How many students attend Swanson Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 343 students attended Swanson Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Swanson Elementary?

Students at Swanson Elementary are 65% White, 14% Two or more races, 11% American Indian, 7% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Swanson Elementary attend?

Students who attend Swanson Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Palmer Middle School High : Palmer High School

Swanson Elementary

Public PK, KG-2

507 N Gulkana
Palmer, AK 99645

(907) 861-5300

District: Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,003

Students who attend Swanson Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Palmer Middle School
High:	Palmer High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.7

Number of students: 343

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.3%

Two or more races:

14.3%

American Indian:

10.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 46.1%

See top rated Alaska public schools

Compare Swanson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (65.3%), two or more races (14.3%), American Indian (10.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 46.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Swanson Elementary is 14.7, which is the 8^th best among 23 elementary schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. (See more...)

Compare Swanson Elementary employs 23.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Swanson Elementary is $14,003. 22 elementary schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Swanson Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District 8^th of 24 Alaska school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Way too much hitting goes on in Kindergarten, everyday my child comes home with some problem of a kid hitting. I will do everything in my power to find my child a private school being it the child has learned very little other than being hit at this school Close Quote

Enrollment information for Swanson Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	305	0	0	8	20	n/a	n/a	-3	330
1990	355	1	0	8	28	n/a	n/a	0	392
1991	353	3	1	7	37	n/a	n/a	0	401
1992	365	1	5	5	42	n/a	n/a	0	418
1993	328	3	4	3	28	n/a	n/a	0	366
1994	363	9	8	4	29	n/a	n/a	0	413
1995	355	7	6	5	28	n/a	n/a	5	406
1996	355	7	6	5	28	n/a	n/a	5	406
1997	392	7	3	5	35	n/a	n/a	0	442
1998	229	3	1	4	11	n/a	n/a	0	248
1999	365	5	3	9	34	n/a	n/a	0	416
2000	331	2	3	6	46	n/a	n/a	0	388
2001	345	3	2	7	44	n/a	n/a	0	401
2002	344	4	1	11	47	n/a	n/a	0	407
2003	344	4	1	11	47	n/a	n/a	0	407
2004	323	5	6	8	44	n/a	n/a	0	386
2005	364	2	3	14	46	n/a	n/a	0	429
2006	370	3	4	13	50	n/a	n/a	0	440
2007	388	12	2	16	35	n/a	n/a	0	453
2008	363	9	3	16	41	n/a	n/a	26	458
2009	342	12	3	13	42	2	21	0	435
2010	367	7	3	13	41	1	21	0	453
2011	371	6	4	7	50	5	22	0	465
2012	332	18	13	14	91	7	1	0	476
2013	330	12	13	13	97	12	0	0	477
2014	295	10	15	19	100	10	0	0	449
2015	291	10	14	15	88	15	0	0	433
2016	306	4	5	11	68	7	38	0	439
2017	317	5	3	9	78	13	40	0	465
2018	323	9	4	7	97	15	33	0	488
2019	299	7	5	12	70	17	35	0	445
2020	282	2	3	33	44	13	77	0	454
2021	205	2	4	14	35	8	76	0	344
2022	243	2	5	25	39	2	81	0	397
2023	266	1	0	33	38	1	67	0	406
2024	224	1	4	25	37	3	49	0	343

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Swanson Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	330	19.0	17.3	16.4
1990	392	19.0	20.6	11.7
1991	401	18.0	22.2	14.5
1992	418	18.0	23.2	17.9
1993	366	18.0	20.3	20.5
1994	413	18.0	22.9	18.2
1995	406	20.0	20.3	25.7
1996	406	20.0	20.3	25.7
1997	442	20.0	22.1	25.8
1998	248	26.0	9.5	71
1999	416	26.0	16.0	35.3
2000	388	23.0	16.9	37.9
2001	401	24.0	16.7	37.9
2002	407	25.0	16.3	29
2003	407	25.0	16.3	29
2004	386	24.5	15.8	29.5
2005	429	24.0	17.9	31.9
2006	440	29.0	15.2	33.2
2007	453	27.1	16.7	38.9
2008	458	27.8	16.5	35.2
2009	435	29.0	15.0	37
2010	453	29.0	15.6	33.6
2011	465	28.0	16.6	34.4
2012	476	24.9	19.0	38.2
2013	477	21.2	22.4	40.5
2014	449	25.6	17.4	44.3
2015	433	26.0	16.6	46.7
2016	439	27.0	16.2	41
2017	465	24.0	19.3	43.2
2018	488	26.5	18.4	41.2
2019	445	27.8	16.0	53.5
2020	454	27.1	16.7	48
2021	344	25.7	13.3	n/a
2022	397	24.8	15.9	n/a
2023	406	23.0	17.6	45.1
2024	343	23.3	14.7	46.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Swanson Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	330	19.0	17.3	16.4
1990	392	19.0	20.6	11.7
1991	401	18.0	22.2	14.5
1992	418	18.0	23.2	17.9
1993	366	18.0	20.3	20.5
1994	413	18.0	22.9	18.2
1995	406	20.0	20.3	25.7
1996	406	20.0	20.3	25.7
1997	442	20.0	22.1	25.8
1998	248	26.0	9.5	71
1999	416	26.0	16.0	35.3
2000	388	23.0	16.9	37.9
2001	401	24.0	16.7	37.9
2002	407	25.0	16.3	29
2003	407	25.0	16.3	29
2004	386	24.5	15.8	29.5
2005	429	24.0	17.9	31.9
2006	440	29.0	15.2	33.2
2007	453	27.1	16.7	38.9
2008	458	27.8	16.5	35.2
2009	435	29.0	15.0	37
2010	453	29.0	15.6	33.6
2011	465	28.0	16.6	34.4
2012	476	24.9	19.0	38.2
2013	477	21.2	22.4	40.5
2014	449	25.6	17.4	44.3
2015	433	26.0	16.6	46.7
2016	439	27.0	16.2	41
2017	465	24.0	19.3	43.2
2018	488	26.5	18.4	41.2
2019	445	27.8	16.0	53.5
2020	454	27.1	16.7	48
2021	344	25.7	13.3	n/a
2022	397	24.8	15.9	n/a
2023	406	23.0	17.6	45.1
2024	343	23.3	14.7	46.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Swanson Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,636 (11.7%)	$12,366 (88.3%)	$14,003

