Top of the Kuskokwim School

Top of the Kuskokwim School operates as an one-room-style multi-level school in Nikolai, Alaska, overseen by Iditarod Area School District. Current enrollment sits at 13 students spanning grades pre-K through 12. That puts it 93% smaller than the typical public school in Alaska, which averages around 192 students.

Top of the Kuskokwim School is one of 8 schools operated by Iditarod Area School District, a district that educates 263 students overall.

Demographically, Top of the Kuskokwim School lists that the largest single group is Native American, at 77% of enrollment; the rest is composed of 23% Hispanic.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 2 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 7.2:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 27.0:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical.

In the area at large, Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area reports that median household income runs about $55,741, roughly 16% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Top of the Kuskokwim School is one of 29 public schools in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area (combined enrollment of about 3,273 students).

The campus sits in an outlying setting.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count held roughly steady: 13 students in 2018 compared to 13 in 2025. Hispanic enrollment moved from 0% to 23% across the same window.

On this page, members of the Top of the Kuskokwim School community share and discuss classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Members of the school community can share what they know.