Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School

Summary:

Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School is an elementary school located in Ketchikan, Alaska, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 134 students. The school is part of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District, which is ranked 17th out of 24 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Tongass School stands out for its high percentage of Native American students (36.57%), which is significantly higher than the surrounding schools and the state average. However, the school has shown mixed academic performance, with strong science proficiency but below-average results in English Language Arts and Mathematics compared to the district and state. The school's ranking has declined over the years, from a high of 53 out of 186 schools in 2017-2018 to a low of 135 out of 173 schools in 2023-2024. This trend is concerning and suggests potential racial disparities, as the school's ranking for white students has been significantly lower than for other subgroups. Despite the school's high spending per student and low student-teacher ratio, these factors do not appear to be the primary drivers of the academic performance challenges.

When compared to nearby schools in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District, such as Point Higgins School and Fawn Mountain Elementary, the performance of Tongass School suggests that the district-wide challenges may be contributing to the school's struggles. Addressing the underlying factors and implementing targeted interventions to improve student outcomes will be crucial for the future success of Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School.

Detail:

Public, Charter PK, KG-6

410 Schoenbar Rd
Ketchikan, AK 99901

(907) 225-5720

District: Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
135^th of 173 Alaska Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $20,938

Student/teacher ratio: 11.7

Number of students: 141

Racial breakdown:

White:

50.4%

American Indian:

35.5%

Asian:

5.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 2.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School ranks worse than 78% of elementary schools in Alaska. It also ranks last among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 23.63. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District. Racial makeup is: White (50.4%), American Indian (35.5%), Asian (5%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School is 11.7. 2 elementary schools in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School employs 12 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School is $20,938, which is the 2^nd highest among 5 elementary schools in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School:

SchoolDigger ranks Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School 135^th of 173 Alaska public elementary schools. (See Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Male students:

White students:

Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District 17^th of 24 Alaska school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School

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Rank History for all students at Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AK State Percentile
2005	63.55	96^th	213	54.9%
2006	54.05	125^th	218	42.7%
2007	48.31	128^th	212	39.6%
2008	43.32	137^th	219	37.4%
2009	45.99	137^th	226	39.4%
2010	48.43	138^th	229	39.7%
2011	56.77	112^th	223	49.8%
2012	53.27	129^th	227	43.2%
2013	59.92	104^th	223	53.4%
2014	43.18	141^st	218	35.3%
2015	60.53	91^st	246	63.0%
2017	51.26	83^rd	180	53.9%
2018	67.60	53^rd	186	71.5%
2019	59.21	72^nd	185	61.1%
2021	67.01	57^th	173	67.1%
2022	55.70	70^th	171	59.1%
2023	46.21	96^th	176	45.5%
2024	23.63	135^th	173	22.0%

See the entire list of Alaska Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AK State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	66.31	45^th	147	69.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AK State Percentile
2019	58.46	73^rd	159	54.1%
2021	50.84	65^th	141	53.9%
2022	57.11	53^rd	143	62.9%
2023	42.90	83^rd	152	45.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AK State Percentile
2019	69.88	36^th	159	77.4%
2021	56.84	57^th	142	59.9%
2022	59.56	53^rd	148	64.2%
2023	55.39	60^th	148	59.5%
2024	26.92	112^th	150	25.3%

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

Rank History for Native American students at Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AK State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	49.70	31^st	50	38.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AK State Percentile
2019	55.55	65^th	147	55.8%
2021	63.50	39^th	127	69.3%
2022	73.51	21^st	137	84.7%
2023	28.28	110^th	138	20.3%
2024	12.99	129^th	133	3.0%

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 Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2004	90	1	8	3	64	n/a	n/a	0	166
2005	86	0	3	4	64	n/a	n/a	0	157
2006	88	2	4	6	65	n/a	n/a	0	165
2007	84	1	4	8	55	n/a	n/a	0	152
2008	81	2	5	8	52	n/a	n/a	3	151
2009	67	1	9	6	55	0	15	0	153
2010	79	3	7	10	52	2	15	0	168
2011	78	2	7	11	43	0	22	0	163
2012	67	2	8	7	54	0	21	0	159
2013	66	1	9	8	39	0	21	0	144
2014	95	2	11	7	52	0	22	0	189
2015	87	1	15	9	56	1	14	0	183
2016	78	4	12	6	57	1	11	0	169
2017	80	2	14	5	58	2	13	0	174
2018	81	6	10	1	59	2	20	0	179
2019	91	1	9	1	61	3	14	0	180
2020	98	2	6	2	60	3	16	0	187
2021	68	2	4	1	52	4	11	0	142
2022	68	1	7	0	49	3	8	0	136
2023	63	2	8	1	49	3	8	0	134
2024	71	2	7	2	50	3	6	0	141

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 Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2004	166	10.5	15.8	44.6
2005	157	10.0	15.7	51
2006	165	8.5	19.4	42.4
2007	152	8.5	17.9	43.4
2008	151	7.5	20.1	50.7
2009	153	9.5	16.1	51.6
2010	168	10.0	16.8	46.4
2011	163	9.5	17.1	63.2
2012	159	9.5	16.7	62.3
2013	144	8.5	16.9	60.4
2014	189	9.5	19.8	63
2015	183	10.0	18.3	53.6
2016	169	10.0	16.9	52.1
2017	174	9.5	18.3	44.3
2018	179	11.1	16.1	50.8
2019	180	11.0	16.3	53.3
2020	187	12.0	15.5	54
2021	142	12.0	11.8	n/a
2022	136	10.0	13.6	n/a
2023	134	12.0	11.1	2.2
2024	141	12.0	11.7	n/a

