Aquarian Charter School

aquarian.asdk12.org/

Charter School 390 Students

Elementary School K - 6th

School Overview

Aquarian Charter School, located in the Spenard neighborhood of Anchorage, Alaska, is a K-6 public charter school operating under the Anchorage School District. It is widely recognized for its "open optional" philosophy, which emphasizes a student-centered approach to learning. The school prioritizes individualized instruction, multi-age classroom settings, and a strong sense of community, encouraging students to take an active role in their educational journey while fostering critical thinking and self-directed study.

The school is well-regarded for its parent-involved culture and its commitment to integrating the arts and social-emotional learning into the standard academic curriculum. By maintaining a smaller, more intimate learning environment, Aquarian aims to nurture the unique talents of each student. Its location serves the local Anchorage community by offering an alternative to traditional district models, focusing on holistic development and collaborative partnerships between teachers, parents, and students to support long-term academic success.

390

Total Students

23.1

Full-Time Teachers

16.9

Student/Teacher Ratio

N/A

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Aquarian Charter School
Demographic	Student Count
White	287
Hispanic	30
Black	6
Asian	10
Two or More	40
American Indian	15
Pacific Islander	2

White
287 (73.6 %)
Two or More
40 (10.3 %)
Hispanic
30 (7.7 %)
American Indian
15 (3.8 %)
Asian
10 (2.6 %)
Black
6 (1.5 %)
Pacific Islander
2 (0.5 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Charter School
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Anchorage School District
Phone:	(907)742-4900
Website:	http://aquarian.asdk12.org/
Grade Range:	K - 6th
Total Students:	390
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	23.1
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	16.9
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 60

Grade 1 59

Grade 2 58

Grade 3 58

Grade 4 54

Grade 5 50

Grade 6 51

Grades Taught Data Table

Grades Taught and Student Counts for Aquarian Charter School
Grade	Student Count
Kindergarten	60
Grade 1	59
Grade 2	58
Grade 3	58
Grade 4	54
Grade 5	50
Grade 6	51

Gender Ratio

Student Gender Ratio Data Table

Student Gender Ratio for Aquarian Charter School
Gender	Student Count	Percentage
Female	206	52.8%
Male	184	47.2%

Nearby Elementary Schools (Within 10 Miles)