Enrollment
275
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Anchorage, AK
Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H.
Federal NCES profile for Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 020018000110
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H. earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Alaska schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alaska schools.
- #6 of 59
- schools in Anchorage · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.6:1
- large classes for Alaska
- 97.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H. has class sizes larger than 87% of Alaska schools. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H. ranks #6 of 59 schools in Anchorage, AK.
School address
District: Anchorage School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020018000110 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
97.3%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
+58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H. compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H.
Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H. is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Anchorage, Alaska, enrolling 275 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.6:1 is larger than about 87% of Alaska schools and 29% above the 15.2:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 97.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 275 puts it in the larger third of Alaska schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 495 scored Alaska schools.
Among 43 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alaska schools statewide, it ranks #3, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by American Indian / Alaska Native (24%) and Two or More (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 83/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 69 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
The surrounding Anchorage School District spends $17,200 per pupil, 48% below the Alaska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 125 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 275 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Anchorage's public schools, it stands alongside Family Partnership Charter School (1,008 students): Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H. is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.6:1 vs 50.4:1).
Anchorage School District also operates West High School (1,702 students) and Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School (1,636 students) alongside Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H..
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 Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H. compares
Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H. on the metrics families compare, against Alaska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alaska | Alaska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.6:1 | ▲ 29% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 97.3% | ▲ 58% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 275 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
275
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
97.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% above the Alaska average of 61.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 87% in Alaska - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$17,200
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alaska avg of $33,240
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 69 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
32
in-school suspensions + 93 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 45.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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
American Indian / Alaska Native 23.6%
Two or More 20.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 18.2%
White 14.9%
Hispanic or Latino 11.3%
African American 7.6%
Asian 3.6%
Largest group: American Indian / Alaska Native at 23.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 82.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 82.6, Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H. is more mixed than the Alaska school average of 43.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Anchorage School District, which includes Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H..
$17,200
Per student
-48%
vs Alaska
Avg $33,240
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.8%
State 54.1%
Federal 18.1%
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 Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Service High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bartlett High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dimond High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,702
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,636
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,518
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,431
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,373
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar other schools in Anchorage
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Family Partnership Charter School
Standard public school
1,008 students 50.4:1 students per teacher
Frontier Charter School
Standard public school
689 students
Northern Lights Abc K-8 School
Standard public school
582 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Focus Homeschool
Standard public school
549 students 61:1 students per teacher
Bowman Elementary
Standard public school
536 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Polaris K-12 School
Standard public school
483 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~275 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H.'s federal record.
- Compare Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H. against another school. Compare schools
- Anchorage 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 Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H.
How many students attend Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H.?
Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H. has 275 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Anchorage, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H.?
The student-teacher ratio at Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H. is 19.6:1, which is 29% higher than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H.?
97.3% of students at Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H.?
The largest demographic group at Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H. is American Indian / Alaska Native at 23.6% of enrollment, in Anchorage, AK. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 82.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H.?
Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H. has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H. rank among schools in Anchorage?
By Resource Investment Index, Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H. ranks #6 of 59 schools in Anchorage, AK. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Anchorage on the city page.
Is Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H. a good school?
Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H. earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Alaska schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Anchorage School District?
Besides Benson Secondary/S.E.a.R.C.H., Anchorage School District also operates West High School (1,702 students), Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School (1,636 students), and Service High School (1,518 students). See the Anchorage 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.