Enrollment
275
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Anchorage, AK
Chugach Optional Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Chugach Optional Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 020018000067
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chugach Optional Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Alaska schools.
- #23 of 59
- schools in Anchorage · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.6:1
- large classes for Alaska
- 9.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Chugach Optional Elementary has class sizes larger than 87% of Alaska schools. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chugach Optional Elementary ranks #23 of 59 schools in Anchorage, AK.
School address
District: Anchorage School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020018000067 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
9.8%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
-84% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chugach Optional Elementary compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chugach Optional Elementary
Teacher staffing is the clearest operational constraint
Chugach Optional Elementary's enrollment sits away from the most extreme size bands, but its reported student-teacher ratio is heavier than most Alaska schools. That isolates staffing load as a more useful concern than raw campus size. A high ratio does not establish weak teaching or outcomes, yet it can indicate less adult capacity per enrolled student. The remaining federal indicators show whether support staffing and program access offset that pressure.
Need and resources require a component-level read
Chugach Optional Elementary falls within the wide middle of the Alaska distribution on both free-meal eligibility and the Resource Investment Index. Neither measure supplies an honest headline by itself. The useful distinctions are in the components: classroom staffing, counselor availability, attendance, gifted-program access, and district spending. Those fields can pull in opposite directions even when the overall percentile looks ordinary.
Attendance is the dominant support signal
Chugach Optional Elementary's 31.6% chronic-absence rate is more consequential than a generic staffing label: at least one quarter of students missed 10% or more of school days in the 2021-22 collection. That level can affect instruction, counseling demand, and continuity even when other reported resources look ordinary. The dataset records the scale of absence but not its causes, so it should prompt a current-year question rather than a conclusion about school management.
Chugach Optional Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Anchorage, Alaska, enrolling 275 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.6:1 is larger than about 87% of Alaska schools and 29% above the 15.2:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 9.8% free-meal eligibility runs 84% below the Alaska average.
Enrollment of 275 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 30 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #13.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and Two or More (13%) (diversity index 46/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Anchorage School District spends $16,636 per pupil, 51% 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): Chugach Optional Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.6:1 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 Chugach Optional 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 Chugach Optional Elementary compares
Chugach Optional 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 | 19.6:1 | ▲ 29% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 9.8% | ▼ 84% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 275 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
275
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
9.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 84% below the Alaska average of 61.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 87% in Alaska - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.6%
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
$16,636
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
Counselors0.0 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.
Student demographics
White 72.0%
Two or More 13.1%
Hispanic or Latino 8.4%
Asian 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.9%
African American 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 72.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.6, Chugach Optional 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 Chugach Optional Elementary.
$16,636
Per student
-51%
vs Alaska
Avg $33,705
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $17,658
Revenue mix
Local 27.8%
State 54.1%
Federal 18.1%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2022-23 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Chugach Optional Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Service High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bartlett High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dimond High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chugach Optional 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
Bowman Elementary
Standard public school
536 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Polaris K-12 School
Standard public school
483 students 19.3:1 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 (~275 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chugach Optional Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Chugach Optional 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 Chugach Optional Elementary
How many students attend Chugach Optional Elementary?
Chugach Optional Elementary has 275 students enrolled. It is a public school in Anchorage, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chugach Optional Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Chugach Optional Elementary is 19.6:1, which is 29% higher than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Chugach Optional Elementary?
9.8% of students at Chugach Optional Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chugach Optional Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Chugach Optional Elementary is White at 72.0% of enrollment, in Anchorage, AK.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chugach Optional Elementary?
Chugach Optional Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Chugach Optional Elementary rank among schools in Anchorage?
By Resource Investment Index, Chugach Optional Elementary ranks #23 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.
What other schools are in Anchorage School District?
Besides Chugach Optional 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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.