About Us

School of Choice

The Anchorage School District has a number of special-purpose programs for students with distinct interests and needs. It is important when choosing a school to understand what we are; and what we are not. 

Polaris is a School of Choice within ASD that emphasizes the individualization of student learning, prioritizing hands-on, real-world, and problem-based investigations. Our program is characterized by curricular innovation and skill development in multi-age classrooms where we rely on students to be self-motivated and self-directed learners. We encourage interested applicants to consider the degree of student responsibility and family involvement that this type of program will require. It is also important for potential students to consider their interest in attending a school with both elementary and secondary students fully integrated into the learning environment. 

Polaris K-12 School is Anchorage’s only brick and mortar school to have all grade levels from kindergarten to 12th grade cohesively blended in our educational institution . This unique learning environment allows for an integrated curriculum and multi-age collaborative learning based on student interests, needs, and developmental readiness. 

As an ASD School of Choice, Polaris differs in educational philosophy, grade level organization, student evaluation, curriculum, instructional methods, and student involvement. 

Our instructional methods focus on experiential learning which emphasizes the use of hands-on teaching practices, forming and testing hypotheses, engaging in enriching field trip opportunities,  and classroom visits by a variety of community stakeholders.  Students are active participants in creating a rigorous curriculum that exposes them to 21st-century skills, traditional academic standards, and developing civic responsibilities and policies while also meeting their personal educational interests.

While not every student enters our program with a desire to be politically, academically, and socially involved in all aspects of our community, that is our goal for our students and we, as the experienced educators in the building, will help guide them there over time. Generally, students who do well within our program are compassionate and empathetic to the feelings and needs of others; able to set goals and find ways to attain them; able to take responsibility for their learning; creative; self-disciplined and determined; able to recognize and build on personal strengths, and learn anything they want to learn.