6^th	137	95.6%
2023	84.70	9^th	138	93.5%
2024	84.50	11^th	133	91.7%

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

Rank History for Watershed Charter School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Watershed Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AK State Percentile
2010	65.37	50^th	136	63.2%
2011	69.23	41^st	133	69.2%
2012	81.85	14^th	135	89.6%
2013	82.45	14^th	136	89.7%
2014	81.52	14^th	138	89.9%
2015	90.64	5^th	151	96.7%
2017	90.27	3^rd	88	96.6%
2018	84.47	9^th	96	90.6%
2019	85.58	9^th	99	90.9%
2021	90.99	5^th	84	94.0%
2022	98.66	1^st	95	98.9%
2023	96.08	2^nd	92	97.8%
2024	92.29	4^th	91	95.6%

See the entire list of Alaska Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Watershed Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AK State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	88.88	5^th	69	92.8%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at Watershed Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AK State Percentile
2019	80.98	7^th	73	90.4%
2021	75.39	9^th	62	85.5%
2022	98.58	1^st	68	98.5%
2023	95.40	2^nd	72	97.2%
2024	85.88	4^th	72	94.4%

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

Rank History for middle school White students at Watershed Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AK State Percentile
2019	83.85	6^th	72	91.7%
2021	69.79	10^th	58	82.8%
2022	97.46	1^st	69	98.6%
2023	91.03	1^st	75	98.7%
2024	89.47	4^th	74	94.6%

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 Watershed Charter School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2010	127	7	2	13	20	3	0	172
2011	136	6	2	14	13	2	13	186
2012	144	4	4	17	12	2	12	195
2013	145	3	4	15	15	2	12	196
2014	157	3	2	12	18	1	9	202
2015	159	2	0	12	6	1	19	199
2016	157	2	1	14	7	0	19	200
2017	154	2	1	12	8	0	21	198
2018	157	1	1	13	7	0	18	197
2019	152	1	0	16	5	0	23	197
2020	153	0	0	17	3	0	27	200
2021	138	2	0	19	4	0	33	196
2022	134	2	0	15	8	0	40	199
2023	133	1	0	15	8	0	41	198
2024	135	1	0	13	9	0	42	200

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 Watershed Charter School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	172	9.0	19.1	0
2011	186	9.0	20.6	0
2012	195	10.0	19.5	0
2013	196	10.0	19.6	0
2014	202	10.0	20.2	0
2015	199	10.0	19.9	0
2016	200	11.0	18.1	0
2017	198	9.6	20.5	1.5
2018	197	10.6	18.4	1.5
2019	197	10.8	18.2	1.5
2020	200	10.8	18.5	1.5
2021	196	10.8	18.1	n/a
2022	199	9.8	20.3	n/a
2023	198	9.8	20.2	7.6
2024	200	9.8	20.4	9.5

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 Watershed Charter School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	172	9.0	19.1	0
2011	186	9.0	20.6	0
2012	195	10.0	19.5	0
2013	196	10.0	19.6	0
2014	202	10.0	20.2	0
2015	199	10.0	19.9	0
2016	200	11.0	18.1	0
2017	198	9.6	20.5	1.5
2018	197	10.6	18.4	1.5
2019	197	10.8	18.2	1.5
2020	200	10.8	18.5	1.5
2021	196	10.8	18.1	n/a
2022	199	9.8	20.3	n/a
2023	198	9.8	20.2	7.6
2024	200	9.8	20.4	9.5

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 Watershed Charter School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$693 (4.3%)	$15,480 (95.7%)	$16,174

Data source: Alaska Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Watershed Charter 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 2^nd of 185 Elementary schools	Ranks 10^th of 176 Elementary schools	4.6%
Ranks 9^th of 99 Middle schools	Ranks 2^nd of 92 Middle schools	6.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
8th Grade Science (Watershed Charter School)	76.2	86.4	10.2%
8th Grade Science (Fairbanks North Star Borough School District)	50.3	40.1	10.2%
8th Grade Science (Alaska)	43.1	34.5	8.6%
All Grades Science (Watershed Charter School)	76.7	72.7	4%
All Grades Science (Fairbanks North Star Borough School District)	51.2	42.8	8.4%
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	197	198	0.5%
African American	1	1
American Indian	5	8	60%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	16	15	6.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	152	133	12.5%
Two or More Races	23	41	78.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	1.5%	7.6%	6.1%

