Enrollment
423
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Jber, AK
Orion Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Orion Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 020018000099
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Orion Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Alaska schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Jber · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.4:1
- large classes for Alaska
- 12.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Orion Elementary School has class sizes larger than 82% of Alaska schools. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Orion Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Jber, AK.
School address
District: Anchorage School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020018000099 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.3%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
-80% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Orion Elementary School compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Orion Elementary School
Orion Elementary School is a lower-poverty, large combined-grade school in Jber, Alaska, enrolling 423 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Alaska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 12.3% free-meal eligibility runs 80% below the Alaska average.
Enrollment of 423 puts it in the larger third of Alaska schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 495 scored Alaska schools.
Among 47 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alaska schools statewide, it ranks #3, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 62/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Anchorage School District spends $17,200 per pupil, 48% below the Alaska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Anchorage School District also operates West High School (1,702 students) and Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School (1,636 students) alongside Orion Elementary 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 Orion Elementary School compares
Orion Elementary 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 | 18.4:1 | ▲ 21% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.3% | ▼ 80% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 423 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.4:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
423
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 80% below the Alaska average of 61.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.4:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 82% in Alaska - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.3%
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
$17,200
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alaska avg of $33,240
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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 56.3%
Hispanic or Latino 20.6%
African American 9.2%
Two or More 8.3%
Asian 3.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 56.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.4, Orion Elementary School is more mixed than the Alaska school average of 43.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Anchorage School District, which includes Orion Elementary School.
$17,200
Per student
-48%
vs Alaska
Avg $33,240
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.8%
State 54.1%
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 Orion Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Service High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bartlett High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dimond High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Orion Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,702
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,636
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,518
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,431
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,373
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
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 (~423 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Orion Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Orion Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Anchorage 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 Orion Elementary School
How many students attend Orion Elementary School?
Orion Elementary School has 423 students enrolled. It is a public school in Jber, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Orion Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Orion Elementary School is 18.4:1, which is 21% higher than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Orion Elementary School?
12.3% of students at Orion Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Orion Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Orion Elementary School is White at 56.3% of enrollment, in Jber, AK. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Orion Elementary School?
Orion Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Orion Elementary School rank among schools in Jber?
By Resource Investment Index, Orion Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Jber, AK. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Jber on the city page.
Is Orion Elementary School a good school?
Orion Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% 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 Anchorage School District?
Besides Orion Elementary School, Anchorage School District also operates West High School (1,702 students), Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School (1,636 students), and Service High School (1,518 students). See the Anchorage 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.