Enrollment
204
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ketchikan, AK
Point Higgins School
Federal NCES profile for Point Higgins School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 020015000584
👥 S:T ratio 61
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Point Higgins School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Alaska schools.
- #2 of 6
- schools in Ketchikan · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9.7:1
- small classes for Alaska
- 18.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Point Higgins School has class sizes smaller than 81% of Alaska schools. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Point Higgins School ranks #2 of 6 schools in Ketchikan, AK.
School address
District: Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020015000584 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.7:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
-36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.3%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
-70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Point Higgins School compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Point Higgins School
Point Higgins School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Ketchikan, Alaska, enrolling 204 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 9.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alaska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 18.3% free-meal eligibility runs 70% below the Alaska average.
With 204 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 36 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #13.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (18%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 204 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 67.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District spends $23,355 per pupil, 30% below the Alaska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Ketchikan's public schools, it stands alongside Houghtaling Elementary (310 students): Point Higgins School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (9.7:1 vs 9.1:1).
Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District also operates Ketchikan High School (551 students) and Houghtaling Elementary (310 students) alongside Point Higgins 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 Point Higgins School compares
Point Higgins 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 | 9.7:1 | ▼ 36% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.3% | ▼ 70% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 204 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.7:1
Leaner classes than 90% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
204
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% 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
9.7:1
students per teacher
- 36% below state mean
Top 19% in Alaska - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
67.6%
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
$23,355
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 204 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 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 69.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 18.1%
Two or More 7.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.0%
Asian 2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
Largest group: White at 69.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.6, Point Higgins School is more mixed than the Alaska school average of 43.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District, which includes Point Higgins School.
$23,355
Per student
-30%
vs Alaska
Avg $33,240
+41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.5%
State 63.2%
Federal 15.3%
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 Point Higgins School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ketchikan High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Houghtaling Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Schoenbar Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fawn Mountain Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ketchikan Charter School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Point Higgins School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 551
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 310
- Students per teacher
- 9.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 252
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 210
- Students per teacher
- 9.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 190
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar other schools in Ketchikan
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Houghtaling Elementary
Standard public school
310 students 9.1:1 students per teacher
Fawn Mountain Elementary
Standard public school
210 students 9.1:1 students per teacher
Tongass School of Arts and Sciences Charter School
Standard public school
140 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Revilla Jr/Sr High School
Alternative education program
110 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Fast Track
Standard public school
76 students 76:1 students per teacher
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 (~204 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Point Higgins School's federal record.
- Compare Point Higgins School against another school. Compare schools
- Ketchikan Gateway 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 Point Higgins School
How many students attend Point Higgins School?
Point Higgins School has 204 students enrolled. It is a public school in Ketchikan, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Point Higgins School?
The student-teacher ratio at Point Higgins School is 9.7:1, which is 36% lower than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 38% 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 Point Higgins School?
18.3% of students at Point Higgins School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Point Higgins School?
The largest demographic group at Point Higgins School is White at 69.6% of enrollment, in Ketchikan, AK.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Point Higgins School?
Point Higgins School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Point Higgins School rank among schools in Ketchikan?
By Resource Investment Index, Point Higgins School ranks #2 of 6 schools in Ketchikan, AK. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Ketchikan on the city page.
Is Point Higgins School a good school?
Point Higgins School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% 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 Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District?
Besides Point Higgins School, Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District also operates Ketchikan High School (551 students), Houghtaling Elementary (310 students), and Schoenbar Middle School (252 students). See the Ketchikan Gateway 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.