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Public elementary school · Kenai Peninsula Borough School District · Sterling, Alaska

Sterling Elementary

Sterling Elementary rates 8.4, right at the middle of Kenai Peninsula Borough School District's elementary schools, whose rated median is 8.0.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
8.4this school

8.4 on a one-to-ten scale; the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District median is 8.0.

#33 of 413 schools in Alaska · Kenai Peninsula Borough School District: 14 elementary schools rated, median 8.0

The brief

A Kenai Peninsula Borough School District elementary school serving grades Pre-K – 6th.

Students at Sterling Elementary score 33% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 32%).

It ranks 33 of 413 schools in Alaska and 6 of 35 in Kenai Peninsula Borough School District.

Math42%7 points above the Alaska average of 35%2025 AKSTAR
Reading23%11 points below the Alaska average of 34%2025 AKSTAR
Proficiency has improved 8 points since 2024, reaching 33% in 2025, across a 2-year record (2024–2025).2025 AKSTAR; 46 test records from AK state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
9.3
50% of the rating
Academics
7.2
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
7.7
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 6 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 42% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 41% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 AKSTAR · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 AKSTAR · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 99672; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Sterling Elementary and the 12 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$99,536
Median home value
$313,300
Median rent
$1,079/mo
College educated
27.2%
Homeownership
87.5%
Poverty rate
2.8%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 99672; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
11
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
28
Somewhat Bikeable

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
46.8%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible district peers, best rated first.
  1. 9.3Compare →
  2. 9.0Compare →
  3. 8.6Compare →
  4. Sterling Elementarythis school
    8.4
No grade-compatible school using the same rating model is available within 5 miles, so these are three recorded peers in Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, best rated first, and three rate higher than Sterling Elementary.Public-school ratings. Same-district campuses. A district label is not attendance eligibility; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Sterling Elementary serve?

Sterling Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 6th.

How many students attend Sterling Elementary?

Sterling Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 124 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Sterling Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Sterling Elementary is 11.3:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Sterling Elementary rank in AK?

Sterling Elementary ranks #33 of 413 schools in AK.

What is Sterling Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Sterling Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.4 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Sterling Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Sterling Elementary has 42% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 41% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Sterling Elementary a charter school?

No, Sterling Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Sterling Elementary a Title I school?

No, Sterling Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Sterling Elementary?

46.8% of students at Sterling Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Pre-K – 6th
Enrollment
124
Student-teacher ratio
11.3:1
Teachers (FTE)
11
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Distant Rural
County
Kenai Peninsula Borough
Rank in district
#6 of 35
Schools in district
42
District spending per student
$19,862
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
11.4%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 99672)
4,153
Area average commute
31.5 min
Area median age
45.5

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Alaska Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.