Enrollment
199
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Kenai, AK
Aurora Borealis Charter School
Federal NCES profile for Aurora Borealis Charter School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 020039000274Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Aurora Borealis Charter School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Alaska schools.
- #5 of 8
- public schools in Kenai · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.6:1
- large classes for Alaska
- 199
- students enrolled
Aurora Borealis Charter School has class sizes larger than 71% of Alaska schools. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Aurora Borealis Charter School ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Kenai, AK.
School address
District: Kenai Peninsula Borough School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020039000274 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
+9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Aurora Borealis Charter School compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Aurora Borealis Charter School
Aurora Borealis Charter School is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Kenai, Alaska, enrolling 199 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Alaska schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 199 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alaska median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 495 scored Alaska schools.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Two or More (9%) (diversity index 37/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Kenai Peninsula Borough School District spends $20,242 per pupil, 39% below the Alaska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Kenai's elementary schools, it stands alongside Kaleidoscope School of Arts & Science (205 students): Aurora Borealis Charter School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.6:1 vs 13.7:1).
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District also operates Connections (1,188 students) and Soldotna High School (695 students) alongside Aurora Borealis Charter School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Aurora Borealis Charter School compares
Aurora Borealis Charter School on the metrics families compare, against Alaska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alaska | Alaska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.6:1 | ▲ 9% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 199 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
199
Bigger than 19% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 71% in Alaska - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
32.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$20,242
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alaska avg of $33,240
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 78.4%
Two or More 9.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 5.5%
Hispanic or Latino 5.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.5%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 78.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.1, Aurora Borealis Charter School is less mixed than the Alaska school average of 43.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, which includes Aurora Borealis Charter School.
$20,242
Per student
-39%
vs Alaska
Avg $33,240
+22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.3%
State 54.5%
Federal 16.1%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Aurora Borealis Charter School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connections | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Soldotna High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kenai Central High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mt. View Elementary | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kenai Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Aurora Borealis Charter School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,188
- Students per teacher
- 74.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 525
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 449
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 408
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
Similar elementary schools in Kenai
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alaska, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~199 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Aurora Borealis Charter School's federal record.
- Compare Aurora Borealis Charter School against another school. Compare schools
- Kenai Peninsula Borough School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Aurora Borealis Charter School
How many students attend Aurora Borealis Charter School?
Aurora Borealis Charter School has 199 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Kenai, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Aurora Borealis Charter School?
The student-teacher ratio at Aurora Borealis Charter School is 16.6:1, which is 9% higher than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Aurora Borealis Charter School?
The largest demographic group at Aurora Borealis Charter School is White at 78.4% of enrollment, in Kenai, AK.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Aurora Borealis Charter School?
Aurora Borealis Charter School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Aurora Borealis Charter School rank among public schools in Kenai?
By Resource Investment Index, Aurora Borealis Charter School ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Kenai, AK. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Kenai on the city page.
Is Aurora Borealis Charter School a good school?
Aurora Borealis Charter School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Alaska schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Kenai Peninsula Borough School District?
Besides Aurora Borealis Charter School, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District also operates Connections (1,188 students), Soldotna High School (695 students), and Kenai Central High School (525 students). See the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.