Enrollment
782
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Fairbanks, AK
West Valley High School
Federal NCES profile for West Valley High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 020060000281
👥 S:T ratio 29
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Valley High School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Alaska schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alaska.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in Fairbanks · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.8:1
- large classes for Alaska
- 20.8%
- free-lunch eligible
West Valley High School has class sizes larger than 78% of Alaska schools. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Valley High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Fairbanks, AK.
School address
District: Fairbanks North Star Borough School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020060000281 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.8%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
-66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Valley High School compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Valley High School
West Valley High School is a large high school in Fairbanks, Alaska, enrolling 782 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Alaska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 20.8% free-meal eligibility runs 66% below the Alaska average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alaska, bigger than 95% of state schools at 782 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 495 scored Alaska schools.
Against 27 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #8.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and Two or More (18%) (diversity index 61/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 23 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 261 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 64.8% 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 high schools, it stands alongside Lathrop High School (788 students): West Valley High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.8:1 vs 17.9:1).
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District also operates Lathrop High School (788 students) and Fairbanks B.E.S.T. (784 students) alongside West Valley High 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 West Valley High School compares
West Valley High 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 | 17.8:1 | ▲ 17% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.8% | ▼ 66% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 782 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
782
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% 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
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 78% in Alaska - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
64.8%
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 261 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
44
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.2 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 58.2%
Two or More 18.3%
Hispanic or Latino 10.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 9.1%
Asian 2.6%
African American 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 58.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.9, West Valley High School is more mixed than the Alaska school average of 43.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 23
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, which includes West Valley High School.
$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 West Valley High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lathrop High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fairbanks B.E.S.T. | Similar size | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| North Pole High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Pole Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tanana Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Valley High 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
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 631
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 523
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar high schools in Fairbanks
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~782 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Valley High School's federal record.
- Compare West Valley High 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 West Valley High School
How many students attend West Valley High School?
West Valley High School has 782 students enrolled. It is a high school in Fairbanks, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Valley High School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Valley High School is 17.8:1, which is 17% higher than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Valley High School?
20.8% of students at West Valley High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Valley High School?
The largest demographic group at West Valley High School is White at 58.2% of enrollment, in Fairbanks, AK. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Valley High School?
West Valley High School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does West Valley High School rank among high schools in Fairbanks?
By Resource Investment Index, West Valley High School ranks #2 of 3 high 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 high schools in Fairbanks on the city page.
Is West Valley High School a good school?
West Valley High School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Alaska schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alaska. 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 West Valley High School, Fairbanks North Star Borough School District also operates Lathrop High School (788 students), Fairbanks B.E.S.T. (784 students), and North Pole High School (695 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.