Enrollment
536
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Anchorage, AK
Bowman Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Bowman Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 020018000713
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bowman Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alaska median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alaska schools.
- #55 of 59
- schools in Anchorage · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.3:1
- students per teacher
- 24.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Bowman Elementary has class sizes near the Alaska median. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bowman Elementary ranks #55 of 59 schools in Anchorage, AK.
School address
District: Anchorage School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020018000713 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.5%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
-60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bowman Elementary compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bowman Elementary
Bowman Elementary is a large combined-grade school in Anchorage, Alaska, enrolling 536 students.
At 15.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Alaska median, within a few percentage points of the 15.2:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alaska, bigger than 91% of state schools at 536 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 495 scored Alaska schools.
Among 59 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alaska schools statewide, it ranks #49, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and Two or More (19%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 536 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Anchorage School District spends $17,200 per pupil, 48% below the Alaska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Anchorage's public schools, it stands alongside Family Partnership Charter School (1,008 students): Bowman Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.3:1 vs 50.4:1).
Anchorage School District also operates West High School (1,702 students) and Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School (1,636 students) alongside Bowman Elementary.
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 Bowman Elementary compares
Bowman Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Alaska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alaska | Alaska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.3:1 | ▲ 1% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.5% | ▼ 60% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 536 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
536
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% below the Alaska average of 61.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 59% in Alaska - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
40.3%
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
$17,200
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alaska avg of $33,240
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 536 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.4 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 46.8%
Two or More 19.2%
Asian 10.8%
Hispanic or Latino 10.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 8.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.0%
African American 1.7%
Largest group: White at 46.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.4, Bowman Elementary is more mixed than the Alaska school average of 43.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Anchorage School District, which includes Bowman Elementary.
$17,200
Per student
-48%
vs Alaska
Avg $33,240
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.8%
State 54.1%
Federal 18.1%
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 Bowman Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Service High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bartlett High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dimond High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bowman Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,702
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,636
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,518
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,431
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,373
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar other schools in Anchorage
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Family Partnership Charter School
Standard public school
1,008 students 50.4:1 students per teacher
Frontier Charter School
Standard public school
689 students
Northern Lights Abc K-8 School
Standard public school
582 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Focus Homeschool
Standard public school
549 students 61:1 students per teacher
Polaris K-12 School
Standard public school
483 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Government Hill Elementary
Standard public school
424 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~536 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bowman Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Bowman Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Anchorage 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 Bowman Elementary
How many students attend Bowman Elementary?
Bowman Elementary has 536 students enrolled. It is a public school in Anchorage, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bowman Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bowman Elementary is 15.3:1, which is 1% higher than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bowman Elementary?
24.5% of students at Bowman Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bowman Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Bowman Elementary is White at 46.8% of enrollment, in Anchorage, AK. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bowman Elementary?
Bowman Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bowman Elementary rank among schools in Anchorage?
By Resource Investment Index, Bowman Elementary ranks #55 of 59 schools in Anchorage, AK. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Anchorage on the city page.
Is Bowman Elementary a good school?
Bowman Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alaska median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Anchorage School District?
Besides Bowman Elementary, Anchorage School District also operates West High School (1,702 students), Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School (1,636 students), and Service High School (1,518 students). See the Anchorage 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.