Best Public Schools in Big Lake, AK

Summary:

The city of Big Lake, Alaska is home to three schools serving students from elementary through high school: Big Lake Elementary, Houston High School, and Houston Middle School. These schools operate within the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District and serve a diverse student population.

Among the three schools, Big Lake Elementary stands out for its strong science proficiency, outperforming the district and state averages. However, the school has lower overall rankings and ratings compared to other elementary schools in Alaska. In contrast, Houston High School and Houston Middle School perform significantly below the district and state averages in all subject areas, with Houston Middle School ranking in the bottom 10% of Alaska middle schools.

The data also reveals disparities in the socioeconomic status of the student populations, with Big Lake Elementary having a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, while Houston Middle School has a very low rate. These differences in socioeconomic status may contribute to the observed performance gaps, highlighting the need for targeted interventions and support programs to ensure equitable educational opportunities for all students in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District.

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				STAR English Language Arts (2024)					STAR Mathematics (2024)					ASA Science (2024)			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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	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 9th Grade	STAR English Language Arts All Grades	STAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAR Mathematics 9th Grade	STAR Mathematics All Grades	ASA Science 5th Grade	ASA Science 10th Grade	ASA Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Houston High School	Public	9-12	12501 W Hawk Lane	Big Lake	99623	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 892-9400	372	26	14.3	41.9%	231 (62.1%)	2 (0.5%)	21 (5.6%)	6 (1.6%)	37 (9.9%)	4 (1.1%)	71 (19.1%)	30	45^th of 63 public high schools	28.6%		11.7	56^th of 62 public high schools	9.7%	11				35.3	35.3				12.9	12.9		29.6	29.6	$20,488	$2,810	$17,678
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	320	25	13.0	67.2%	195 (60.9%)	1 (0.3%)	16 (5.0%)	3 (0.9%)	47 (14.7%)	3 (0.9%)	55 (17.2%)	48.2	94^th of 173 public elementary schools	45.7%		27.3	132^nd of 176 public elementary schools	25.0%	38	28.3	30.8	36.1		31.3	45.7	35.3	40.0		40.2	60.0		60.0	$15,634	$2,351	$13,283

Cities Near Big Lake

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Wasilla	0.64 mi	26	22^nd
Palmer	4.65 mi	14	10^th
Chugiak	11.5 mi	3	14^th
Houston	11.78 mi	1
Eagle River	15.67 mi	12	4^th

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.