Enrollment
324
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Wasilla, AK
Tanaina Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Tanaina Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 020051000547
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tanaina Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alaska median.
- #8 of 18
- schools in Wasilla · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.5:1
- students per teacher
- 56.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Tanaina Elementary has class sizes near the Alaska median. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tanaina Elementary ranks #8 of 18 schools in Wasilla, AK.
School address
District: Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020051000547 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.6%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tanaina Elementary compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tanaina Elementary
Tanaina Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Wasilla, Alaska, enrolling 324 students.
At 13.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Alaska median, within a few percentage points of the 15.2:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 56.6% lands close to the Alaska typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 324 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 23 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #14.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Two or More (20%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 405 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 66.7% 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 Wasilla's public schools, it stands alongside Mat-Su Central School (2,780 students): Tanaina Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District also operates Mat-Su Central School (2,780 students) and Colony High School (1,046 students) alongside Tanaina 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 Tanaina Elementary compares
Tanaina 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 | 13.5:1 | ▼ 11% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.6% | ▼ 8% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 324 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
324
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% 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
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 44% in Alaska - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
66.7%
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
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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 62.7%
Two or More 19.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 8.0%
Hispanic or Latino 6.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.5%
Asian 0.9%
African American 0.3%
Largest group: White at 62.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.6, Tanaina 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 Tanaina 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 Tanaina 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 | Higher 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tanaina 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 other schools in Wasilla
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Mat-Su Central School
Standard public school
2,780 students
Twindly Bridge Charter School
Standard public school
601 students
John Shaw Elementary
Standard public school
507 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Joe Redington Senior Jr/Sr High School
Standard public school
497 students 16:1 students per teacher
Fred and Sara Machetanz Elementary School
Standard public school
468 students 18:1 students per teacher
Finger Lake Elementary
Standard public school
445 students 17.8:1 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 (~324 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tanaina Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Tanaina 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 Tanaina Elementary
How many students attend Tanaina Elementary?
Tanaina Elementary has 324 students enrolled. It is a public school in Wasilla, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tanaina Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Tanaina Elementary is 13.5:1, which is 11% lower than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 14% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Tanaina Elementary?
56.6% of students at Tanaina Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tanaina Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Tanaina Elementary is White at 62.7% of enrollment, in Wasilla, AK. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tanaina Elementary?
Tanaina Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical 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 Tanaina Elementary rank among schools in Wasilla?
By Resource Investment Index, Tanaina Elementary ranks #8 of 18 schools in Wasilla, AK. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Wasilla on the city page.
Is Tanaina Elementary a good school?
Tanaina Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alaska median. 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 Tanaina 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.