Enrollment
392
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Anchorage, AK
Ptarmigan Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ptarmigan Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 020018000102
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ptarmigan Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Alaska schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alaska schools.
- #50 of 59
- schools in Anchorage · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.6:1
- large classes for Alaska
- 79.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Ptarmigan Elementary has class sizes larger than 90% of Alaska schools. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ptarmigan Elementary ranks #50 of 59 schools in Anchorage, AK.
School address
District: Anchorage School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020018000102 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.6:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
+36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.2%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
+29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ptarmigan Elementary compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ptarmigan Elementary
Ptarmigan Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Anchorage, Alaska, enrolling 392 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.6:1 is larger than about 90% of Alaska schools and 36% above the 15.2:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 79.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 392 puts it in the larger third of Alaska schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 495 scored Alaska schools.
Against 22 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #15.
Its student body is led by Two or More (20%) and Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander (17%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 85/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 55.9% 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): Ptarmigan Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.6:1 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 Ptarmigan 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 Ptarmigan Elementary compares
Ptarmigan 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 | 20.6:1 | ▲ 36% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.2% | ▲ 29% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 392 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.6:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
392
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
79.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% above the Alaska average of 61.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.6:1
students per teacher
- 36% 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
55.9%
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
Counselors0.1 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.3 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.
Student demographics
Two or More 19.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 16.6%
Asian 15.8%
Hispanic or Latino 14.8%
White 14.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 12.2%
African American 6.6%
Largest group: Two or More at 19.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 84.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 84.7, Ptarmigan 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 Ptarmigan 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 Ptarmigan Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Service High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bartlett High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dimond High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ptarmigan 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 (~392 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ptarmigan Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ptarmigan 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 Ptarmigan Elementary
How many students attend Ptarmigan Elementary?
Ptarmigan Elementary has 392 students enrolled. It is a public school in Anchorage, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ptarmigan Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ptarmigan Elementary is 20.6:1, which is 36% higher than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 31% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ptarmigan Elementary?
79.2% of students at Ptarmigan Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ptarmigan Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ptarmigan Elementary is Two or More at 19.6% of enrollment, in Anchorage, AK. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 84.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ptarmigan Elementary?
Ptarmigan Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower 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 Ptarmigan Elementary rank among schools in Anchorage?
By Resource Investment Index, Ptarmigan Elementary ranks #50 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 Ptarmigan Elementary a good school?
Ptarmigan Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Alaska schools. 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 Ptarmigan 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.