Enrollment
263
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Palmer, AK
Butte Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Butte Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 020051000724
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Butte Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alaska median.
- #3 of 6
- schools in Palmer · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 28.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Butte Elementary has class sizes near the Alaska median. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Butte Elementary ranks #3 of 6 schools in Palmer, AK.
School address
District: Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020051000724 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.8%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
-53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Butte Elementary compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Butte Elementary
Butte Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Palmer, Alaska, enrolling 263 students.
At 13.8:1, 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 28.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 263 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.
Against 61 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #18.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Two or More (13%) (diversity index 50/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 60.8% 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 public schools, it stands alongside Pioneer Peak Elementary (449 students): Butte Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.8:1 vs 16:1).
Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District also operates Mat-Su Central School (2,780 students) and Colony High School (1,046 students) alongside Butte 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 Butte Elementary compares
Butte 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 | 13.8:1 | ▼ 9% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.8% | ▼ 53% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 263 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
263
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% 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
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 46% in Alaska - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
60.8%
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 + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 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 68.8%
Two or More 12.5%
Hispanic or Latino 9.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 6.8%
Asian 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 68.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.6, Butte Elementary is more 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 Butte Elementary.
$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 Butte 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 | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wasilla High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Colony Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mat-Su Career & Tech Ed High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Butte Elementary'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 other schools in Palmer
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Pioneer Peak Elementary
Standard public school
449 students 16:1 students per teacher
Swanson Elementary
Standard public school
348 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Mat-Su Middle College School
Standard public school
222 students
Beryozova School
Standard public school
39 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Mat-Su Youth Facility
Alternative education program
10 students 10:1 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 (~263 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Butte Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Butte Elementary 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 Butte Elementary
How many students attend Butte Elementary?
Butte Elementary has 263 students enrolled. It is a public school in Palmer, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Butte Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Butte Elementary is 13.8:1, which is 9% lower than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Butte Elementary?
28.8% of students at Butte Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Butte Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Butte Elementary is White at 68.8% of enrollment, in Palmer, AK.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Butte Elementary?
Butte Elementary 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 Butte Elementary rank among schools in Palmer?
By Resource Investment Index, Butte Elementary ranks #3 of 6 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 schools in Palmer on the city page.
Is Butte Elementary a good school?
Butte Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alaska median. 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 Butte 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.
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.