Trapper Creek Elementary

Trapper Creek Elementary is a small public elementary school located in Trapper Creek, Alaska, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of just 22 students as of the 2022-2023 school year. This school is part of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, which is ranked 8th out of 24 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Trapper Creek Elementary stands out in several ways. It has a more diverse student population compared to the nearby Talkeetna Elementary, with a higher percentage of Native American and multi-racial students. Academically, Trapper Creek outperforms the district and state averages in science and English language arts. However, the school faces economic challenges, with a 100% free and reduced lunch rate, significantly higher than Talkeetna Elementary's 58.56% rate.

Despite these challenges, Trapper Creek Elementary has shown impressive improvement, moving from 168th out of 218 Alaska elementary schools in 2005-2006 to 59th out of 173 in 2023-2024, with a corresponding increase in its SchoolDigger rating from 1 to 3 stars. While Talkeetna Elementary has higher proficiency rates in some areas, Trapper Creek's small class sizes, with a student-teacher ratio of 22:1 compared to Talkeetna's 14.3:1, may contribute to its academic success. Overall, Trapper Creek Elementary is a unique and improving school serving a diverse and economically disadvantaged community in Trapper Creek, Alaska.