Enrollment
416
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Palmer, AK
Birchtree Charter School
Federal NCES profile for Birchtree Charter School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 020051000744Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 12
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Birchtree Charter School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Alaska schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Palmer · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.3:1
- large classes for Alaska
- 416
- students enrolled
Birchtree Charter School has class sizes larger than 74% of Alaska schools. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Birchtree Charter School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Palmer, AK.
School address
District: Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020051000744 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Birchtree Charter School compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Birchtree Charter School
Birchtree Charter School is a large charter elementary school in Palmer, Alaska, enrolling 416 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Alaska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 416 puts it in the larger third of Alaska schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 495 scored Alaska schools.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Two or More (12%) (diversity index 36/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District spends $16,171 per pupil, 51% below the Alaska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Palmer's elementary schools, it stands alongside Sherrod Elementary (383 students): Birchtree Charter School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.3:1 vs 17.4:1).
Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District also operates Mat-Su Central School (2,780 students) and Colony High School (1,046 students) alongside Birchtree Charter School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Birchtree Charter School compares
Birchtree Charter School on the metrics families compare, against Alaska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alaska | Alaska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.3:1 | ▲ 14% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 416 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.3:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
416
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
17.3:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 74% in Alaska - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
35.1%
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
$16,171
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alaska avg of $33,240
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 79.1%
Two or More 12.3%
Hispanic or Latino 4.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.1%
African American 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 79.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.6, Birchtree Charter School is less mixed than the Alaska school average of 43.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, which includes Birchtree Charter School.
$16,171
Per student
-51%
vs Alaska
Avg $33,240
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Birchtree Charter School 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 | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wasilla High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Colony Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mat-Su Career & Tech Ed High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Birchtree Charter School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,780
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- 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
Similar elementary schools in Palmer
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alaska, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~416 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Birchtree Charter School's federal record.
- Compare Birchtree Charter School against another school. Compare schools
- Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Birchtree Charter School
How many students attend Birchtree Charter School?
Birchtree Charter School has 416 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Palmer, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Birchtree Charter School?
The student-teacher ratio at Birchtree Charter School is 17.3:1, which is 14% higher than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Birchtree Charter School?
The largest demographic group at Birchtree Charter School is White at 79.1% of enrollment, in Palmer, AK.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Birchtree Charter School?
Birchtree Charter School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Birchtree Charter School rank among elementary schools in Palmer?
By Resource Investment Index, Birchtree Charter School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Palmer, AK. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Palmer on the city page.
Is Birchtree Charter School a good school?
Birchtree Charter School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Alaska schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District?
Besides Birchtree Charter School, 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.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.