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Best Public Schools in Zip Code 99645

At a glance

Schools

5,498

Students

5-star school

Top rankedAcademy Charter School3^rd of 175 Alaska elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Butte Elementary up 24 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Academy Charter School 13 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

5★

4★

3★

2★

5 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

See the top-ranked Alaska schools →

Summary:

The 99645 zip code area of Palmer, Alaska is home to 13 schools serving students from elementary through high school, all part of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. This diverse set of schools includes 7 elementary, 1 middle, 4 high, and 1 alternative school, with a range of academic performance and student populations.

The standout schools in the area are the Academy Charter School, ranked 3rd out of 175 elementary schools in the state with exceptional test scores, and the public Pioneer Peak Elementary and Butte Elementary, which also rank highly and have strong science and math proficiency. At the high school level, Colony High School stands out with above-average test scores compared to the district and state.

However, the area also has more variable high school performance, with Palmer High School lagging behind. Free and reduced lunch rates range widely, from 18.63% at Mat-Su Middle College School to 85.62% at Valley Pathways alternative school, indicating diverse student populations and needs across the district. Overall, the 99645 zip code offers a mix of high-performing elementary schools and more uneven secondary school options for families to consider.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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 9th 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 9th Grade	STAR Mathematics All Grades	ASA Science 5th Grade	ASA Science 8th Grade	ASA Science 10th Grade	ASA Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Palmer High School	Public	9-12	1170 W Bogard Rd	Palmer	99645	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 746-8400	616	37	16.6	34.9%	413 (67.0%)	5 (0.8%)	63 (10.2%)	5 (0.8%)	52 (8.4%)	5 (0.8%)	73 (11.9%)	44.6	32^nd of 60 public high schools	46.7%		33	44^th of 63 public high schools	30.2%	12							35.2	35.2							23.4	23.4			36.0	36.0	$16,102	$824	$15,278
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
Mat-Su Secondary School	Public	6-12	581 S Outer Springer Lp	Palmer	99645	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 761-7238	10	1	10.0		5 (50.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (40.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (10.0%)								(n/a)																					$35,056	$3,389	$31,667
Valley Pathways	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	1150 North France Rd	Palmer	99645	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 761-4650	143	10	14.3	68.5%	88 (61.5%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (9.8%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (19.6%)								(n/a)																			17.4	17.4	$16,308	$1,852	$14,456
Palmer Middle School	Public	6-8	1159 S Chugach	Palmer	99645	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 761-4300	563	30	18.8	44.4%	376 (66.8%)	3 (0.5%)	41 (7.3%)	6 (1.1%)	37 (6.6%)	11 (2.0%)	89 (15.8%)	53.1	44^th of 94 public middle schools	53.2%		39	57^th of 91 public middle schools	37.4%	13				44.6	44.4	45.6		44.9				36.2	37.3	43.8		39.0		45.8		45.8	$15,320	$1,484	$13,836
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
Colony High School	Public	9-12	9550 E Bogard Rd	Palmer	99645	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 861-5500	1,046	51	20.4	31.3%	697 (66.6%)	5 (0.5%)	87 (8.3%)	15 (1.4%)	68 (6.5%)	4 (0.4%)	170 (16.3%)	50.2	30^th of 60 public high schools	50.0%		64.7	18^th of 63 public high schools	71.4%	12							39.0	39.0							22.0	22.0			41.3	41.3	$12,195	$658	$11,537
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
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
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
Mat-Su Middle College School	Public	8-12	8295 East College Drive	Palmer	99645	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 746-8485	222	2	111.0	20.3%	170 (76.6%)	1 (0.5%)	13 (5.9%)	1 (0.5%)	7 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (13.5%)								(n/a)																					$12,676	$94	$12,582

Cities Near Zip Code 99645

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Palmer	0.56 mi	14	7^th
Wasilla	6.21 mi	26	19^th
Sutton	10.39 mi	2
Chugiak	16.59 mi	3	15^th
Big Lake	21.58 mi	2	32^nd

See the top AK Alaska cities

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.