Enrollment
268
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 020051000311 Charter school
Academy Charter School — Palmer, AK
Federal NCES profile for Academy Charter School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 52/100.
👥 Class size 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 44
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District · Alaska
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 20:1 Alaska avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Academy Charter School compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Academy Charter School reports 268 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 18.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 28% below the Alaska state mean of 20:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 9% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 22.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District spends $18,753 per pupil district-wide, below the Alaska average of $36,093 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 22.6% from local sources (property taxes), 62.7% from the state, and 14.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (C-), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Academy Charter School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Alaska state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Alaska | Alaska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.5:1 | ▼ 28% | 20:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 268 | top 66% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
14.5:1
students per teacher
— 28% below state mean
Top 46% in Alaska — lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
22.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$18,753
per pupil, district-wide
— below Alaska avg of $36,093
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
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
Enrollment 268 Top 66% in Alaska — larger than 34% of 496 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 18.0
Students per teacher 14.5:1 -28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 020051000311
Student demographics
White 75.7%
Two or More 10.8%
Hispanic or Latino 7.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 5.2%
Asian 1.1%
Largest group: White at 75.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 22.4%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, which includes Academy Charter School.
$18,753
Per student
-48%
vs Alaska
Avg $36,093
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 22.6%
State 62.7%
Federal 14.7%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,780
- Students per teacher
- 98:1
- Enrollment
- 1,046
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Enrollment
- 816
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Enrollment
- 771
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Enrollment
- 705
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
Similar elementary schools in Palmer
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Academy Charter School
How many students attend Academy Charter School?
Academy Charter School has 268 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Palmer, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Academy Charter School?
The student-teacher ratio at Academy Charter School is 14.5:1, which is 28% lower than the Alaska average of 20:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Academy Charter School?
The largest demographic group at Academy Charter School is White at 75.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Palmer, AK.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Academy Charter School?
Academy Charter School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (C-) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.