A
Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District
Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 3 towns
Serves Wasilla, Palmer and Houston.
Students
19,495
Schools
49
Spent per student
$17,238
AK $21,070
Students per teacher
19:1
Free or reduced lunch
45%
Debt
$239.5M
fiscal 2024
What stands out about Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District
- School Grade A: better than 86% of Alaska districts
- Math proficiency 10 pts above the state
- Reading / language arts 11 pts above the state
- Graduation rate (4-year) 7 pts above the state
- Spends 18% less per student than the AK average
- 19 students per teacher
- Enrollment up 7% since 2020
- Debt of $239.5M, about $12,283 per student
Where would my kid go?
The school path for Houston.
PK–526 elementary schoolsThis district
6–8Houston Middle SchoolThis district
9–12Houston High SchoolThis district
Test scores vs. AK
2020–21Math proficiency42%
State average 32.3%
Reading / language arts50%
State average 39.5%
Graduation rate (4-year)86%
State average 79.1%
Where the money goes
fiscal 2024$17,238 per student · 18% below AK
Spending
Classroom instruction 55%Support & administration 42%Other 3%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 23%State 65%Federal 13%
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Enrollment over time
18,220’20
19,319’21
19,705’22
19,421’23
19,495’24
Up 7% since 2020.
Students
White 67%Two or more races 16%Hispanic 8%American Indian/Alaska Native 7%Asian <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%Black <1%
Schools in the district
49 public schools.
Colony Middle School
B+771 students21:1
Teeland Middle School
A−643 students18:1
John Shaw Elementary
A−507 students16:1
Fred and Sara Machetanz Elementary School
A468 students18:1
Pioneer Peak Elementary
A+449 students15:1
Finger Lake Elementary
A−445 students16:1
Iditarod Elementary
B424 students16:1
Cottonwood Creek Elementary
A−422 students16:1
Birchtree Charter School
B+416 students18:1
Dena'ina Elementary School
B+396 students15:1
Sherrod Elementary
A−383 students17:1
Big Lake Elementary
B362 students16:1
Swanson Elementary
348 students13:1
Snowshoe Elementary
A−346 students15:1
Fronteras Charter School
C+336 students18:1
Tanaina Elementary
B324 students15:1
Larson Elementary
A−319 students15:1
Meadow Lakes Elementary
C+308 students12:1
Goose Bay Elementary
305 students15:1
Academy Charter School
A+268 students13:1
Butte Elementary
B+263 students13:1
Knik Elementary School
A−263 students16:1
Midnight Sun Family Learning Center
A189 students24:1
Willow Elementary
A127 students13:1
Talkeetna Elementary
A−121 students12:1
Sutton Elementary
B−54 students11:1
Trapper Creek Elementary
18 students18:1
Wasilla Middle School
B584 students20:1
Palmer Middle School
B−563 students19:1
Houston Middle School
318 students14:1
Colony High School
B−1,046 students20:1
Wasilla High School
C+816 students18:1
Mat-Su Career & Tech Ed High School
A+705 students17:1
Palmer High School
B616 students17:1
Joe Redington Senior Jr/Sr High School
B497 students16:1
Houston High School
C+337 students13:1
Susitna Valley High
B233 students15:1
Mat-Su Middle College School
D−222 students111:1
Burchell High School
C−200 students17:1
Mat-Su Secondary School
10 students10:1
Mat-Su Central School
A−2,780 students99:1
Twindly Bridge Charter School
A−601 students109:1
American Charter Academy
A+193 students16:1
Knik Charter School
189 students13:1
Valley Pathways
C143 students14:1
Mat-Su Day School
D70 students5:1
Beryozova School
C+39 students20:1
Knik Charter Correspondence School
34 students34:1
Glacier View School
24 students7:1
Towns served
District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES directory and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: EDFacts via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Neighbor ratings are opinions.