Enrollment
784
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 020060000587
Fairbanks B.E.S.T. — Fairbanks, AK
Federal NCES profile for Fairbanks B.E.S.T., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 39/100.
👥 Class size 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Fairbanks North Star Borough School District · Alaska
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
1.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
801:1
vs 20:1 Alaska avg
+3905% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fairbanks B.E.S.T. compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Fairbanks B.E.S.T. reports 784 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 1.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 801:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 3905% above the Alaska state mean of 20:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 4938% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 261 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1.
On the finance side, the surrounding Fairbanks North Star Borough School District spends $19,103 per pupil district-wide, below the Alaska average of $36,093 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 22.1% from local sources (property taxes), 58.3% from the state, and 19.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Fairbanks B.E.S.T. compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Alaska state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Alaska | Alaska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 801:1 | ▲ 3905% | 20:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 784 | top 96% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
801:1
students per teacher
— 3905% above state mean
Top 100% in Alaska — lower ratio than 0% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$19,103
per pupil, district-wide
— below Alaska avg of $36,093
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 261 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 784 Top 96% in Alaska — larger than 4% of 496 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 1.0
Students per teacher 801:1 +3905% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 020060000587
Student demographics
White 62.9%
Two or More 16.6%
Hispanic or Latino 10.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 5.0%
Asian 4.1%
African American 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 62.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 9
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 261:1
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 2
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, which includes Fairbanks B.E.S.T..
$19,103
Per student
-47%
vs Alaska
Avg $36,093
-2%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 22.1%
State 58.3%
Federal 19.7%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 788
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Enrollment
- 782
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Enrollment
- 631
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Enrollment
- 523
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
Similar other schools in Fairbanks
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Interior Distance Education of Alaska (Idea)
Standard public school
7,876 students 127.8:1 students per teacher
Raven School
Standard public school
3,687 students 120.5:1 students per teacher
Barnette Magnet School
Standard public school
417 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Weller Elementary
Standard public school
413 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
Pearl Creek Elementary
Standard public school
388 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Ladd Elementary
Standard public school
383 students 19:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Fairbanks B.E.S.T.
How many students attend Fairbanks B.E.S.T.?
Fairbanks B.E.S.T. has 784 students enrolled. It is a other school in Fairbanks, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fairbanks B.E.S.T.?
The student-teacher ratio at Fairbanks B.E.S.T. is 801:1, which is 3905% higher than the Alaska average of 20:1 and 4938% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fairbanks B.E.S.T.?
The largest demographic group at Fairbanks B.E.S.T. is White at 62.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in Fairbanks, AK.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fairbanks B.E.S.T.?
Fairbanks B.E.S.T. has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.