Mentasta Lake School

Mentasta Lake School is a K-12 campus of micro-enrollment scale in Mentasta Lake, Alaska, run under Alaska Gateway School District, hosting 26 students in grades pre-K through 12. That puts it 86% leaner than the typical public school in Alaska, which averages around 192 students.

Alaska Gateway School District comprises 8 schools with combined enrollment of 390 students; Mentasta Lake School is among them.

Looking at the student body, Mentasta Lake School lists that 100% of students identify as Native American, making the school strongly Native American-majority.

In terms of school funding signals, The school employs 3 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 10.4:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 27.0:1 average. Roughly 112% of students at Mentasta Lake School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Copper River Census Area runs at roughly 91%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat above the surrounding baseline.

In the surrounding community, census data for Copper River Census Area shows median household income runs about $79,250, 23% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 3%. Across Copper River Census Area's 6 public schools (combined enrollment of about 419 students), Mentasta Lake School is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Slana School, roughly 16.3 miles away.

Mentasta Lake School operates from a rural location.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count declined 16%: 31 students in 2018 compared to 26 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Members of the school community can share what they know.