Enrollment
17
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ekwok, AK
William Sonny Nelson School
Federal NCES profile for William Sonny Nelson School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 020071000465
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
William Sonny Nelson School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Alaska schools.
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17:1
- large classes for Alaska
- 92.9%
- free-lunch eligible
- 17
- students enrolled
William Sonny Nelson School has class sizes larger than 74% of Alaska schools. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Southwest Region School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020071000465 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
1.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
92.9%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How William Sonny Nelson School compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at William Sonny Nelson School
William Sonny Nelson School is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Ekwok, Alaska, enrolling 17 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17:1 puts it in the larger third of Alaska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 92.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 17 puts it in the smaller third of Alaska schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 495 Alaska schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 25 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alaska schools statewide, it ranks #24, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by American Indian / Alaska Native (77%) and Two or More (24%) (diversity index 36/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Southwest Region School District spends $44,038 per pupil, 32% above the Alaska average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 44.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Southwest Region School District also operates Togiak School (198 students) and Manokotak School (139 students) alongside William Sonny Nelson 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 William Sonny Nelson School compares
William Sonny Nelson 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 | 17:1 | ▲ 12% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 92.9% | ▲ 51% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 17 | top 90% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
17
Bigger than 2% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
92.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% above the Alaska average of 61.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 74% in Alaska - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
52.9%
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
$44,038
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
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.
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
American Indian / Alaska Native 76.5%
Two or More 23.5%
Largest group: American Indian / Alaska Native at 76.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.0, William Sonny Nelson School is less mixed than the Alaska school average of 43.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Southwest Region School District, which includes William Sonny Nelson School.
$44,038
Per student
+32%
vs Alaska
Avg $33,240
+165%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 3.8%
State 51.9%
Federal 44.3%
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 William Sonny Nelson School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Togiak School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Manokotak School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Chief Ivan Blunka School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Koliganek School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aleknagik School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to William Sonny Nelson School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 198
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 139
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 133
- Students per teacher
- 9.5:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 60
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 28
- Students per teacher
- 9.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
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 (~17 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on William Sonny Nelson School's federal record.
- Compare William Sonny Nelson School against another school. Compare schools
- Southwest Region 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 William Sonny Nelson School
How many students attend William Sonny Nelson School?
William Sonny Nelson School has 17 students enrolled. It is a public school in Ekwok, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at William Sonny Nelson School?
The student-teacher ratio at William Sonny Nelson School is 17:1, which is 12% higher than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at William Sonny Nelson School?
92.9% of students at William Sonny Nelson School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of William Sonny Nelson School?
The largest demographic group at William Sonny Nelson School is American Indian / Alaska Native at 76.5% of enrollment, in Ekwok, AK.
What is the Resource Investment Index for William Sonny Nelson School?
William Sonny Nelson School has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (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).
Is William Sonny Nelson School a good school?
William Sonny Nelson School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 Southwest Region School District?
Besides William Sonny Nelson School, Southwest Region School District also operates Togiak School (198 students), Manokotak School (139 students), and Chief Ivan Blunka School (133 students). See the Southwest Region 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.