History
Originally the William E. Beltz School, the school was founded as a boarding high school just outside of Nome, Alaska, for children from the villages of Northwest Alaska. It was built in 1966 by the State of Alaska, using funds from the State, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the City of Nome. The school offered a combined academic and vocational curriculum. Vocation-oriented classes include dressmaking, tailoring, library science, cabinetmaking, carpentry, shorthand, typing, metalworking, and auto mechanics. Academic subjects include mathematics, biology, chemistry, English, history, government, art, and economics. The school initially consisted of an academic building, a dining hall and administration building, a dormitory built for 76 boys and 76 girls (175 students were enrolled in August 1969), a faculty apartment building, and a service building. The dormitory had separate wings for the boys and the girls, connected by common lounges and recreation rooms. There was a tunnel connecting the dormitory, dining hall, and academic buildings. ==Notable alumni==