Enrollment
332
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fairbanks, AK
Hunter Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hunter Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 020060000267
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hunter Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alaska median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alaska schools.
- #7 of 17
- schools in Fairbanks · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.8:1
- students per teacher
- 62.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Hunter Elementary has class sizes near the Alaska median. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hunter Elementary ranks #7 of 17 schools in Fairbanks, AK.
School address
District: Fairbanks North Star Borough School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020060000267 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.5%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hunter Elementary compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hunter Elementary
Hunter Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Fairbanks, Alaska, enrolling 332 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Alaska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 62.5% lands close to the Alaska typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 332 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 27 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #13.
Its student body is led by White (27%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 79/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 332 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 74.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Fairbanks North Star Borough School District spends $18,816 per pupil, 43% below the Alaska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Fairbanks's public schools, it stands alongside Interior Distance Education of Alaska (Idea) (7,876 students): Hunter Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District also operates Lathrop High School (788 students) and Fairbanks B.E.S.T. (784 students) alongside Hunter 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 Hunter Elementary compares
Hunter 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 | 15.8:1 | ▲ 4% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.5% | ▲ 2% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 332 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
332
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 64% in Alaska - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
74.4%
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
$18,816
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alaska avg of $33,240
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 332 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.7 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 26.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 26.5%
Two or More 20.5%
Hispanic or Latino 14.2%
African American 6.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 4.5%
Asian 1.8%
Largest group: American Indian / Alaska Native at 26.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 79.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 79.1, Hunter Elementary is more mixed than the Alaska school average of 43.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, which includes Hunter Elementary.
$18,816
Per student
-43%
vs Alaska
Avg $33,240
+13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Hunter Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lathrop High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fairbanks B.E.S.T. | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| West Valley High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Pole High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Pole Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hunter Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 788
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 784
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 782
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 631
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
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
Raven School
Standard public school
3,687 students
Fairbanks B.E.S.T.
Standard public school
784 students
Barnette Magnet School
Standard public school
417 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Weller Elementary
Standard public school
413 students 18:1 students per teacher
Pearl Creek Elementary
Standard public school
388 students 17.6:1 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 (~332 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hunter Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hunter Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Fairbanks North Star 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 Hunter Elementary
How many students attend Hunter Elementary?
Hunter Elementary has 332 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fairbanks, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hunter Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hunter Elementary is 15.8:1, which is 4% higher than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hunter Elementary?
62.5% of students at Hunter Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hunter Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hunter Elementary is American Indian / Alaska Native at 26.5% of enrollment, in Fairbanks, AK. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 79.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hunter Elementary?
Hunter Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Hunter Elementary rank among schools in Fairbanks?
By Resource Investment Index, Hunter Elementary ranks #7 of 17 schools in Fairbanks, AK. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Fairbanks on the city page.
Is Hunter Elementary a good school?
Hunter Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alaska median. 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 Fairbanks North Star Borough School District?
Besides Hunter Elementary, Fairbanks North Star Borough School District also operates Lathrop High School (788 students), Fairbanks B.E.S.T. (784 students), and West Valley High School (782 students). See the Fairbanks North Star 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.