Enrollment
287
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Valdez, AK
Hermon Hutchens Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hermon Hutchens Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 020078000495
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hermon Hutchens Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Alaska schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Valdez · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11:1
- small classes for Alaska
- 27.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Hermon Hutchens Elementary has class sizes smaller than 74% of Alaska schools. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hermon Hutchens Elementary ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Valdez, AK.
School address
District: Valdez City School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020078000495 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
-28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.2%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
-56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hermon Hutchens Elementary compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hermon Hutchens Elementary
Hermon Hutchens Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Valdez, Alaska, enrolling 287 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alaska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 287 puts it in the larger third of Alaska schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 495 scored Alaska schools.
Against 62 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #38.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Two or More (15%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 287 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 66.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Valdez City School District spends $25,178 per pupil, 24% below the Alaska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Valdez's public schools, it stands alongside Valdez Home School (50 students): Hermon Hutchens Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11:1 vs 50:1).
Valdez City School District also operates Valdez High School (175 students) and George H. Gilson Middle School (143 students) alongside Hermon Hutchens Elementary.
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 Hermon Hutchens Elementary compares
Hermon Hutchens Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Alaska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alaska | Alaska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11:1 | ▼ 28% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.2% | ▼ 56% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 287 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11:1
Leaner classes than 83% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
287
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% below the Alaska average of 61.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11:1
students per teacher
- 28% below state mean
Top 26% in Alaska - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
66.9%
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
$25,178
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 287 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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 66.9%
Two or More 15.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 10.5%
Hispanic or Latino 5.6%
Asian 1.4%
African American 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 66.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.6, Hermon Hutchens Elementary is more mixed than the Alaska school average of 43.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Valdez City School District, which includes Hermon Hutchens Elementary.
$25,178
Per student
-24%
vs Alaska
Avg $33,240
+52%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.0%
State 38.5%
Federal 9.5%
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 Hermon Hutchens Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valdez High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George H. Gilson Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valdez Home School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hermon Hutchens Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 175
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 143
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 50
- Students per teacher
- 50:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar other schools in Valdez
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~287 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hermon Hutchens Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hermon Hutchens Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Valdez City 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 Hermon Hutchens Elementary
How many students attend Hermon Hutchens Elementary?
Hermon Hutchens Elementary has 287 students enrolled. It is a public school in Valdez, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hermon Hutchens Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hermon Hutchens Elementary is 11:1, which is 28% lower than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 30% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hermon Hutchens Elementary?
27.2% of students at Hermon Hutchens Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hermon Hutchens Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hermon Hutchens Elementary is White at 66.9% of enrollment, in Valdez, AK. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hermon Hutchens Elementary?
Hermon Hutchens Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Hermon Hutchens Elementary rank among public schools in Valdez?
By Resource Investment Index, Hermon Hutchens Elementary ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Valdez, 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 Valdez on the city page.
Is Hermon Hutchens Elementary a good school?
Hermon Hutchens Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% 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 Valdez City School District?
Besides Hermon Hutchens Elementary, Valdez City School District also operates Valdez High School (175 students), George H. Gilson Middle School (143 students), and Valdez Home School (50 students). See the Valdez City 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.