Denali Borough School District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Healy, Alaska - 4 schools

An equity score of 34/100 ranks Denali Borough School District #30 of 40 districts in Alaska (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $10,762 per pupil, Denali Borough School District ranks #52 of 54 Alaska districts by per-pupil spending (Alaska districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

912
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$10,762
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Denali Borough School District operates 4 public schools serving 912 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Alaska. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 combined schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Denali Borough.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $10,762 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the bottom 6 of 54 Alaska districts by per-pupil spending. See how Alaska compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 19.2% local, 72.0% state, and 8.8% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 34/100, ranked #30 of 40 in Alaska against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 167:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 22.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 72.9% White, 1.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1.6% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Denali Peak, with a diversity index of 63.7/100.

Its largest campus is Denali Peak, enrolling 882 students (82% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Anderson School, at 10 students, a 88x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Denali Peak accounts for 82.2% of all Denali Borough School District student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Denali Borough School District a distant remainder — means Denali Borough School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Denali Borough School District school enrollment varies 88× across entities

Denali Borough School District school enrollment ranges from 10 students (lowest) to 882 students (highest), a spread of 872 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Denali Borough School District student-counselor ratio is 167:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Denali Borough School District chronic absenteeism rate is 22.1% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Denali Borough School District is typically wider than the Denali Borough School District-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

8.8%
Federal
72.0%
State
19.2%
Local

Funding Equity

34
Equity Score
30 / 40
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 4 schools in Denali Borough School District.

White 72.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.7%
African American 1.6%
Asian 1.0%
Multiracial 11.5%
Other 11.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 40.2/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Denali Borough School District's schools, below the Alaska average of 43.0.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Denali Peak 63.7
  2. 2 Cantwell School 57.2
  3. 3 Tri-Valley School 22.0
  4. 4 Anderson School 18.0

Programs & Resources

167:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
22.1%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Denali Borough School District

School Enrollment
Denali Peak
882
Tri-Valley School
167
Cantwell School
14
Anderson School
10

How Denali Borough School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Alaska districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Delta/Greely School District Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Nome Public Schools Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Sitka School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Craig City School District Smaller Higher spending Less locally funded
Valdez City School District Smaller Higher spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Denali Borough School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Alaska

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Compare Denali Borough School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Anchorage School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Denali Borough School District?

Denali Borough School District has 4 schools, including 4 combined. Total enrollment is 912 students.

How much does Denali Borough School District spend per student?

Denali Borough School District spends $10,762 per student. The district has an equity score of 34/100, ranking #30 in Alaska.

What is the demographic composition of Denali Borough School District?

Denali Borough School District students are 72.9% White, 1.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1.6% African American, 1.0% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Denali Borough School District?

Denali Borough School District has an equity score of 34/100, ranking #30 out of 40 districts in Alaska.