Boreal Sun Charter School

Ladd K-8 School (Home of the Ladd Leopards) is a public school in Fairbanks, Alaska, operated by the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. Once known as Ladd Elementary, it has moved to a K-8 model serving students from kindergarten through 8th grade, plus a pre-kindergarten program for ages 3 to 5. About 61% of students are military-connected through nearby Fort Wainwright, with the rest coming from Fairbanks neighborhoods. The school offers a pre-k program for students working on kindergarten readiness skills, with needs identified through the district's Child Find screening process for communication, learning, or skill development. Special education staff at Ladd, the principal, and related-services providers form the team that plans supports for eligible students. A dedicated school counselor supports students' social and emotional needs. Grades 6 to 8 are open to students across the district through the Fairbanks North Star Borough K-8 lottery, while K-5 serves the neighborhood attendance area. As a public school, there is no tuition. Families register through the district enrollment system.

Fairbanks Montessori School opened its doors in 1965 and is operated by the nonprofit Fairbanks Montessori Association, a 501(c)(3). It offers a fully implemented Montessori primary curriculum for children ages 3 to 6, taught by certified Montessori Lead Teachers. Classrooms are mixed-age, with 3, 4, 5, and 6 year olds learning together across the five Montessori areas: Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Math, and Cultural. The school has been licensed as a child care center by the State of Alaska since 2008 and maintains a staff-to-student ratio of 1 to 10. Third-year students complete the primary cycle as kindergarteners, and families can choose a 10-month program (August to May) or a 12-month program (August to July). Enrollment begins with a no-fee waiting pool application, and admission depends on availability rather than strict first-come order. Fairbanks Montessori is a member of the International Montessori Council and a candidate for IMC accreditation. It accepts several tuition assistance programs, including the State of Alaska Child Care Assistance Program, Child Care Aware of America, Tanana Chiefs Conference, and the National Park Service, and offers a 5% sibling discount.

Chinook Montessori Charter School opened in 1996 with 75 students in an old school building on Fort Wainwright, and since 2002 it has filled a building designed for it at International Street and 30th Avenue in Fairbanks. Within the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, we operate as a public charter with no tuition and teach kindergarten to 8th grade. Admission is by lottery after a required family orientation. Classrooms are multi-age: Novices in kindergarten, Apprentices in grades 1 to 3, and Pioneers in grades 4 to 6. Children work with hands-on Montessori materials at their own pace under a trained teacher. Students in grades 4 to 8 take on community service, and 8th graders complete a one-week apprenticeship with a local business and a service project before graduation, where each Pioneer class sews a quilt for every graduate. We do not run sports teams or competitive activities. Instead, physical choices such as basketball skills and juggling are part of morning work time, parent-led after-school studios fill the afternoons, and the playground includes a soccer field and basketball and volleyball courts. Families commit to at least 15 volunteer hours each trimester.