Hogarth Kingeekuk Sr. Memorial School

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Hogarth Kingeekuk Sr. Memorial School, also known as Savoonga School, is a K-12 school in Savoonga, Alaska. It is part of the Bering Strait School District and also serves as a community center for local residents. The current building, designed by ECI/Hyer Architecture and Interiors, features Alaska Native-style poles and unique trusswork, and it won a merit award from the AIA Alaska chapter.

In 2013, the school received a $1 million federal School Improvement Grant. The grant helped shift the curriculum toward stronger math and reading instruction, with dedicated daily blocks for each subject. The school used the Success for All program and other strategies to raise test scores. A Yupik culture and language class had been offered in the past but was cut due to low enrollment.

Later, the school added a bilingual-bicultural (B/B) teacher position and began Siberian Yupik language instruction taught by local speakers. Siberian Yupik is required for students in grades K–8 and is an elective for high school students who earn elective credit. Alaska law requires bilingual-bicultural programs in schools serving students whose first language isn’t English.

Public school performance is reported by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED), which releases annual report cards on student achievement, attendance, and graduation rates. In the 2000s and early 2010s, the school faced challenges with student proficiency, attendance, and graduation, reflecting broader regional conditions. As of 2013, the administrative staff and head teachers were White Americans, due in part to difficulties finding locally educated Alaska Native staff; the district recruited from the Lower 48. Each class also included a Yupik-speaking teacher’s aide.