Enrollment
59
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fairbanks, AK
Salcha Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Salcha Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 020060000276
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Salcha Elementary earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alaska median.
- #17 of 17
- schools in Fairbanks · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11.8:1
- students per teacher
- 39.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Salcha Elementary has class sizes near the Alaska median. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Salcha Elementary ranks #17 of 17 schools in Fairbanks, AK.
School address
District: Fairbanks North Star Borough School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020060000276 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.4%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
-36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Salcha Elementary compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Salcha Elementary
Salcha Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Fairbanks, Alaska, enrolling 59 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alaska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 39.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 59 puts it in the smaller third of Alaska schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 495 scored Alaska schools.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 46/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 76.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Fairbanks North Star Borough School District spends $18,816 per pupil, 43% below the Alaska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Fairbanks's public schools, it stands alongside Interior Distance Education of Alaska (Idea) (7,876 students): Salcha Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District also operates Lathrop High School (788 students) and Fairbanks B.E.S.T. (784 students) alongside Salcha 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 Salcha Elementary compares
Salcha 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 | 11.8:1 | ▼ 22% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.4% | ▼ 36% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 59 | top 74% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
59
Bigger than 6% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% 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
11.8:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 31% in Alaska - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
76.3%
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
$18,816
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alaska avg of $33,240
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.4 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 71.2%
Hispanic or Latino 15.3%
Two or More 11.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%
Largest group: White at 71.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.5, Salcha Elementary is more mixed than the Alaska school average of 43.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, which includes Salcha Elementary.
$18,816
Per student
-43%
vs Alaska
Avg $33,240
+13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.1%
State 58.3%
Federal 19.7%
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 Salcha Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lathrop High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fairbanks B.E.S.T. | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| West Valley High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Pole High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Pole Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Salcha Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 788
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 784
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 782
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 631
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
Similar other schools in Fairbanks
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Interior Distance Education of Alaska (Idea)
Standard public school
7,876 students
Raven School
Standard public school
3,687 students
Fairbanks B.E.S.T.
Standard public school
784 students
Barnette Magnet School
Standard public school
417 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Weller Elementary
Standard public school
413 students 18:1 students per teacher
Pearl Creek Elementary
Standard public school
388 students 17.6:1 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 (~59 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Salcha Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Salcha Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Fairbanks North Star 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 Salcha Elementary
How many students attend Salcha Elementary?
Salcha Elementary has 59 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fairbanks, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Salcha Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Salcha Elementary is 11.8:1, which is 22% lower than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 25% 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 Salcha Elementary?
39.4% of students at Salcha Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Salcha Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Salcha Elementary is White at 71.2% of enrollment, in Fairbanks, AK.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Salcha Elementary?
Salcha Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Salcha Elementary rank among schools in Fairbanks?
By Resource Investment Index, Salcha Elementary ranks #17 of 17 schools in Fairbanks, AK. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Fairbanks on the city page.
Is Salcha Elementary a good school?
Salcha Elementary earns 28/100 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 Fairbanks North Star Borough School District?
Besides Salcha Elementary, Fairbanks North Star Borough School District also operates Lathrop High School (788 students), Fairbanks B.E.S.T. (784 students), and West Valley High School (782 students). See the Fairbanks North Star 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.