Schools Near Watershed Charter School

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 7th Grade	STAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAR Mathematics All Grades	ASA Science 5th Grade	ASA Science 8th Grade	ASA Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Watershed Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	4975 Decathlon Ave	Fairbanks	99709	Fairbanks North Star Borough	Fairbanks North Star Borough School District	Yes	No	No	No	(907) 374-9350	200	10	20.4	9.5%	135 (67.5%)	1 (0.5%)	13 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (21.0%)	90.8	7^th of 173 public elementary schools	96.0%		88.3	10^th of 176 public elementary schools	94.3%	3	42.9	59.1	65.2	59.1	54.6	78.3	60.2	66.7	59.1	87.0	63.6	63.6	87.0	71.4	82.6	87.0	84.8	$16,174	$693	$15,480
Woodriver Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5000 Palo Verde Dr	Fairbanks	99709	Fairbanks North Star Borough	Fairbanks North Star Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 479-4211	347	21	16.8	39.5%	190 (54.8%)	7 (2.0%)	24 (6.9%)	2 (0.6%)	50 (14.4%)	1 (0.3%)	73 (21.0%)	73.1	35^th of 173 public elementary schools	79.8%		54.1	80^th of 176 public elementary schools	54.5%	45	51.9	45.3	56.3				51.1	42.3	57.8	51.6				51.1	51.6		51.6	$16,397	$1,044	$15,353
University Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	554 Loftus Rd	Fairbanks	99709	Fairbanks North Star Borough	Fairbanks North Star Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 479-6963	371	21	17.6	41.0%	187 (50.4%)	11 (3.0%)	37 (10.0%)	7 (1.9%)	52 (14.0%)	2 (0.5%)	75 (20.2%)	22.3	138^th of 173 public elementary schools	20.2%		36.7	113^th of 176 public elementary schools	35.8%	25	25.4	19.6	32.7				25.7	18.3	14.3	23.1				18.4	48.1		48.1	$17,927	$1,390	$16,537
Chinook Montessori Charter School	Public, Magnet, Charter	K-8	3002 International St	Fairbanks	99701	Fairbanks North Star Borough	Fairbanks North Star Borough School District	Yes	Yes	No	No	(907) 452-5020	155	9	17.2		113 (72.9%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (6.5%)	2 (1.3%)	8 (5.2%)	1 (0.6%)	21 (13.5%)	62.2	65^th of 173 public elementary schools	62.4%		59.3	67^th of 176 public elementary schools	61.9%	2	50.0	58.8	25.0	50.0	59.1	44.4	48.6	50.0	35.3	37.5	50.0	57.1	61.1	49.0	56.3	50.0	52.9	$15,967	$693	$15,273
Denali Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1042 Lathrop St	Fairbanks	99701	Fairbanks North Star Borough	Fairbanks North Star Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 452-2456	286	17	16.8	55.9%	91 (31.8%)	17 (5.9%)	42 (14.7%)	12 (4.2%)	42 (14.7%)	6 (2.1%)	76 (26.6%)	25.1	132^nd of 173 public elementary schools	23.7%		16.6	150^th of 176 public elementary schools	14.8%	18	32.0	24.1	26.9				27.6	28.0	22.2	28.9				26.3	30.8		30.8	$19,887	$2,013	$17,873
Boreal Sun Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	2404 S Barnette St	Fairbanks	99701	Fairbanks North Star Borough	Fairbanks North Star Borough School District	Yes	No	No	No	(907) 456-5444	189	11	17.9	30.7%	124 (65.6%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (14.8%)	3 (1.6%)	9 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (13.2%)	37.6	111^th of 173 public elementary schools	35.8%		32.2	125^th of 176 public elementary schools	29.0%	14		16.0	47.4	42.9	60.0		34.3	15.0	28.0		38.1	50.0		27.6	57.9		57.9	$15,937	$693	$15,244
Hunter Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1630 Gillam Way	Fairbanks	99701	Fairbanks North Star Borough	Fairbanks North Star Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 456-5775	378	22	16.8	70.6%	89 (23.5%)	23 (6.1%)	49 (13.0%)	13 (3.4%)	94 (24.9%)	17 (4.5%)	93 (24.6%)	9.4	163^rd of 173 public elementary schools	5.8%		9.2	166^th of 176 public elementary schools	5.7%	3	11.1	7.7	25.5				14.4	7.4	9.6	12.8				9.8	39.1		39.1	$18,781	$2,560	$16,220
Anne Wien Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1501 Hampstead Ave	Fairbanks	99701	Fairbanks North Star Borough	Fairbanks North Star Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 451-7500	367	21	17.4	48.2%	138 (37.6%)	29 (7.9%)	38 (10.4%)	13 (3.5%)	56 (15.3%)	2 (0.5%)	91 (24.8%)	30.8	123^rd of 173 public elementary schools	28.9%		17.2	147^th of 176 public elementary schools	16.5%	24	23.0	28.1	36.8				29.1	19.7	29.8	36.8				28.6	43.9		43.9	$19,719	$2,327	$17,392
Barnette Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	1000 Barnette St	Fairbanks	99701	Fairbanks North Star Borough	Fairbanks North Star Borough School District	No	Yes	No	No	(907) 456-6072	423	27	15.8	25.5%	263 (62.2%)	11 (2.6%)	40 (9.5%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (19.6%)	60.8	70^th of 173 public elementary schools	59.5%		64.5	52^nd of 176 public elementary schools	70.5%	18	34.7	51.1	34.6	51.1	48.9	67.7	46.7	46.9	57.5	44.2	35.6	48.9	70.6	49.6	53.9	61.8	57.0	$15,672	$926	$14,745
Pearl Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	700 Auburn Dr	Fairbanks	99709	Fairbanks North Star Borough	Fairbanks North Star Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 479-4234	394	23	17.1	27.4%	263 (66.8%)	1 (0.3%)	23 (5.8%)	7 (1.8%)	29 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	71 (18.0%)	58.1	77^th of 173 public elementary schools	55.5%		51.6	86^th of 176 public elementary schools	51.1%	9	34.4	45.1	39.7				39.9	39.1	47.9	45.6				44.3	50.7		50.7	$16,071	$898	$15,172

Watershed Charter School

Watershed Charter School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Fairbanks North Star Borough School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Watershed Charter School

Rank History for all elementary school students at Watershed Charter School

Rank History for elementary school Multi-racial students at Watershed Charter School

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Watershed Charter School

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Watershed Charter School

Rank History for elementary school White students at Watershed Charter School

Rank History for Watershed Charter School

Rank History for all middle school students at Watershed Charter School

Rank History for middle school Female students at Watershed Charter School

Rank History for middle school Male students at Watershed Charter School

Rank History for middle school White students at Watershed Charter School

Enrollment information for Watershed Charter School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Watershed Charter School

Student/Teacher Ratio Watershed Charter School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Watershed Charter School

Impact of COVID-19 on Watershed Charter School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Watershed Charter School

Frequently Asked Questions about Watershed Charter School

Rate Watershed Charter School!

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