Local School System
The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District operates and maintains the school at Eielson AFB. The district offers a complete program covering kindergarten through 12th grade, and approximately 12,450 students are enrolled in 32 schools. Under federal regulations, students with an IEP or 504 plans may receive services through the district.
Kindergarten through 5th-grade students living on Eielson AFB attend Anderson-Crawford Elementary School (ACES), 6th-grade through 8th-grade students attend North Pole Middle School, and high students attend North Pole High School. Approximately 425 students, on average, attend the on-base school, with a 25/1 pupil-to-teacher ratio. Special needs students with an IEP or 504 plan may attend ACES. ACES, North Pole Middle, and North Pole High are all Purple Star Schools. ACES currently has the only military-connected Transition Center in the state. Students living off-base attend the public school within their attendance area. Incoming personnel are encouraged to use the district’s boundary maps to decide the appropriate neighborhood school. The district provides bus transportation to all children within the attendance area who live more than 1 1/2 miles from school. If a military family decides to live off base in North Pole or Fairbanks, parents may request their children attend the on-base school on a case-by-case basis, provided classroom space is available and parents provide transportation.
The kindergarten birthday cut-off is five years old before 1 September, and the first-grade birthday cut-off is six years old before 1 September. The only exception to this statute is if the losing state’s birthday cut-off would have allowed the student to enroll, and the student attended class for at least one day before coming to Alaska. Alaska State law requires proof of immunization before any student attends public school. Students entering kindergarten or first grade must provide a copy of their birth certificate or other proof of age.
The district’s programs and services are also similar from school to school. Extra-curricular and co-curricular activities, such as athletics, band, orchestra, etc., are provided within budget limitations. Senior high students have Advanced Placement courses and career-technical education classes available. The district offers special education for EFMP family members as well as for children with learning disabilities, physical handicaps, and other special needs. The teacher or principal can help identify educational strategies to benefit each student. Incoming students are encouraged to enroll online before arriving in the state.
The public schools at Eielson, North Pole, Fort Wainwright, and Fairbanks are all public schools. The laws, rules, and regulations of the State of Alaska Department of Early Education and Development (AK DEED) govern the schools within the state. The school board sets policies and budgets during monthly meetings at the school district administrative center, 520 Fifth Ave., Fairbanks, which the public is welcome to attend. Eielson has a representative on the school board; most schools also have parent-teacher associations that welcome parent input and involvement.
For more information, please refer to the following links:
Eielson School Liaison Office
Eielson AFB School Liaison Office
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
Eielson's Anderson-Crawford Elementary School (ACES)
North Pole Middle School
North Pole High School