Enrollment
733
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Anchorage, AK
Mears Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Mears Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 020018000562
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mears Middle School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Alaska schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alaska.
- #6 of 9
- middle schools in Anchorage · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.4:1
- large classes for Alaska
- 26.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Mears Middle School has class sizes larger than 90% of Alaska schools. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mears Middle School ranks #6 of 9 middle schools in Anchorage, AK.
School address
District: Anchorage School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020018000562 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.4:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
+34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.2%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
-57% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mears Middle School compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mears Middle School
Mears Middle School is a large middle school in Anchorage, Alaska, enrolling 733 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.4:1 is larger than about 90% of Alaska schools and 34% above the 15.2:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.2% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alaska, bigger than 95% of state schools at 733 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 495 scored Alaska schools.
Against 33 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #23.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 367 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.5% 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.
Discipline events run high: 171 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 733 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Anchorage's middle schools, it stands alongside Romig Middle School (1,138 students): Mears Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.4:1 vs 29.2:1).
Anchorage School District also operates West High School (1,702 students) and Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School (1,636 students) alongside Mears 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 Mears Middle School compares
Mears 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 | 20.4:1 | ▲ 34% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.2% | ▼ 57% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 733 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.4:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
733
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 57% 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
20.4:1
students per teacher
- 34% above state mean
Top 90% in Alaska - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
50.5%
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 367 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
90
in-school suspensions + 81 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.3 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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Anchorage School District, which includes Mears 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 Mears Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Service High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bartlett High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dimond High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mears 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 in Anchorage
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Romig Middle School
Standard public school
1,138 students 29.2:1 students per teacher
Nicholas J. Begich Middle School
Standard public school
830 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Hanshew Middle School
Standard public school
822 students 30.4:1 students per teacher
Clark Middle School
Standard public school
713 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Goldenview Middle School
Standard public school
626 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Wendler Middle School
Standard public school
602 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
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 (~733 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mears Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Mears 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 Mears Middle School
How many students attend Mears Middle School?
Mears Middle School has 733 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Anchorage, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mears Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mears Middle School is 20.4:1, which is 34% higher than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 30% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mears Middle School?
26.2% of students at Mears Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mears Middle School?
Mears Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Mears Middle School rank among middle schools in Anchorage?
By Resource Investment Index, Mears Middle School ranks #6 of 9 middle 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 middle schools in Anchorage on the city page.
Is Mears Middle School a good school?
Mears Middle School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% 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 Mears 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.