Enrollment
361
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 020060000045
University Park Elementary — Fairbanks, AK
Federal NCES profile for University Park Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 32/100.
👥 Class size 29
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
The verdict
University Park Elementary earns an F Resource Investment Index (32/100), with class sizes larger than 72% of Alaska schools.
- F
- Resource Index · 32/100
- 17.8:1
- large classes for Alaska
- 28.9%
- free-lunch eligible
- 361
- students enrolled
School address
District: Fairbanks North Star Borough School District · Alaska
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 20:1 Alaska avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.9%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
-53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How University Park Elementary compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
University Park Elementary reports 361 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 20.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 11% below the Alaska state mean of 20:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 13% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 28.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 53% below the Alaska average and 44% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 361 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 59.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Fairbanks North Star Borough School District spends $18,816 per pupil district-wide, below the Alaska average of $33,240 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 22.1% from local sources (property taxes), 58.3% from the state, and 19.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How University Park Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Alaska state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Alaska | Alaska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.8:1 | ▼ 11% | 20:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.9% | ▼ 53% | 61.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 361 | top 80% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
18 smaller classes than 26% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
361 larger than 41% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
28.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 53% 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
17.8:1
students per teacher
— 11% below state mean
Top 72% in Alaska — lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
59.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$18,816
per pupil, district-wide
— below Alaska avg of $33,240
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 361 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
29
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 361 Top 80% in Alaska — larger than 20% of 496 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 20.0
Students per teacher 17.8:1 -11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 28.9% -53% vs state
NCES ID 020060000045
Student demographics
White 47.9%
Two or More 21.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 16.3%
Hispanic or Latino 9.7%
Asian 2.5%
African American 1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: White at 47.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 361:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 59.6%
In-school suspensions 29
Out-of-school suspensions 13
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, which includes University Park 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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 788
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Enrollment
- 784
- Students per teacher
- 801:1
- Enrollment
- 782
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Enrollment
- 631
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
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 127.8:1 students per teacher
Raven School
Standard public school
3,687 students 120.5:1 students per teacher
Fairbanks B.E.S.T.
Standard public school
784 students 801:1 students per teacher
Barnette Magnet School
Standard public school
417 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Weller Elementary
Standard public school
413 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
Pearl Creek Elementary
Standard public school
388 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about University Park Elementary
How many students attend University Park Elementary?
University Park Elementary has 361 students enrolled. It is a other school in Fairbanks, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at University Park Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at University Park Elementary is 17.8:1, which is 11% lower than the Alaska average of 20:1 and 13% higher 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 University Park Elementary?
28.9% of students at University Park Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of University Park Elementary?
The largest demographic group at University Park Elementary is White at 47.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in Fairbanks, AK.
What is the Resource Investment Index for University Park Elementary?
University Park Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.
Is University Park Elementary a good school?
University Park Elementary earns an F Resource Investment Index (32/100), with class sizes larger than 72% of Alaska schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.