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Bethel, Alaska - 29 schools
An equity score of 72/100 ranks Lower Kuskokwim School District #8 of 40 districts in Alaska (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $41,931 per pupil, Lower Kuskokwim School District ranks #10 of 54 Alaska districts by per-pupil spending (Alaska districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
3,970
Total Enrollment
29
Schools
$41,931
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Lower Kuskokwim School District operates 29 public schools serving 3,970 students, placing it in the mid-size range in Alaska. The school portfolio breaks down into 27 combined, 1 elementary, 1 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Bethel Census Area.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $41,931 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 54 Alaska districts by per-pupil spending. See how Alaska compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 1.9% local, 63.3% state, and 34.8% 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 72/100, ranked #8 of 40 in Alaska against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
a 898.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 49.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 1.8% White, 0.5% Asian, 0.3% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Bethel Youth Facility, with a diversity index of 35.0/100.
Its largest campus is Bethel Regional High School, enrolling 410 students (11% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Arviq School, at 6 students, a 68x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Lower Kuskokwim School District school enrollment varies 68× across entities
Lower Kuskokwim School District school enrollment ranges from 6 students (lowest) to 410 students (highest), a spread of 404 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.
Lower Kuskokwim School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 96.3% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Eligibility here is a supermajority of the population — well past the 75% concentration-grant threshold that unlocks extra funding on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Lower Kuskokwim School District student-counselor ratio is 899:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
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 Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.
Lower Kuskokwim School District chronic absenteeism rate is 49.1% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
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 Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.
Comparisons are relative to Lower Kuskokwim 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.
How many schools are in Lower Kuskokwim School District?
Lower Kuskokwim School District has 29 schools, including 27 combined, 1 elementary, 1 high. Total enrollment is 3,970 students.
How much does Lower Kuskokwim School District spend per student?
Lower Kuskokwim School District spends $41,931 per student. The district has an equity score of 72/100, ranking #8 in Alaska.
What is the demographic composition of Lower Kuskokwim School District?
Lower Kuskokwim School District students are 1.8% White, 0.5% Asian, 0.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% African American, averaged across 29 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Lower Kuskokwim School District?
Lower Kuskokwim School District has an equity score of 72/100, ranking #8 out of 40 districts in Alaska.