Enrollment
214
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kenai, AK
Nikiski North Star Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Nikiski North Star Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 020039000602
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 57
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nikiski North Star Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alaska median.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Kenai · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.9:1
- students per teacher
- 43.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Nikiski North Star Elementary has class sizes near the Alaska median. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Nikiski North Star Elementary ranks #2 of 3 schools in Kenai, AK.
School address
District: Kenai Peninsula Borough School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020039000602 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.4%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nikiski North Star Elementary compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nikiski North Star Elementary
Nikiski North Star Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Kenai, Alaska, enrolling 214 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alaska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 43.4% lands close to the Alaska typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 214 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alaska median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 495 scored Alaska schools.
Against 28 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #17.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Two or More (19%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 214 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 87.9% 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 public schools, it stands alongside Mt. View Elementary (449 students): Nikiski North Star Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.9:1 vs 15:1).
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District also operates Connections (1,188 students) and Soldotna High School (695 students) alongside Nikiski North Star 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 Nikiski North Star Elementary compares
Nikiski North Star 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 | 11.9:1 | ▼ 22% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.4% | ▼ 29% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 214 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.9:1
Leaner classes than 76% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
214
Bigger than 21% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% below the Alaska average of 61.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.9:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 32% in Alaska - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
87.9%
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
$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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 214 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
25
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.6 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 66.8%
Two or More 19.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 7.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4.2%
Asian 0.9%
African American 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 66.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.9, Nikiski North Star Elementary is more mixed than the Alaska school average of 43.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, which includes Nikiski North Star Elementary.
$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 Nikiski North Star Elementary 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 | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kenai Central High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mt. View Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kenai Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Nikiski North Star Elementary'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
- 525
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 449
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 408
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
Similar other schools in Kenai
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 (~214 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nikiski North Star Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Nikiski North Star Elementary 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 Nikiski North Star Elementary
How many students attend Nikiski North Star Elementary?
Nikiski North Star Elementary has 214 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kenai, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nikiski North Star Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Nikiski North Star Elementary is 11.9:1, which is 22% lower than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 24% 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 Nikiski North Star Elementary?
43.4% of students at Nikiski North Star Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nikiski North Star Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Nikiski North Star Elementary is White at 66.8% of enrollment, in Kenai, AK. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nikiski North Star Elementary?
Nikiski North Star 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 Nikiski North Star Elementary rank among schools in Kenai?
By Resource Investment Index, Nikiski North Star Elementary ranks #2 of 3 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 schools in Kenai on the city page.
Is Nikiski North Star Elementary a good school?
Nikiski North Star Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alaska median. 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 Nikiski North Star Elementary, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District also operates Connections (1,188 students), Soldotna High School (695 students), and Kenai Central High School (525 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.