Enrollment
200
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Fairbanks, AK
Watershed Charter School
Federal NCES profile for Watershed Charter School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 020060000742Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 11
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Watershed Charter School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Alaska schools.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in Fairbanks · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.2:1
- large classes for Alaska
- 4.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Watershed Charter School has class sizes larger than 93% of Alaska schools. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Watershed Charter School ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Fairbanks, AK.
School address
District: Fairbanks North Star Borough School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020060000742 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.2:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
+46% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
4.5%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
-93% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Watershed Charter School compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Watershed Charter School
Teacher staffing is the clearest operational constraint
Watershed Charter School's enrollment sits away from the most extreme size bands, but its reported student-teacher ratio is heavier than most Alaska schools. That isolates staffing load as a more useful concern than raw campus size. A high ratio does not establish weak teaching or outcomes, yet it can indicate less adult capacity per enrolled student. The remaining federal indicators show whether support staffing and program access offset that pressure.
Lower measured need does not translate into broad resources
Watershed Charter School's free-meal eligibility sits below much of the Alaska distribution, yet its Resource Investment Index also lands in the lower tier. That breaks the common assumption that a lower-need intake automatically produces stronger reported capacity. The component scores below are therefore more useful than a socioeconomic shortcut: staffing, counselors, gifted access, and attendance determine where the composite is being lost.
Attendance is the dominant support signal
Watershed Charter School's 42.5% chronic-absence rate is more consequential than a generic staffing label: at least one quarter of students missed 10% or more of school days in the 2021-22 collection. That level can affect instruction, counseling demand, and continuity even when other reported resources look ordinary. The dataset records the scale of absence but not its causes, so it should prompt a current-year question rather than a conclusion about school management.
Watershed Charter School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in Fairbanks, Alaska, enrolling 200 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.2:1 is larger than about 93% of Alaska schools and 46% above the 15.2:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 4.5% free-meal eligibility runs 93% below the Alaska average.
With 200 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.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Two or More (24%) (diversity index 52/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Fairbanks North Star Borough School District spends $17,616 per pupil, 48% 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 elementary schools, it stands alongside Boreal Sun Charter School (201 students): Watershed Charter School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (22.2:1 vs 18.3:1).
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District also operates Lathrop High School (788 students) and Fairbanks B.E.S.T. (784 students) alongside Watershed Charter 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 Watershed Charter School compares
Watershed Charter 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 | 22.2:1 | ▲ 46% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 4.5% | ▼ 93% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 200 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.2:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
200
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
4.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 93% 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
22.2:1
students per teacher
- 46% above state mean
Top 93% in Alaska - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
42.5%
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
$17,616
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alaska avg of $33,705
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
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
White 64.5%
Two or More 24.0%
Hispanic or Latino 5.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 5.0%
African American 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 64.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.1, Watershed Charter School is more mixed than the Alaska school average of 43.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, which includes Watershed Charter School.
$17,616
Per student
-48%
vs Alaska
Avg $33,705
0%
vs U.S.
Avg $17,658
Revenue mix
Local 22.1%
State 58.3%
Federal 19.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2022-23 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Watershed Charter School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lathrop High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fairbanks B.E.S.T. | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| West Valley High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Pole High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Pole Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Watershed Charter School'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 elementary schools in Fairbanks
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~200 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Watershed Charter School's federal record.
- Compare Watershed Charter School 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 Watershed Charter School
How many students attend Watershed Charter School?
Watershed Charter School has 200 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Fairbanks, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Watershed Charter School?
The student-teacher ratio at Watershed Charter School is 22.2:1, which is 46% higher than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 41% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Watershed Charter School?
4.5% of students at Watershed Charter School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Watershed Charter School?
The largest demographic group at Watershed Charter School is White at 64.5% of enrollment, in Fairbanks, AK. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Watershed Charter School?
Watershed Charter School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Watershed Charter School rank among elementary schools in Fairbanks?
By Resource Investment Index, Watershed Charter School ranks #3 of 3 elementary 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 elementary schools in Fairbanks on the city page.
What other schools are in Fairbanks North Star Borough School District?
Besides Watershed Charter School, 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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.