Sitka 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.

Sitka, Alaska - 6 schools

An equity score of 43/100 ranks Sitka School District #22 of 40 districts in Alaska (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $24,011 per pupil, Sitka School District ranks #38 of 54 Alaska districts by per-pupil spending (Alaska districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,120
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$24,011
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Sitka School District operates 6 public schools serving 1,120 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Alaska. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 high, 2 combined, 1 elementary, 1 middle 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 Sitka City and Borough.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $24,011 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 54 Alaska districts by per-pupil spending. See how Alaska compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 34.2% local, 52.3% state, and 13.5% 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 43/100, ranked #22 of 40 in Alaska against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (7 AP courses district-wide), a 169.1:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 40.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 49.1% White, 5.5% Asian, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary, with a diversity index of 69.0/100.

Its largest campus is Sitka High School, enrolling 305 students (28% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Pacific High School, at 40 students, a 8x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Sitka High School accounts for 27.2% of all Sitka School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Sitka School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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

Sitka School District school enrollment varies 7.6× across entities

Sitka School District school enrollment ranges from 40 students (lowest) to 305 students (highest), a spread of 265 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. 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

Sitka School District student-counselor ratio is 169:1 — 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

Sitka School District chronic absenteeism rate is 40.4% — 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?

13.5%
Federal
52.3%
State
34.2%
Local

Funding Equity

43
Equity Score
22 / 40
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 6 schools in Sitka School District.

White 49.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%
Asian 5.5%
Multiracial 14.0%
Other 26.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 64.2/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Sitka School District's schools, above the Alaska average of 43.0.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary 69.0
  2. 2 Baranof Elementary 68.9
  3. 3 Blatchley Middle School 67.4
  4. 4 Sitka High School 65.0
  5. 5 Pacific High School 57.8

Programs & Resources

2 / 6
Schools with AP
7 AP courses total
169.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
40.4%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Sitka School District

School Enrollment
Sitka High School
305
Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary
275
Blatchley Middle School
241
Baranof Elementary
137
Sitka Reach
82
Pacific High School
40

How Sitka 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 Lower spending Less locally funded
Denali Borough School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Nome Public Schools Smaller Similar spending Less locally funded
Craig City School District Smaller Lower spending Less locally funded
Valdez City School District Smaller Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Sitka 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.

Anchorage School District
43,727 students · 96 schools · $17,200/pupil
Compare vs Sitka School District →
Galena City School District
7,177 students · 4 schools · $5,620/pupil
Compare vs Sitka School District →

Compare Sitka 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 Sitka School District?

Sitka School District has 6 schools, including 2 high, 1 elementary, 1 middle, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 1,120 students.

How much does Sitka School District spend per student?

Sitka School District spends $24,011 per student. The district has an equity score of 43/100, ranking #22 in Alaska.

What is the demographic composition of Sitka School District?

Sitka School District students are 49.1% White, 5.5% Asian, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% African American, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Sitka School District?

Sitka School District has an equity score of 43/100, ranking #22 out of 40 districts in Alaska.