Valdez City 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.

Valdez, Alaska - 4 schools

An equity score of 26/100 ranks Valdez City School District #34 of 40 districts in Alaska (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $25,178 per pupil, Valdez City School District ranks #34 of 54 Alaska districts by per-pupil spending (Alaska districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

653
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$25,178
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Valdez City School District operates 4 public schools serving 653 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Alaska. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 1 high, 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 Chugach Census Area.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $25,178 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 52.0% local, 38.5% state, and 9.5% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 26/100, ranked #34 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 201.7:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 61.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 63.8% White, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Valdez High School, with a diversity index of 56.3/100.

Its largest campus is Hermon Hutchens Elementary, enrolling 287 students (44% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Valdez Home School, at 50 students, a 6x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Hermon Hutchens Elementary accounts for 43.8% of all Valdez City School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Valdez City 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

Valdez City School District school enrollment varies 5.7× across entities

Valdez City School District school enrollment ranges from 50 students (lowest) to 287 students (highest), a spread of 237 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

Valdez City School District student-counselor ratio is 202:1 — 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

Valdez City School District chronic absenteeism rate is 61.1% — 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.

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

Where does the funding come from?

9.5%
Federal
38.5%
State
52.0%
Local

Funding Equity

26
Equity Score
34 / 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 Valdez City School District.

White 63.8%
Hispanic or Latino 5.1%
African American 0.7%
Asian 0.9%
Multiracial 19.0%
Other 10.5%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 54.3/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Valdez High School 56.3
  2. 2 George H. Gilson Middle School 54.9
  3. 3 Hermon Hutchens Elementary 51.6

Programs & Resources

201.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
61.1%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Valdez City School District

School Enrollment
Hermon Hutchens Elementary
287
Valdez High School
175
George H. Gilson Middle School
143
Valdez Home School
50

How Valdez City School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Alaska districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Craig City School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Chugach School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Southwest Region School District Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Nome Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Yupiit School District Smaller Higher spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Valdez City 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 Valdez City 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 Valdez City School District?

Valdez City School District has 4 schools, including 2 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 653 students.

How much does Valdez City School District spend per student?

Valdez City School District spends $25,178 per student. The district has an equity score of 26/100, ranking #34 in Alaska.

What is the demographic composition of Valdez City School District?

Valdez City School District students are 63.8% White, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% Asian, 0.7% African American, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Valdez City School District?

Valdez City School District has an equity score of 26/100, ranking #34 out of 40 districts in Alaska.