Elementary Schools in Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District

Summary:

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District in Alaska is home to 27 diverse elementary schools, serving students from a wide range of backgrounds. While the schools vary in size, from the small Trapper Creek Elementary with just 24 students to the larger Colony Middle School with 757 students, the district as a whole is ranked 10th out of 24 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Several schools stand out as top performers in the district, including John Shaw Elementary, ranked 8th out of 175 Alaska elementary schools, Fred and Sara Machetanz Elementary School, ranked 29th, and Academy Charter School, ranked 3rd. These schools excel across a range of metrics, with high proficiency rates in science, English Language Arts, and Mathematics. In contrast, some schools like Meadow Lakes Elementary and Big Lake Elementary struggle, ranking in the bottom quarter of Alaska elementary schools.

Overall, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District demonstrates a wide range of performance among its elementary schools, with some standout institutions and others facing challenges. Understanding the factors that contribute to these differences, such as funding, student-teacher ratios, and socioeconomic factors, could help the district identify ways to improve outcomes across all its schools and ensure every student has access to a high-quality education.

District Detail

501 N Gulkana St
Palmer, AK 99645

(907) 746-9200

SchoolDigger Rank:
10^th of 24 Alaska districts

See the 2025 Alaska District rankings!

Grades served: PK, KG-12
Students: 19,495

Primary Schools: 27
Middle Schools: 3
High Schools: 10
Alternative Schools: 9

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				STAR English Language Arts (2025)							STAR Mathematics (2025)							ASA Science (2025)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAR English Language Arts 3rd Grade	STAR English Language Arts 4th Grade	STAR English Language Arts 5th Grade	STAR English Language Arts 6th Grade	STAR English Language Arts 7th Grade	STAR English Language Arts 8th Grade	STAR English Language Arts All Grades	STAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAR Mathematics All Grades	ASA Science 5th Grade	ASA Science 8th Grade	ASA Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Goose Bay Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	6400 Hollywood Blvd	Wasilla	99687	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 352-6400	305	21	14.5	43.3%	200 (65.6%)	1 (0.3%)	25 (8.2%)	2 (0.7%)	21 (6.9%)	2 (0.7%)	54 (17.7%)								(n/a)																		$17,882	$1,993	$15,889
Iditarod Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	455 E Carpenter Cir	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 352-9100	424	26	16.3	72.2%	244 (57.5%)	4 (0.9%)	50 (11.8%)	9 (2.1%)	24 (5.7%)	1 (0.2%)	92 (21.7%)	22.6	137^th of 175 public elementary schools	21.7%		35.9	115^th of 173 public elementary schools	33.5%	22	21.7	22.1	24.1				22.6	27.7	27.3	28.6				27.8	40.4		40.4	$17,072	$3,548	$13,525
Sherrod Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	561 N Gulkana St	Palmer	99645	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 761-4100	383	23	16.6	62.4%	225 (58.7%)	2 (0.5%)	30 (7.8%)	3 (0.8%)	41 (10.7%)	3 (0.8%)	79 (20.6%)	62.7	60^th of 175 public elementary schools	65.7%		65.2	57^th of 173 public elementary schools	67.1%	3	54.0	45.7	47.6				49.0	44.3	47.8	37.6				43.1	50.0		50.0	$15,066	$1,445	$13,621
Swanson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	507 N Gulkana	Palmer	99645	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 861-5300	348	26	13.3	47.7%	217 (62.4%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (9.2%)	5 (1.4%)	27 (7.8%)	4 (1.1%)	63 (18.1%)								(n/a)																		$14,003	$1,636	$12,366
Academy Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	801 East Arctic	Palmer	99645	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	Yes	No	No	No	(907) 746-2358	268	21	13.0		203 (75.7%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (7.1%)	3 (1.1%)	14 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (10.8%)	93.3	3^rd of 175 public elementary schools	98.3%		93.7	4^th of 173 public elementary schools	97.7%	1	46.7	71.0	70.0	70.0	76.0	76.7	68.2	63.3	80.7	76.7	86.7	76.0	86.7	78.4	66.7	63.3	65.0	$16,769	$105	$16,664
Midnight Sun Family Learning Center	Public, Charter	K-8	7275 W Midnight Sun Cir	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	Yes	No	No	No	(907) 357-6786	189	8	23.6		140 (74.1%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (6.3%)	1 (0.5%)	8 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (14.8%)	77.8	27^th of 175 public elementary schools	84.6%		76.4	27^th of 173 public elementary schools	84.4%		39.1	39.4	73.7	38.9	40.9	45.5	45.2	65.2	60.6	84.2	50.0	54.6	36.4	60.3	83.3	45.5	69.0	$20,311	$100	$20,211
