Aurora Borealis Charter School

www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/

Charter School 199 Students

Elementary School K - 8th

School Overview

Aurora Borealis Charter School (ABCS), located in Kenai, Alaska, is a public charter school operating under the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District. Serving students in grades K–8, the school is known for its commitment to academic rigor and a structured learning environment. It emphasizes a back-to-basics educational philosophy, focusing heavily on core subjects like mathematics, reading, and language arts, often utilizing a direct instruction model to ensure students achieve mastery of fundamental skills.

Beyond its academic focus, Aurora Borealis is recognized for its strong sense of community and high level of parental involvement, which is a hallmark of the charter school model. The school maintains a "school of choice" environment, drawing students who thrive in a more disciplined, teacher-led classroom setting. By integrating traditional teaching methods with consistent expectations, the school aims to prepare its students for success in secondary education and beyond, consistently ranking as a high-performing institution within the district.

199

Total Students

12.1

Full-Time Teachers

16.5

Student/Teacher Ratio

N/A

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Aurora Borealis Charter School
Demographic	Student Count
White	156
Hispanic	10
Asian	1
Two or More	18
American Indian	11
Pacific Islander	3

White
156 (78.4%)
Two or More
18 (9.0%)
American Indian
11 (5.5%)
Hispanic
10 (5.0%)
Pacific Islander
3 (1.5%)
Asian
1 (0.5%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Charter School
Virtual Instruction:	Supplemental Virtual
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
Phone:	(907)283-0292
Website:	http://www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/
Grade Range:	K - 8th
Total Students:	199
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	12.1
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	16.5
NSLP Participation:¹	No
Qualified Free Lunch:	0
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	0

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Kindergarten 24

Grade 1 24

Grade 2 23

Grade 3 24

Grade 4 24

Grade 5 24

Grade 6 18

Grade 7 18

Grade 8 20