Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School

Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School is one of the compact K-5 schools in Ketchikan, Alaska, operated by Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District, with 140 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 6. Compared to the state average of about 277 students per school, that is 49% leaner than typical.

Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School is one of 9 schools operated by Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District, a district that serves 2,043 students overall.

Demographically, Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School records that the most-represented group is White (54%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Other groups include 32% Native American, 5% Asian, 5% multiracial, 2% Hispanic. That is meaningfully less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 63%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School has 10 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 14.7:1. That tracks the state average closely.

In the area at large, Ketchikan Gateway Borough reports that the typical household earns roughly $92,885 per year, roughly 27% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 5%. In all, Ketchikan Gateway Borough runs 9 public schools (combined enrollment of about 2,043 students), of which Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Ketchikan Charter School, around 0.0 miles off. 7 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

Geographically, the school is in a small-town area. As a public charter, Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School runs on public funding but with greater curricular and operational autonomy than a typical district school.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count fell 22%: 179 students in 2018 compared to 140 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 45% to 54% across the same window. Class-load math has fell: from 16.1:1 in 2018 to 14.7:1 in 2025.

On this page, members of the Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School community share and discuss open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.