Snowshoe Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2001 W Fairview Loop	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 352-9500	346	23	15.0	47.7%	208 (60.1%)	2 (0.6%)	34 (9.8%)	2 (0.6%)	29 (8.4%)	3 (0.9%)	68 (19.7%)	69.6	44^th of 175 public elementary schools	74.9%		74.5	31^st of 173 public elementary schools	82.1%	13	50.0	48.3	42.6				47.1	58.1	43.1	49.1				50.3	56.4		56.4	$15,447	$1,323	$14,125
Meadow Lakes Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1741 Pittman Rd	Wasilla	99687	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 352-6100	308	25	12.3	65.9%	181 (58.8%)	1 (0.3%)	19 (6.2%)	3 (1.0%)	37 (12.0%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (21.8%)	16.7	151^st of 175 public elementary schools	13.7%		13.6	149^th of 173 public elementary schools	13.9%	2	22.7	15.5	29.0				21.4	34.1	8.5	12.8				17.6	32.5		32.5	$18,303	$2,517	$15,787
Larson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2722 E Seldon Rd	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 352-2300	319	22	14.8	47.0%	184 (57.7%)	5 (1.6%)	40 (12.5%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (11.6%)	4 (1.3%)	49 (15.4%)	57.7	75^th of 175 public elementary schools	57.1%		78	25^th of 173 public elementary schools	85.5%	50	31.8	37.2	54.0				41.3	42.4	30.2	48.4				41.5	60.7		60.7	$17,109	$2,245	$14,863
Teeland Middle School	Public	PK, KG-8	2788 N Seward Meridian Pkwy	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 352-7500	643	35	18.3	39.7%	420 (65.3%)	1 (0.2%)	55 (8.6%)	9 (1.4%)	43 (6.7%)	10 (1.6%)	105 (16.3%)								(n/a)				41.3	37.1	38.0	39.0				35.2	44.0	44.0	40.7		45.1	45.1	$13,334	$1,054	$12,280
John Shaw Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3750 E Paradise Ln	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 352-0500	507	31	16.3	41.2%	395 (77.9%)	2 (0.4%)	29 (5.7%)	2 (0.4%)	33 (6.5%)	1 (0.2%)	45 (8.9%)	90.6	8^th of 175 public elementary schools	95.4%		85.4	15^th of 173 public elementary schools	91.3%	7	48.4	56.8	63.9				55.6	67.4	65.3	86.1				72.3	69.6		69.6	$13,883	$843	$13,040
Cottonwood Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	800 N Seward Meridian	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 864-2100	422	26	16.2	37.9%	286 (67.8%)	1 (0.2%)	35 (8.3%)	3 (0.7%)	17 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	80 (19.0%)	59.4	71^st of 175 public elementary schools	59.4%		63.6	61^st of 173 public elementary schools	64.7%	10	31.1	39.7	51.5				40.4	39.2	46.8	49.3				44.8	59.7		59.7	$14,532	$972	$13,560
Tanaina Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2550 Lucille St	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 352-9400	324	22	14.7	55.2%	203 (62.7%)	1 (0.3%)	22 (6.8%)	3 (0.9%)	26 (8.0%)	5 (1.5%)	64 (19.8%)	44.2	97^th of 175 public elementary schools	44.6%		45.8	99^th of 173 public elementary schools	42.8%	2	25.9	44.3	39.2				36.8	42.6	32.8	39.6				38.1	39.6		39.6	$16,334	$1,666	$14,668
Pioneer Peak Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1959 N Stringfield Rd	Palmer	99645	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 861-5700	449	29	15.4	39.4%	312 (69.5%)	3 (0.7%)	42 (9.4%)	2 (0.4%)	24 (5.3%)	4 (0.9%)	62 (13.8%)	81.7	19^th of 175 public elementary schools	89.1%		75	30^th of 173 public elementary schools	82.7%	11	40.3	52.6	57.1				50.6	52.1	67.4	64.7				62.2	64.0		64.0	$14,640	$838	$13,801
Finger Lake Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5981 Eek St	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 864-2200	445	27	16.4	41.3%	288 (64.7%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (8.5%)	4 (0.9%)	30 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	84 (18.9%)	66.9	54^th of 175 public elementary schools	69.1%		47.8	96^th of 173 public elementary schools	44.5%	42	38.1	47.1	49.3				45.0	46.0	49.3	56.1				50.5	52.2		52.2	$13,619	$1,424	$12,195
Colony Middle School	Public	PK, KG-8	9250 E Bogard Rd	Palmer	99645	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 761-1500	771	37	20.8	30.7%	530 (68.7%)	5 (0.6%)	56 (7.3%)	7 (0.9%)	40 (5.2%)	2 (0.3%)	131 (17.0%)								(n/a)				48.9	48.4	35.5	44.2				47.4	50.0	38.0	45.1		37.6	37.6	$11,831	$726	$11,105
Willow Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	31706 W Parks Hwy	Willow	99688	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 495-9300	127	10	12.7	66.1%	96 (75.6%)	1 (0.8%)	4 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (13.4%)	49.9	86^th of 175 public elementary schools	50.9%		69	46^th of 173 public elementary schools	73.4%	40	36.0	38.1	37.5				37.1	24.0	65.0	41.7				42.0	52.2		52.2	$18,751	$1,867	$16,884
