William Sonny Nelson School

Located at #5 Ekwok School Rd, in Ekwok, Alaska, William Sonny Nelson School is a tiny all-grades campus that instructs 17 students (grades pre-K through 12), part of Southwest Region School District. By comparison, Alaska's public schools average about 192 students each, so William Sonny Nelson School sits 91% leaner than that benchmark.

Within Southwest Region School District, which oversees 8 schools and 615 students, William Sonny Nelson School is one campus in the system.

On the student-mix side, William Sonny Nelson School reports that 76% of the student body identifies as Native American. Beyond that, the school logs 24% multiracial.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 2 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 8.2:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 27.0:1, putting William Sonny Nelson School tighter than the state norm the norm. About 82% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is lower than Dillingham Census Area's rate of about 100%.

In the area at large, the surrounding county (Dillingham Census Area) records that median household earnings sit near $78,533, roughly 19% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 19% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Dillingham Census Area's 10 public schools (combined enrollment of about 1,018 students), William Sonny Nelson School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Chief Ivan Blunka School, around 9.1 miles off.

William Sonny Nelson School operates from a low-density location.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked up 13%: 15 students in 2018 compared to 17 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 10.0:1 in 2018 to 8.2:1 today.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.