Enrollment
383
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Palmer, AK
Sherrod Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sherrod Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 020051000230
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sherrod Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Alaska schools.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in Palmer · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.4:1
- large classes for Alaska
- 43.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Sherrod Elementary has class sizes larger than 75% of Alaska schools. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sherrod Elementary ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Palmer, AK.
School address
District: Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020051000230 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.0%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sherrod Elementary compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sherrod Elementary
Sherrod Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Palmer, Alaska, enrolling 383 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Alaska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 43.0% lands close to the Alaska typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 383 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 47 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #27.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Two or More (21%) (diversity index 60/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.7% 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 elementary schools, it stands alongside Birchtree Charter School (416 students): Sherrod Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.4:1 vs 17.3:1).
Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District also operates Mat-Su Central School (2,780 students) and Colony High School (1,046 students) alongside Sherrod 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 Sherrod Elementary compares
Sherrod 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 | 17.4:1 | ▲ 14% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.0% | ▼ 30% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 383 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
383
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% below the Alaska average of 61.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 75% in Alaska - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
52.7%
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
3
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.4 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 58.7%
Two or More 20.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 10.7%
Hispanic or Latino 7.8%
Asian 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
African American 0.5%
Largest group: White at 58.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.5, Sherrod 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 Sherrod 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 Sherrod 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 | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wasilla High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Colony Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mat-Su Career & Tech Ed High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sherrod 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 elementary schools in Palmer
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~383 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sherrod Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sherrod 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 Sherrod Elementary
How many students attend Sherrod Elementary?
Sherrod Elementary has 383 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Palmer, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sherrod Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sherrod Elementary is 17.4:1, which is 14% higher than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sherrod Elementary?
43.0% of students at Sherrod Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sherrod Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sherrod Elementary is White at 58.7% of enrollment, in Palmer, AK. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sherrod Elementary?
Sherrod Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Sherrod Elementary rank among elementary schools in Palmer?
By Resource Investment Index, Sherrod Elementary ranks #3 of 3 elementary 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 elementary schools in Palmer on the city page.
Is Sherrod Elementary a good school?
Sherrod Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of 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 Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District?
Besides Sherrod 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.