Enrollment
189
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Homer, AK
Paul Banks Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Paul Banks Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 020039000156
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Paul Banks Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alaska median.
- #4 of 8
- public schools in Homer · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.6:1
- students per teacher
- 25.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Paul Banks Elementary has class sizes near the Alaska median. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Paul Banks Elementary ranks #4 of 8 public schools in Homer, AK.
School address
District: Kenai Peninsula Borough School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020039000156 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.5%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Paul Banks Elementary compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Paul Banks Elementary
Paul Banks Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Homer, Alaska, enrolling 189 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.6:1 puts it in the smaller 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.
With 189 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alaska median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 495 scored Alaska schools.
Among 35 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alaska schools statewide, it ranks #27, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Two or More (13%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 378 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 65.6% 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 Homer's public schools, it stands alongside Razdolna School (74 students): Paul Banks Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.6:1 vs 12.3:1).
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District also operates Connections (1,188 students) and Soldotna High School (695 students) alongside Paul Banks 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 Paul Banks Elementary compares
Paul Banks 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 | 12.6:1 | ▼ 17% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.5% | ▼ 59% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 189 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
189
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
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
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 36% in Alaska - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
65.6%
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 73.5%
Two or More 13.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 7.4%
Hispanic or Latino 4.8%
Asian 1.1%
Largest group: White at 73.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.4, Paul Banks Elementary is about as mixed as the Alaska school average of 43.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, which includes Paul Banks 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 Paul Banks 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 | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kenai Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mt. View Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kenai Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Paul Banks 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 Homer
1 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 (~189 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Paul Banks Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Paul Banks 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 Paul Banks Elementary
How many students attend Paul Banks Elementary?
Paul Banks Elementary has 189 students enrolled. It is a public school in Homer, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Paul Banks Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Paul Banks Elementary is 12.6:1, which is 17% lower than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 20% 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 Paul Banks Elementary?
25.5% of students at Paul Banks Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Paul Banks Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Paul Banks Elementary is White at 73.5% of enrollment, in Homer, AK.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Paul Banks Elementary?
Paul Banks Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Paul Banks Elementary rank among public schools in Homer?
By Resource Investment Index, Paul Banks Elementary ranks #4 of 8 public schools in Homer, 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 Homer on the city page.
Is Paul Banks Elementary a good school?
Paul Banks Elementary earns 26/100 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 Paul Banks 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.