Enrollment
67
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 020002000016
James C. Isabell School — Teller, AK
Federal NCES profile for James C. Isabell School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 41/100.
👥 Class size 65
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 11
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: Bering Strait 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)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.8:1
vs 20:1 Alaska avg
-56% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
+63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James C. Isabell School 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
James C. Isabell School reports 67 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 8.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 8.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 56% below the Alaska state mean of 20:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 45% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 100.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 63% above the Alaska average and 93% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 203 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 35.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Bering Strait School District spends $45,373 per pupil district-wide, above the Alaska average of $36,093 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 6.0% from local sources (property taxes), 52.2% from the state, and 41.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D), calculated from 4 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 James C. Isabell School 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 | 8.8:1 | ▼ 56% | 20:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 63% | 61.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 67 | top 29% | — | — |
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.
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 63% 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
8.8:1
students per teacher
— 56% below state mean
Top 13% in Alaska — lower ratio than 87% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
35.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$45,373
per pupil, district-wide
— above Alaska avg of $36,093
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.3 FTE
Per 203 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 67 Top 29% in Alaska — larger than 71% of 496 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 8.0
Students per teacher 8.8:1 -56% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 100.0% +63% vs state
NCES ID 020002000016
Student demographics
American Indian / Alaska Native 98.5%
Asian 1.5%
Largest group: American Indian / Alaska Native at 98.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.3
Students per counselor 203:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 35.8%
In-school suspensions 1
Out-of-school suspensions 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bering Strait School District, which includes James C. Isabell School.
$45,373
Per student
+26%
vs Alaska
Avg $36,093
+133%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 6.0%
State 52.2%
Federal 41.8%
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
- 239
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Enrollment
- 236
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Enrollment
- 185
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Enrollment
- 173
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Enrollment
- 163
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
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 James C. Isabell School
How many students attend James C. Isabell School?
James C. Isabell School has 67 students enrolled. It is a other school in Teller, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James C. Isabell School?
The student-teacher ratio at James C. Isabell School is 8.8:1, which is 56% lower than the Alaska average of 20:1 and 45% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James C. Isabell School?
100.0% of students at James C. Isabell School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James C. Isabell School?
The largest demographic group at James C. Isabell School is American Indian / Alaska Native at 98.5%. The school serves a student body in Teller, AK.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James C. Isabell School?
James C. Isabell School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.