Enrollment
302
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kotzebue, AK
June Nelson Elementary
Federal NCES profile for June Nelson Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 020062500298
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
June Nelson Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Alaska schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Kotzebue · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.8:1
- large classes for Alaska
- 94.0%
- free-lunch eligible
June Nelson Elementary has class sizes larger than 78% of Alaska schools. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, June Nelson Elementary ranks #2 of 3 schools in Kotzebue, AK.
School address
District: Northwest Arctic Borough School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020062500298 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
94.0%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
+53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How June Nelson Elementary compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at June Nelson Elementary
June Nelson Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Kotzebue, Alaska, enrolling 302 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Alaska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 94.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 302 puts it in the larger third of Alaska schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 495 scored Alaska schools.
Against 42 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #27.
Its student body is predominantly American Indian / Alaska Native (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 302 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 70.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Kotzebue's public schools, it stands alongside Kotzebue Middle/High School (299 students): June Nelson Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.8:1 vs 19.9:1).
Northwest Arctic Borough School District also operates Kotzebue Middle/High School (299 students) and Davis-Ramoth School (252 students) alongside June Nelson 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 June Nelson Elementary compares
June Nelson 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 | 17.8:1 | ▲ 17% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 94.0% | ▲ 53% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 302 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
302
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
94.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% 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
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 78% in Alaska - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
70.2%
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
$39,628
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 302 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
American Indian / Alaska Native 82.5%
Two or More 12.3%
White 2.6%
Asian 2.6%
Largest group: American Indian / Alaska Native at 82.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.3, June Nelson Elementary is less mixed than the Alaska school average of 43.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Northwest Arctic Borough School District, which includes June Nelson Elementary.
$39,628
Per student
+19%
vs Alaska
Avg $33,240
+139%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 12.6%
State 69.3%
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 June Nelson Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kotzebue Middle/High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Davis-Ramoth School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Buckland School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Aqqaluk High/Noorvik Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Napaaqtugmiut School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to June Nelson Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 299
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 252
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 224
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 212
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 161
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar other schools in Kotzebue
2 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 (~302 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on June Nelson Elementary's federal record.
- Compare June Nelson Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Northwest Arctic 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 June Nelson Elementary
How many students attend June Nelson Elementary?
June Nelson Elementary has 302 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kotzebue, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at June Nelson Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at June Nelson Elementary is 17.8:1, which is 17% higher than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at June Nelson Elementary?
94.0% of students at June Nelson Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of June Nelson Elementary?
The largest demographic group at June Nelson Elementary is American Indian / Alaska Native at 82.5% of enrollment, in Kotzebue, AK.
What is the Resource Investment Index for June Nelson Elementary?
June Nelson Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower 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 June Nelson Elementary rank among schools in Kotzebue?
By Resource Investment Index, June Nelson Elementary ranks #2 of 3 schools in Kotzebue, AK. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Kotzebue on the city page.
Is June Nelson Elementary a good school?
June Nelson Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Northwest Arctic Borough School District?
Besides June Nelson Elementary, Northwest Arctic Borough School District also operates Kotzebue Middle/High School (299 students), Davis-Ramoth School (252 students), and Buckland School (224 students). See the Northwest Arctic 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.