East Arizona News

There were 2,307 American Indian or Alaskan Native students enrolled in Whiteriver Unified District schools in the 2022-23 school year, 3.5% more than the previous year, according to the Arizona Department of Education.

Data showed that Whiteriver Unified District welcomed 2,351 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, American Indian or Alaskan Native students comprised 98.1% of the student body to be the most represented ethnicity in the district.

Whiteriver Unified District roughly covers schools within Navajo County and has a main office in Whiteriver.

Among the five schools in Whiteriver Unified District, Alchesay High School recorded the highest enrollment of American Indian or Alaskan Native students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 808 students.

WalletHub claimed Arizona’s school system ranked among the worst across U.S. for class size, performance, funding, safety, and instructors’ credentials.

In 2022 Arizona had roughly one teacher for every 19 students, compared to the national average of one teacher for 16 students. Teachers handling a higher number of students was found to have negative consequences for students’ school performance.

Year	Total District Enrollment	Total American Indian or Alaskan Native Students	American Indian or Alaskan Native %
2021	2,157	2,108	97.7%
2022	2,259	2,228	98.6%
2023	2,351	2,307	98.1%