Enrollment
525
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Kenai, AK
Kenai Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Kenai Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 020039000537
👥 S:T ratio 22
📚 AP courses 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kenai Central High School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Alaska schools.
- #3 of 8
- public schools in Kenai · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.4:1
- large classes for Alaska
- 25.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Kenai Central High School has class sizes larger than 85% of Alaska schools. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kenai Central High School ranks #3 of 8 public schools in Kenai, AK.
School address
District: Kenai Peninsula Borough School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020039000537 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.4:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
+28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.5%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kenai Central High School compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kenai Central High School
Kenai Central High School is a large high school in Kenai, Alaska, enrolling 525 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Alaska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 25.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alaska, bigger than 90% of state schools at 525 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 495 scored Alaska schools.
Against 61 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #20.
Its student body is led by White (62%) and Two or More (21%) (diversity index 55/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 5 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 263 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Kenai Peninsula Borough School District spends $20,242 per pupil, 39% below the Alaska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Kenai's high schools, it stands alongside Kenai Alternative High School (45 students): Kenai Central High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.4:1 vs 11.3:1).
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District also operates Connections (1,188 students) and Soldotna High School (695 students) alongside Kenai Central High School.
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 Kenai Central High School compares
Kenai Central High School on the metrics families compare, against Alaska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alaska | Alaska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.4:1 | ▲ 28% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.5% | ▼ 59% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 525 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.4:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
525
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% 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
19.4:1
students per teacher
- 28% above state mean
Top 85% in Alaska - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
42.5%
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
$20,242
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 263 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 33 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.9 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 62.3%
Two or More 21.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 10.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.9%
Asian 0.6%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: White at 62.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.4, Kenai Central High School is more mixed than the Alaska school average of 43.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 5
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, which includes Kenai Central High School.
$20,242
Per student
-39%
vs Alaska
Avg $33,240
+22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.3%
State 54.5%
Federal 16.1%
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 Kenai Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connections | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Soldotna High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mt. View Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kenai Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kalifornsky Beach Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kenai Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,188
- Students per teacher
- 74.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 449
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 408
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 384
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
Similar high schools in Kenai
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~525 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kenai Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Kenai Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Kenai Peninsula 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 Kenai Central High School
How many students attend Kenai Central High School?
Kenai Central High School has 525 students enrolled. It is a high school in Kenai, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kenai Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kenai Central High School is 19.4:1, which is 28% higher than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kenai Central High School?
25.5% of students at Kenai Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kenai Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Kenai Central High School is White at 62.3% of enrollment, in Kenai, AK. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kenai Central High School?
Kenai Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Kenai Central High School rank among public schools in Kenai?
By Resource Investment Index, Kenai Central High School ranks #3 of 8 public schools in Kenai, 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 Kenai on the city page.
Is Kenai Central High School a good school?
Kenai Central High School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% 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 Kenai Peninsula Borough School District?
Besides Kenai Central High School, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District also operates Connections (1,188 students), Soldotna High School (695 students), and Mt. View Elementary (449 students). See the Kenai Peninsula 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.