Hermon Hutchens Elementary

As a reasonably sized elementary school in Valdez, Alaska, Hermon Hutchens Elementary instructs 287 students from grades pre-K through 5, operated by Valdez City School District.

Valdez City School District comprises 3 schools with combined enrollment of 605 students; Hermon Hutchens Elementary is among them.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Hermon Hutchens Elementary reports that White students make up the majority at 67%; the rest is composed of 15% multiracial, 10% Native American, 6% Hispanic.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Hermon Hutchens Elementary has 23 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.5:1. The state averages around 15.3:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 27% of students at Hermon Hutchens Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Chugach Census Area (around 48%), the school's rate is meaningfully below typical.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Hermon Hutchens Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 44.1%; this one delivers 54.4%.

Across the wider county, community-level numbers for Chugach Census Area indicate median household income runs about $90,509, 31% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 4% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Chugach Census Area runs 10 public schools (combined enrollment of about 1,034 students), of which Hermon Hutchens Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is George H. Gilson Middle School, roughly 0.6 miles away. Within five miles, there are 2 other public schools.

Geographically, the school is in a countryside area.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Hermon Hutchens Elementary has shrank 7%, going from 308 students in 2018 to 287 in 2025. The White share of enrollment ticked up from 61% to 67% over that span.

Within the allk12 community for this school, posts here usually surface around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.