Northwest Arctic Borough School District

Kotzebue, Alaska — 13 schools

1,911
Total Enrollment
13
Schools
$57,541
Per-Pupil Spending
Other
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Northwest Arctic Borough School District operates 13 public schools serving 1,911 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Alaska. The school portfolio breaks down into 13 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 1,945 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Northwest Arctic Borough County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $57,541 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 12.6% local, 69.3% state, and 18.1% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $129,478 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 71/100, ranked #10 of 40 in Alaska against a state average of 49 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

a 263.7:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 73.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 1.4% White, 1.0% Asian, 0.2% African American across the district's schools.

June Nelson Elementary accounts for 15.5% of all Northwest Arctic Borough School District student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Northwest Arctic Borough School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: other. 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

Northwest Arctic Borough School District school enrollment varies 12× across entities

Northwest Arctic Borough School District school enrollment ranges from 25 students (lowest) to 302 students (highest), a spread of 277 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. 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

Northwest Arctic Borough School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 99.0% 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). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants 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.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Northwest Arctic Borough School District student-counselor ratio is 264:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

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 Variation between sub-units within Northwest Arctic Borough School District is typically wider than the Northwest Arctic Borough School District-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Northwest Arctic Borough School District chronic absenteeism rate is 73.5% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

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

Where does the funding come from?

18.1%
Federal
69.3%
State
12.6%
Local

Funding Equity

71
Equity Score
10 / 40
State Rank
49
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Northwest Arctic Borough county, where this district is located.

$1,331
Studio/mo
$1,471
1 BR/mo
$1,930
2 BR/mo
$2,547
3 BR/mo
$2,676
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$129,478
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 13 schools in Northwest Arctic Borough School District.

White 1.4%
Asian 1.0%
Multiracial 3.6%
Other 93.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

263.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
73.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Northwest Arctic Borough School District

School Enrollment
June Nelson Elementary
302
Kotzebue Middle/High School
299
Davis-Ramoth School
252
Buckland School
224
Aqqaluk High/Noorvik Elementary
212
Napaaqtugmiut School
161
Kisimgiugtuq School
150
Kiana School
91
Shungnak School
70
Ambler School
60
Deering School
57
Kobuk School
42
Nwabsd Home School
25

Nearby Districts in Alaska

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

Compare Northwest Arctic 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 Northwest Arctic Borough School District?

Northwest Arctic Borough School District has 13 schools, including 13 other. Total enrollment is 1,911 students.

How much does Northwest Arctic Borough School District spend per student?

Northwest Arctic Borough School District spends $57,541 per student. The district has an equity score of 71/100, ranking #10 in Alaska.

What is the average teacher salary in Northwest Arctic Borough School District?

The average teacher salary in Northwest Arctic Borough School District is $129,478 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Northwest Arctic Borough School District?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Northwest Arctic Borough County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of Northwest Arctic Borough School District?

Northwest Arctic Borough School District students are 1.4% White, 1.0% Asian, 0.2% African American, 0.1% Hispanic or Latino, averaged across 13 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Northwest Arctic Borough School District?

Northwest Arctic Borough School District has an equity score of 71/100, ranking #10 out of 40 districts in Alaska. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

Coverage

50 states + DC

Full national footprint

Update cadence

Quarterly

Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

Source agency

Federal

Authoritative data, no third-party aggregation

Page reliability score 94.0%
Industry baseline

Composite score weighing source authority, update freshness, and methodological transparency. 1.0 = full federal-source coverage with documented methodology and recent update.