- Enrollment
- 2,780
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Other / mixed grade configuration · Big Lake, AK
Big Lake Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Big Lake Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 020051000727
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Big Lake Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Alaska schools.
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.5:1
- large classes for Alaska
- 74.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 362
- students enrolled
Big Lake Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of Alaska schools. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020051000727 Verify on NCES CCD record →
CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24
-62 students YoY
Big Lake Elementary shrank from 382 students in 2022-23 to 320 in 2023-24 (-16.2%).
Teacher FTE added 22.0 → 24.5 across the same CCD years.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).
Shrinking CCD campus
-62 students YoY 020051000727 · Big Lake, AK Other · SMALL · TRAD
362 enr · 16.5:1 · 74.1% lunch · RII 18
Nearest enrollment peer: Mat-Su Central School (2,780 students)
Big Lake Elementary shrank from 382 students in 2022-23 to 320 in 2023-24 (-16.2%). Teacher FTE added 22.0 → 24.5 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Alaska schools → · Find another →
Big Lake Elementary in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Mat-Su Central
Mat-Su Central School
2,780 students
- Colony High Sc 1,046
Colony High School
1,046 students
- Wasilla High S 816
Wasilla High School
816 students
- Colony Middle 771
Colony Middle School
771 students
- Mat-Su Career 705
Mat-Su Career & Tech Ed High School
705 students
- This school 362
Big Lake Elementary
362 students
What this shows Big Lake Elementary reports 362 students on the CCD universe file.
How Big Lake Elementary compares
Big Lake Elementary is a shrinking campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs Alaska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alaska | Alaska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.5:1 | ▲ 9% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.1% | ▲ 20% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 362 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
362
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators methodology
Economic need
74.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% above the Alaska average of 61.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 70% in Alaska - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
71.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,575
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alaska avg of $33,705
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
White 60.8%
Two or More 18.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 11.0%
Hispanic or Latino 7.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.1%
Asian 0.8%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: White at 60.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.0, Big Lake Elementary is more mixed than the Alaska school average of 43.0.
Programs
District finance for Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District reports $15,575 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.
How Big Lake Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mat-Su Central School | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| Colony High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wasilla High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Colony Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mat-Su Career & Tech Ed High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Big Lake Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,046
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 816
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 771
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 705
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Nationwide other schools with similar size or staffing
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.
Similar enrollment (~362 students)
Frequently asked questions about Big Lake Elementary
How many students attend Big Lake Elementary?
Big Lake Elementary has 362 students enrolled. It is a public school in Big Lake, AK. CCD year-over-year: 382 (2022-23) → 320 (2023-24), down 62.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Big Lake Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Big Lake Elementary is 16.5:1, which is 9% higher than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Big Lake Elementary?
74.1% of students at Big Lake Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Big Lake Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Big Lake Elementary is White at 60.8% of enrollment, in Big Lake, AK. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Big Lake Elementary?
Big Lake Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
What other schools are in Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District?
Besides Big Lake Elementary, Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District also operates Mat-Su Central School (2,780 students), Colony High School (1,046 students), and Wasilla High School (816 students). See the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District district page for the complete list.