The Special Education Observatory · Pacific · West
Special education in Alaska
Students with IEPs in Alaska, where they spend the school day, and all 53 districts, from 2024–25 federal data.
- 18,859school-age students with IEPs0.3% of the national total
- 15.1%of enrolled students have an IEP0.3 points below the nation (15.3%) · 26th of 51
- 70.0%in general education 80% or more of the day2.2 points above the nation (67.9%) · 27th of 51
- 11.0%in general education less than 40% of the day2.0 points below the nation (13.0%) · 24th of 51
- 38districts reporting a count15 withheld for privacy
Alaska, district by district
Choose a measure. Hover or focus a district for its figure; select it to open its page.
Loading the Alaska district map.
Where students learn
Every setting the federal educational environments file reports for school-age students with IEPs in Alaska, beside the national share.
- In general education 80% or more of the day70.0%
- In general education 40% to 79% of the day17.6%
- In general education less than 40% of the day11.0%
- Separate school1.5%
- Residential facility0.1%
- Homebound or hospital0.1%
- Correctional facility0.3%
- Parentally placed in private school0.0%
| Setting | Students | Share | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| In general education 80% or more of the day | 12,781 | 70.0% | 67.9% |
| In general education 40% to 79% of the day | 3,098 | 17.6% | 15.2% |
| In general education less than 40% of the day | 1,918 | 11.0% | 13.0% |
| Separate school | 251 | 1.5% | 2.5% |
| Residential facility | 9 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Homebound or hospital | 5 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Correctional facility | 50 | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Parentally placed in private school | 0 | 0.0% | 1.8% |
What may be driving it
Where Alaska sits among the 50 states and DC on five measures, beside the nation.
- Identification rate15.1%26th highest of 51
- In general education 80% or more of the day70.0%27th highest of 51
- In separate settings1.1%41st highest of 51
- Spending per student$20,99712th highest of 51
- School-age poverty (estimate)11.8%30th highest of 51
Questions worth asking
- 1.1% of students with IEPs learn in separate settings, against 2.8% for the nation. What share of special education spending follows those placements?[2]
Every district in Alaska
Search by name or city, filter by kind of agency, and select a column heading to sort. Not published always sorts last.
Showing 53 of 53
| Alaska Gateway School DistrictTok · Regular school district | 381 | 71 | 18.6% | 80.3% | Not published | 16.7% | $46,593 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aleutian Region School DistrictAnchorage · Regular school district | 21 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 10.0% | $133,500 |
| Aleutians East Borough School DistrictSand Point · Regular school district | 178 | 37 | 20.8% | Not published | 0.0% | 13.4% | $54,410 |
| Anchorage School DistrictAnchorage · Regular school district | 42,573 | 6,399 | 15.0% | 66.7% | 12.8% | 9.6% | $17,246 |
| Annette Island School DistrictMetlakatla · Regular school district | 301 | 74 | 24.6% | 68.9% | 13.5% | 21.3% | $36,704 |
| Bering Strait School DistrictUnalakleet · Regular school district | 1,745 | 199 | 11.4% | 85.9% | Not published | 32.8% | $50,455 |
| Bristol Bay Borough School DistrictNaknek · Regular school district | 106 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 21.0% | $61,542 |
| Chatham School DistrictAngoon · Regular school district | 161 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 30.9% | $45,307 |
| Chugach School DistrictAnchorage · Regular school district | 617 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 14.9% | $13,844 |
| Copper River School DistrictGlennallen · Regular school district | 393 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 19.8% | $22,593 |
| Cordova City School DistrictCordova · Regular school district | 361 | 55 | 15.2% | 87.3% | Not published | 8.4% | $22,086 |
| Craig City School DistrictCraig · Regular school district | 615 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 13.5% | $13,555 |
| Delta/Greely School DistrictDelta Junction · Regular school district | 971 | 127 | 13.1% | 64.6% | Not published | 14.7% | $14,456 |
| Denali Borough School DistrictHealy · Regular school district | 1,073 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 9.8% | $11,761 |
| Dillingham City School DistrictDillingham · Regular school district | 403 | 61 | 15.1% | 82.0% | Not published | 20.9% | $37,504 |
| Fairbanks North Star Borough School DistrictFairbanks · Regular school district | 11,857 | 2,551 | 21.5% | 74.2% | 9.6% | 7.7% | $18,337 |
| Galena City School DistrictGalena · Regular school district | 8,168 | 506 | 6.2% | Not published | 0.0% | 16.7% | $7,187 |