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 Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2004	166	10.5	15.8	44.6
2005	157	10.0	15.7	51
2006	165	8.5	19.4	42.4
2007	152	8.5	17.9	43.4
2008	151	7.5	20.1	50.7
2009	153	9.5	16.1	51.6
2010	168	10.0	16.8	46.4
2011	163	9.5	17.1	63.2
2012	159	9.5	16.7	62.3
2013	144	8.5	16.9	60.4
2014	189	9.5	19.8	63
2015	183	10.0	18.3	53.6
2016	169	10.0	16.9	52.1
2017	174	9.5	18.3	44.3
2018	179	11.1	16.1	50.8
2019	180	11.0	16.3	53.3
2020	187	12.0	15.5	54
2021	142	12.0	11.8	n/a
2022	136	10.0	13.6	n/a
2023	134	12.0	11.1	2.2
2024	141	12.0	11.7	n/a

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 Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,793 (8.6%)	$19,145 (91.4%)	$20,938

Data source: Alaska Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Tongass School of Arts and Sciences 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 72^nd of 185 Elementary schools	Ranks 96^th of 176 Elementary schools	15.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
All Grades Science (Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School)	55	51.9	3.2%
All Grades Science (Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District)	53.5	37	16.4%
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	180	134	25.6%
African American	1	2	100%
American Indian	61	49	19.7%
Asian	9	8	11.1%
Hispanic	1	1
Pacific Islander	3	3
White	91	63	30.8%
Two or More Races	14	8	42.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	53.3%	2.2%	51.1%

Schools Near Tongass School of Arts and Sciences 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 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 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
Ketchikan Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	410 Schoenbar Rd	Ketchikan	99901	Ketchikan Gateway Borough	Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(907) 225-8568	189	15	12.6	54.5%	70 (37.0%)	6 (3.2%)	3 (1.6%)	15 (7.9%)	80 (42.3%)	2 (1.1%)	13 (6.9%)	30.4	125^th of 173 public elementary schools	27.7%		30.1	129^th of 176 public elementary schools	26.7%	4	16.7	47.1	20.8	30.0	36.0	25.7	15.8	52.9	32.0	30.0	32.0	28.3	40.0	28.0	34.0	$19,534	$1,276	$18,257
Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	410 Schoenbar Rd	Ketchikan	99901	Ketchikan Gateway Borough	Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(907) 225-5720	141	12	11.7		71 (50.4%)	2 (1.4%)	2 (1.4%)	7 (5.0%)	50 (35.5%)	3 (2.1%)	6 (4.3%)	23.6	135^th of 173 public elementary schools	22.0%		46.2	96^th of 176 public elementary schools	45.5%	39			26.7	29.2		18.4		21.1	40.0	25.0		23.7	40.0		40.0	$20,938	$1,793	$19,145
Houghtaling Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	2940 Baranof	Ketchikan	99901	Ketchikan Gateway Borough	Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 225-4128	289	28	10.3	58.1%	111 (38.4%)	3 (1.0%)	3 (1.0%)	42 (14.5%)	101 (34.9%)	4 (1.4%)	25 (8.7%)	24.5	133^rd of 173 public elementary schools	23.1%		36.5	115^th of 176 public elementary schools	34.7%	18	15.8	20.8	17.7	46.2		25.2	12.8	14.6	35.3	43.6		25.6	35.3		35.3	$21,228	$1,764	$19,464
Fawn Mountain Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	400 Old Homestead Rd	Ketchikan	99901	Ketchikan Gateway Borough	Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 228-2200	223	23	9.6	35.9%	113 (50.7%)	5 (2.2%)	5 (2.2%)	6 (2.7%)	80 (35.9%)	1 (0.4%)	13 (5.8%)	60.4	72^nd of 173 public elementary schools	58.4%		56.4	73^rd of 176 public elementary schools	58.5%	1	29.6	59.3	43.3	62.5		49.1	25.9	63.0	36.7	50.0		44.0	45.2		45.2	$20,172	$1,593	$18,580
Point Higgins School	Public	PK, KG-6	981 North Point Higgins Rd NTG	Ketchikan	99901	Ketchikan Gateway Borough	Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 247-1500	234	20	11.7	25.2%	164 (70.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.7%)	7 (3.0%)	46 (19.7%)	1 (0.4%)	12 (5.1%)	50.2	89^th of 173 public elementary schools	48.6%		55.3	76^th of 176 public elementary schools	56.8%	13	15.0	26.3	65.6	40.6		35.2	33.3	34.2	50.0	46.9		40.4	67.7		67.7	$18,962	$795	$18,167
Richard Johnson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	89 Milton St	Metlakatla	99926	Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area	Annette Island School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 886-4121	135	15	9.0	93.3%	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	131 (97.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	15.8	148^th of 173 public elementary schools	14.5%		14.3	160^th of 176 public elementary schools	9.1%	12	19.1		29.2			22.4			20.8			13.6	29.2		29.2	$28,715	$4,949	$23,765

Frequently Asked Questions about Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School

Is Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School a good school?

Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School ranks in the bottom 22.0% of Alaska elementary schools.

What district is Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School in?

Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District

What is the racial makeup of Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School?

Students at Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School are 50% White, 35% American Indian, 5% Asian, 4% Two or more races, 2% Pacific Islander, 1% African American, 1% Hispanic.

How many students attend Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 141 students attended Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter 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.