Data source: Alaska Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Swanson Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	445	406	8.8%
African American	7	1	85.7%
American Indian	70	38	45.7%
Asian	5	0	100%
Hispanic	12	33	175%
Pacific Islander	17	1	94.1%
White	299	266	11%
Two or More Races	35	67	91.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	53.5%	45.1%	8.4%

Schools Near Swanson Elementary

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 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
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	343	23	14.7	46.1%	224 (65.3%)	1 (0.3%)	25 (7.3%)	4 (1.2%)	37 (10.8%)	3 (0.9%)	49 (14.3%)								(n/a)																		$14,003	$1,636	$12,366
Sherrod Elementary	Public	K-5	561 N Gulkana St	Palmer	99645	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 761-4100	369	24	15.3	66.1%	213 (57.7%)	2 (0.5%)	28 (7.6%)	3 (0.8%)	36 (9.8%)	5 (1.4%)	82 (22.2%)	65.2	57^th of 173 public elementary schools	67.1%		62	60^th of 176 public elementary schools	65.9%	3	42.7	39.2	44.8				42.2	53.5	47.2	39.7				46.6	59.8		59.8	$15,066	$1,445	$13,621
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	267	20	13.2		201 (75.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (7.9%)	4 (1.5%)	16 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (9.4%)	93.7	4^th of 173 public elementary schools	97.7%		91	6^th of 176 public elementary schools	96.6%	2	50.0	66.7	60.0	66.7	80.8	72.4	65.7	70.0	66.7	86.7	77.8	84.6	86.2	78.7	73.3	72.4	72.9	$16,769	$105	$16,664
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	757	34	22.2	27.2%	535 (70.7%)	3 (0.4%)	56 (7.4%)	6 (0.8%)	44 (5.8%)	2 (0.3%)	111 (14.7%)								(n/a)				54.4	28.3	36.8	39.5				44.1	40.3	46.3	43.4		40.4	40.4	$11,831	$726	$11,105
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	471	32	14.9	35.0%	324 (68.8%)	3 (0.6%)	46 (9.8%)	3 (0.6%)	24 (5.1%)	5 (1.1%)	66 (14.0%)	75	30^th of 173 public elementary schools	82.7%		72.6	36^th of 176 public elementary schools	79.5%	6	46.3	35.9	53.8				44.9	46.3	52.2	60.0				52.4	70.0		70.0	$14,640	$838	$13,801
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	407	22	18.8		315 (77.4%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.9%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (5.2%)	1 (0.2%)	52 (12.8%)	67.9	50^th of 173 public elementary schools	71.1%		63.2	56^th of 176 public elementary schools	68.2%	6	37.0	28.6	61.2	55.3	67.9	45.8	48.5	56.5	34.2	57.1	39.5	75.0	62.5	52.7	68.8	56.0	64.4	$16,733	$116	$16,617
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	272	18	14.9	45.6%	187 (68.8%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (9.9%)	2 (0.7%)	22 (8.1%)	2 (0.7%)	32 (11.8%)	62.9	62^nd of 173 public elementary schools	64.2%		63	57^th of 176 public elementary schools	67.6%	5	22.6	60.0	46.5				44.7	51.6	43.9	40.0				44.4	60.0		60.0	$17,654	$1,853	$15,801
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	402	27	14.9	41.5%	262 (65.2%)	3 (0.7%)	38 (9.5%)	3 (0.7%)	25 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	71 (17.7%)	47.8	96^th of 173 public elementary schools	44.5%		55.5	75^th of 176 public elementary schools	57.4%	21	24.6	29.9	53.6				36.3	33.9	30.9	46.4				37.1	53.5		53.5	$13,619	$1,424	$12,195
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	347	18	19.2		207 (59.7%)	2 (0.6%)	88 (25.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.7%)	3 (0.9%)	41 (11.8%)	58.9	75^th of 173 public elementary schools	56.6%		68.8	44^th of 176 public elementary schools	75.0%	31	31.8	46.0	50.0	48.3	46.2	33.3	42.8	27.9	42.1	42.9	46.4	50.0	46.7	41.2	67.7	60.0	65.3	$14,531	$114	$14,417
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	483	30	15.8	41.6%	375 (77.6%)	5 (1.0%)	28 (5.8%)	3 (0.6%)	27 (5.6%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (9.1%)	85.4	15^th of 173 public elementary schools	91.3%		70.5	42^nd of 176 public elementary schools	76.1%	27	48.6	41.1	62.2				51.5	66.2	46.5	72.2				62.5	78.0		78.0	$13,883	$843	$13,040

Swanson Elementary

Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District:

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Enrollment information for Swanson Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Swanson Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Swanson Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Swanson Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Swanson Elementary

Student Body

Schools Near Swanson Elementary