| Haines Borough School DistrictHaines · Regular school district | 255 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 13.2% | $25,625 |
| Hoonah City School DistrictHoonah · Regular school district | 110 | 27 | 24.5% | 63.0% | Not published | 15.1% | $49,487 |
| Hydaburg City School DistrictHydaburg · Regular school district | 117 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 32.3% | $39,198 |
| Iditarod Area School DistrictMcGrath · Regular school district | 263 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 37.5% | $31,744 |
| Juneau Borough School DistrictJuneau · Regular school district | 4,085 | 802 | 19.6% | 66.7% | 7.4% | 6.9% | $20,595 |
| Kake City School DistrictKake · Regular school district | 117 | 18 | 15.4% | Not published | Not published | 24.3% | $42,037 |
| Kashunamiut School DistrictChevak · Regular school district | 320 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 38.6% | $38,796 |
| Kenai Peninsula Borough School DistrictSoldotna · Regular school district | 8,510 | 1,676 | 19.7% | 60.4% | 15.9% | 11.4% | $20,255 |
| Ketchikan Gateway Borough School DistrictKetchikan · Regular school district | 2,043 | 442 | 21.6% | 79.4% | Not published | 9.0% | $25,131 |
| Klawock City School DistrictKlawock · Regular school district | 127 | 23 | 18.1% | Not published | Not published | 27.9% | $40,008 |
| Kodiak Island Borough School DistrictKodiak · Regular school district | 2,122 | 360 | 17.0% | 73.1% | 5.6% | 7.2% | $27,443 |
| Kuspuk School DistrictAniak · Regular school district | 309 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 32.1% | $59,345 |
| Lake and Peninsula Borough School DistrictKing Salmon · Regular school district | 320 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 30.4% | $60,416 |
| Lower Kuskokwim School DistrictBethel · Regular school district | 3,823 | 465 | 12.2% | 78.5% | 10.8% | 31.5% | $45,371 |
| Lower Yukon School DistrictMountain Village · Regular school district | 2,027 | 237 | 11.7% | 75.9% | Not published | 38.6% | $43,105 |
| Matanuska-Susitna Borough School DistrictPalmer · Regular school district | 19,495 | 2,900 | 14.9% | 66.6% | 13.6% | 7.8% | $17,238 |
| Mount EdgecumbeSitka · State operated agency | 422 | 17 | 4.0% | 100.0% | 0.0% | Not published | $33,968 |
| Nenana City School DistrictNenana · Regular school district | 2,279 | 140 | 6.1% | 100.0% | 0.0% | 17.8% | $8,081 |
| Nome Public SchoolsNome · Regular school district | 672 | 137 | 20.4% | 85.4% | Not published | 18.4% | $27,124 |
| North Slope Borough School DistrictUtqiagvik · Regular school district | 1,853 | 185 | 10.0% | 63.2% | Not published | 14.9% | $46,456 |
| Northwest Arctic Borough School DistrictKotzebue · Regular school district | 1,945 | 234 | 12.0% | 62.8% | 8.1% | 31.8% | $44,063 |
| Pelican City School DistrictPelican · Regular school district | 12 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 18.2% | $40,200 |
| Petersburg Borough School DistrictPetersburg · Regular school district | 464 | 69 | 14.9% | 84.1% | Not published | 8.8% | $24,836 |
| Pribilof School DistrictSt. Paul Island · Regular school district | 65 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 10.8% | $43,672 |
| Saint Mary's School DistrictSaint Mary's · Regular school district | 178 | 22 | 12.4% | Not published | Not published | 39.6% | $47,885 |
| Sitka School DistrictSitka · Regular school district | 1,080 | 158 | 14.6% | 82.9% | Not published | 8.0% | $23,859 |
| Skagway School DistrictSkagway · Regular school district | 138 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 2.4% | $31,786 |
| Southeast Island School DistrictThorne Bay · Regular school district | 164 | 41 | 25.0% | 82.9% | Not published | 24.7% | $45,155 |
| Southwest Region School DistrictDillingham · Regular school district | 615 | 81 | 13.2% | 71.6% | Not published | 48.2% | $41,603 |
| Unalaska City School DistrictUnalaska · Regular school district | 337 | 31 | 9.2% | 74.2% | 0.0% | 3.4% | $27,190 |
| Valdez City School DistrictValdez · Regular school district | 605 | 107 | 17.7% | 81.3% | Not published | 6.0% | $30,328 |
| Wrangell Public School DistrictWrangell · Regular school district | 264 | 38 | 14.4% | 89.5% | Not published | 18.5% | $22,963 |
| Yakutat School DistrictYakutat · Regular school district | 95 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 28.6% | $25,858 |
| Yukon Flats School DistrictFt. Yukon · Regular school district | 175 | 22 | 12.6% | 81.8% | Not published | 17.2% | $73,732 |
| Yukon-Koyukuk School DistrictFairbanks · Regular school district | 4,024 | 472 | 11.7% | 98.5% | 0.0% | 21.6% | $13,072 |
| Yupiit School DistrictAkiachak · Regular school district | 522 | 63 | 12.1% | 82.5% | Not published | 43.1% | $39,668 |
Alaska in the Pacific division
The U.S. Census Bureau groups Alaska with these states in the Pacific division of the West.
