Summary:
The city of Big Lake, Alaska is home to a single elementary school, Big Lake Elementary, which serves grades PK-5 and has a total enrollment of 320 students. The school is part of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, which is ranked 10 out of 24 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.
Big Lake Elementary's academic performance has been a concern, with proficiency rates on state assessments consistently lower than the district and state averages, particularly in English Language Arts. The school's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the past few years, ranging from 94th out of 173 Alaska elementary schools in 2023-2024 to 132nd out of 176 in 2022-2023, indicating instability in its performance. Additionally, the school has a relatively high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (67.19% in 2023-2024), suggesting significant economic challenges among the student population.
Despite the higher per-student spending and lower student-teacher ratio at Big Lake Elementary, the school's academic performance remains below average. This suggests that simply increasing funding and reducing class sizes may not be enough to improve student outcomes, and that other factors, such as curriculum, teaching quality, and targeted interventions, may need to be addressed to help the school better serve its students and improve their academic success.
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