Enrollment
797
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Eagle River, AK
Gruening Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Gruening Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 020018000505
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gruening Middle School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Alaska schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alaska.
- #10 of 11
- public schools in Eagle River · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 26.6:1
- large classes for Alaska
- 13.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Gruening Middle School has class sizes larger than 96% of Alaska schools. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gruening Middle School ranks #10 of 11 public schools in Eagle River, AK.
School address
District: Anchorage School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020018000505 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.6:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
+75% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.2%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
-79% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gruening Middle School compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gruening Middle School
Gruening Middle School is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Eagle River, Alaska, enrolling 797 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.6:1 is larger than about 96% of Alaska schools and 75% above the 15.2:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 13.2% free-meal eligibility runs 79% below the Alaska average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alaska, bigger than 96% of state schools at 797 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 495 scored Alaska schools.
Among 21 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alaska schools statewide, it ranks #17, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Two or More (14%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 797 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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.
Anchorage School District also operates West High School (1,702 students) and Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School (1,636 students) alongside Gruening Middle 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 Gruening Middle School compares
Gruening Middle 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 | 26.6:1 | ▲ 75% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.2% | ▼ 79% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 797 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.6:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
797
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 79% 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
26.6:1
students per teacher
- 75% above state mean
Top 96% in Alaska - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
22.6%
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
$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 797 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
20
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.4 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 63.4%
Two or More 13.9%
Hispanic or Latino 11.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.9%
African American 3.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.8%
Asian 1.5%
Largest group: White at 63.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.2, Gruening Middle School 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 Gruening Middle School.
$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 Gruening Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Service High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bartlett High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dimond High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gruening Middle School'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 middle 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 (~797 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~26.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gruening Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Gruening Middle School 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 Gruening Middle School
How many students attend Gruening Middle School?
Gruening Middle School has 797 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Eagle River, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gruening Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gruening Middle School is 26.6:1, which is 75% higher than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 69% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gruening Middle School?
13.2% of students at Gruening Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gruening Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Gruening Middle School is White at 63.4% of enrollment, in Eagle River, AK. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gruening Middle School?
Gruening Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 Gruening Middle School rank among public schools in Eagle River?
By Resource Investment Index, Gruening Middle School ranks #10 of 11 public schools in Eagle River, AK. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Eagle River on the city page.
Is Gruening Middle School a good school?
Gruening Middle School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Alaska schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alaska. 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 Gruening Middle School, 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.