| State | Identification rate | 80% or more | Under 40% | School-age poverty | Spending per student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 15.1% | 70.0% | 11.0% | 11.8% | $20,997 |
| California | 14.4% | 62.9% | 18.5% | 13.9% | $20,738 |
| Hawaii | 11.1% | 54.2% | 16.8% | 10.7% | $23,878 |
| Oregon | 15.4% | 77.4% | 9.1% | 11.6% | $16,934 |
| Washington | 14.0% | 66.0% | 11.1% | 10.6% | $18,292 |
How these figures are built
Both parts. Rates use only the districts that reported both parts of the fraction. A district missing either part is left out of that rate, never counted as zero.
Not published. Not published means the publisher suppressed the figure to protect student privacy, did not report it, or the count is fewer than 10 students. It is never zero.
- Students with IEPs, school age
- Students with IEPs ages 5 (in kindergarten) through 21 served under IDEA Part B on the state’s child count date.Who is counted: Students with IEPs ages 5 (in kindergarten) through 21.Source: IDEA Section 618 Part B Child Count (file specification 002), district level, 2024–25 school year.
- Identification rate
- School-age students with IEPs as a share of all students enrolled in the same districts. A district that sends students to another district’s schools can count residents with IEPs it does not enroll, so its rate can run high.Who is counted: School-age students with IEPs, over all students enrolled prekindergarten through grade 12.Source: IDEA Section 618 Part B Child Count (file specification 002), district level, 2024–25 school year.Both parts: School-age students with IEPs (IDEA child count), over Students enrolled (Common Core of Data membership).
- In general education 80% or more of the day
- Share of school-age students with IEPs inside the regular class 80% or more of the school day.Who is counted: Students with IEPs ages 5 (in kindergarten) through 21.Source: IDEA Section 618 Part B Educational Environments (file specification 089), district level, 2024–25 school year.Both parts: Students in this setting, over All school-age students with IEPs in the environments file.
- In general education less than 40% of the day
- Share of school-age students with IEPs inside the regular class less than 40% of the school day.Who is counted: Students with IEPs ages 5 (in kindergarten) through 21.Source: IDEA Section 618 Part B Educational Environments (file specification 089), district level, 2024–25 school year.Both parts: Students in this setting, over All school-age students with IEPs in the environments file.
- In separate settings
- Share of school-age students with IEPs in a separate school, a residential facility, at home or in a hospital, or in a correctional facility, taken together. Counted only where all four are published.Who is counted: Students with IEPs ages 5 (in kindergarten) through 21.Source: IDEA Section 618 Part B Educational Environments (file specification 089), district level, 2024–25 school year.Both parts: Students in the four separate settings, over All school-age students with IEPs in the environments file.
- School-age poverty (estimate)
- Estimated share of related residents ages 5 to 17 living in families in poverty, within the district’s boundaries. A model-based estimate with a margin of error.Who is counted: Related residents ages 5 to 17 living within the district’s boundaries.Source: SAIPE school district estimates, Income year 2024.Both parts: Residents ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty, over Related residents ages 5 to 17.
- Spending per student
- Current spending on elementary-secondary education per pupil, as the Census Bureau publishes it: spending for students outside the system’s fall membership, capital outlay and debt service are excluded.Who is counted: All students enrolled in the school system (Census fall membership).Source: Public elementary-secondary education finance data, per-pupil spending by school system (table elsec24t), Fiscal year 2024 (the 2023–24 school year).Both parts: Current elementary-secondary spending, over Fall membership.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. IDEA Section 618 Part B Child Count (file specification 002), district level, 2024–25 school year. data.ed.gov. Public domain. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. IDEA Section 618 Part B Educational Environments (file specification 089), district level, 2024–25 school year. data.ed.gov. Licensed CC BY. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Common Core of Data, district membership (final), 2024–25 school year. nces.ed.gov. Public domain. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Common Core of Data, district directory (final), 2024–25 school year. nces.ed.gov. Public domain. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. SAIPE school district estimates, Income year 2024. www.census.gov. Public domain. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances (F-33). Public elementary-secondary education finance data, per-pupil spending by school system (table elsec24t), Fiscal year 2024 (the 2023–24 school year). www.census.gov. Public domain. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE program. School district boundaries (composite), simplified for display, 2024–25 school year. nces.ed.gov. Public domain.
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