Trapper Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6742 E Petersville Rd	Trapper Creek	99683	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 733-9451	18	1	18.0	100.0%	9 (50.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.6%)	1 (5.6%)	5 (27.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (11.1%)								(n/a)														40.0				$37,015	$2,685	$34,330
Talkeetna Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	13930 E Timberwolf Lp	Talkeetna	99676	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 733-9400	121	10	12.1	62.8%	90 (74.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (5.0%)	2 (1.7%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (17.4%)	47.1	92^nd of 175 public elementary schools	47.4%		60.5	71^st of 173 public elementary schools	59.0%	21	43.8	44.4	40.0				42.6	37.5	33.3	30.0				33.3	45.0		45.0	$22,435	$2,039	$20,396
Butte Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4006 S Butte Rd	Palmer	99645	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 861-5200	263	20	13.1	38.4%	181 (68.8%)	1 (0.4%)	26 (9.9%)	2 (0.8%)	18 (6.8%)	2 (0.8%)	33 (12.5%)	73.8	38^th of 175 public elementary schools	78.3%		62.9	62^nd of 173 public elementary schools	64.2%	24	47.1	42.9	58.1				49.6	47.1	37.1	58.1				48.1	72.1		72.1	$17,654	$1,853	$15,801
Sutton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11672 N Wright Way	Sutton	99674	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 861-5600	54	5	10.8	88.9%	36 (66.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.9%)	2 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (27.8%)								(n/a)	50.0						57.9							47.1				$25,514	$4,066	$21,448
Big Lake Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	Mile 4.5 South Big Lake Rd	Big Lake	99652	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 892-9700	362	22	16.2	61.9%	220 (60.8%)	2 (0.6%)	28 (7.7%)	3 (0.8%)	40 (11.0%)	4 (1.1%)	65 (18.0%)	40.1	109^th of 175 public elementary schools	37.7%		48.2	94^th of 173 public elementary schools	45.7%	15	24.6	35.4	32.7				30.4	46.2	33.3	34.6				38.7	44.6		44.6	$15,634	$2,351	$13,283
Knik Elementary School	Public	K-5	6350 W Hollywood	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 352-0300	263	16	16.4	48.3%	137 (52.1%)	1 (0.4%)	25 (9.5%)	3 (1.1%)	20 (7.6%)	5 (1.9%)	72 (27.4%)	50.3	84^th of 175 public elementary schools	52.0%		51.6	88^th of 173 public elementary schools	49.1%	4	26.4	41.5	47.4				38.2	42.5	42.6	39.2				41.5	44.2		44.2	$14,106	$925	$13,181
Fronteras Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	2315 N Seward Meridian Pky	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	Yes	No	No	No	(907) 376-2223	336	19	17.6		194 (57.7%)	4 (1.2%)	89 (26.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (12.5%)	66.9	55^th of 175 public elementary schools	68.6%		58.9	75^th of 173 public elementary schools	56.6%	20	31.7	43.6	66.7	36.4	71.4	68.8	50.0	22.0	67.6	68.8	52.2	75.0	58.3	54.6	87.1	58.8	77.1	$14,531	$114	$14,417
Fred and Sara Machetanz Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4961 E Nelson Rd	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 864-2300	468	26	18.3	29.1%	301 (64.3%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (7.9%)	7 (1.5%)	23 (4.9%)	5 (1.1%)	94 (20.1%)	77	29^th of 175 public elementary schools	83.4%		87.7	14^th of 173 public elementary schools	91.9%	15	43.6	51.9	57.1				51.0	51.3	44.4	64.3				53.5	63.0		63.0	$14,038	$875	$13,163
Birchtree Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	1675 N Nadina St.	Palmer	99645	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	Yes	No	No	No	(907) 745-1831	416	24	17.6		329 (79.1%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.1%)	1 (0.2%)	51 (12.3%)	59	73^rd of 175 public elementary schools	58.3%		67.9	50^th of 173 public elementary schools	71.1%	23	31.9	43.8	45.5	60.0	54.6	54.2	47.3	27.7	58.3	38.6	45.5	45.5	64.0	45.2	55.6	64.0	58.6	$16,733	$116	$16,617
Dena'ina Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7068 S Knik Knack Mud Shack Ro	Wasilla	99623	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 864-5600	396	26	15.2	46.0%	220 (55.6%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (8.8%)	3 (0.8%)	43 (10.9%)	1 (0.3%)	94 (23.7%)	66.6	56^th of 175 public elementary schools	68.0%		47.9	95^th of 173 public elementary schools	45.1%	39	37.5	48.9	45.3				43.1	47.9	50.0	56.3				51.4	54.4		54.4	$15,640	$1,631	$14,010

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Anchorage School District	10.03 mi	97	14^th
Iditarod Area School District	14.27 mi	8
Chugach School District	29.03 mi	4
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District	43.09 mi	43	12^th

See the top AK Alaska districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alaska Department of Education and Early Developmenr.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.