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Butte Elementary

Summary:

Butte Elementary is a public elementary school located in Palmer, Alaska, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 274. It is part of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, which is ranked 8th out of 24 districts in Alaska and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Butte Elementary stands out for its strong academic performance, particularly in science, 4th grade English Language Arts, and 3rd grade Mathematics, where it outperforms the district and state averages. The school has maintained consistent 3-4 star ratings from SchoolDigger over the past several years. Notably, Butte Elementary excels in supporting its Native American and Special Education student groups, ranking 6th and 1st in the state, respectively, in recent years. The school's performance for female students has also been strong, ranking 31st-37th in the state.

Despite having a relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, Butte Elementary has performed well for this student group, ranking 24th-35th in the state over the past few years. Compared to nearby schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, Butte Elementary generally performs on par or slightly better in academic areas, though some schools, such as Fred and Sara Machetanz Elementary and Academy Charter School, outperform Butte Elementary in certain areas, indicating potential opportunities for improvement.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 4006 S Butte Rd
       Palmer, AK  99645

(907) 861-5200

District: Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
62nd of 173 Alaska Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $17,654 Help


Students who attend Butte Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Palmer Middle School
High:    Palmer High School

Student/teacher ratio:  14.4 Help
Number of students:  274

Racial breakdown:

White:
72.6%
Two or more races:
12.0%
Hispanic:
7.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  43.4% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Butte Elementary ranks better than 64.2% of elementary schools in Alaska. It also ranks 14th among 23 ranked elementary schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 62.9. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (72.6%), two or more races (12%), Hispanic (7.7%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 43.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Butte Elementary is 14.4, which is the 6th best among 23 elementary schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Butte Elementary employs 19 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Butte Elementary is $17,654, which is the 8th highest among 23 elementary schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Butte Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Butte Elementary 62nd of 173 Alaska public elementary schools. (See Butte Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District:

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

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Butte Elementary.

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Rank History for Butte Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Butte Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 70.19 66th 213 69.0%
2006 66.84 86th 218 60.6%
2007 58.69 112th 212 47.2%
2008 61.69 102nd 219 53.4%
2009 68.98 76th 226 66.4%
2010 60.72 106th 229 53.7%
2011 71.31 61st 223 72.6%
2012 68.51 72nd 227 68.3%
2013 70.90 59th 223 73.5%
2014 69.38 68th 218 68.8%
2015 32.45 161st 246 34.6%
2017 46.54 96th 180 46.7%
2018 69.76 49th 186 73.7%
2019 67.52 53rd 185 71.4%
2021 64.34 65th 173 62.4%
2022 41.95 98th 171 42.7%
2023 62.98 57th 176 67.6%
2024 62.90 62nd 173 64.2%
See the entire list of Alaska Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Butte Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 76.24 1st 10 90.0%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Butte Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 67.51 41st 147 72.1%
2021 57.25 41st 110 62.7%
2022 59.01 35th 104 66.3%
2023 69.84 28th 119 76.5%
2024 70.92 24th 122 80.3%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Migrant students at Butte Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 36.63 22nd 30 26.7%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Migrant Students!

Rank History for Female students at Butte Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 72.52 39th 159 75.5%
2021 51.13 64th 141 54.6%
2022 42.53 79th 143 44.8%
2023 72.00 31st 152 79.6%
2024 68.80 37th 142 73.9%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Butte Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 59.60 62nd 159 61.0%
2021 68.28 39th 142 72.5%
2022 33.03 101st 148 31.8%
2023 57.92 54th 148 63.5%
2024 46.11 85th 150 43.3%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Butte Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 78.82 6th 50 88.0%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at Butte Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 46.44 79th 147 46.3%
2021 37.38 92nd 127 27.6%
2022 22.52 118th 137 13.9%
2023 53.01 63rd 138 54.3%
2024 46.24 73rd 133 45.1%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Alaska Department of Education and Early Developmenr, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Butte Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)
0%

100%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Monday, July 23, 2018

Open Quote The teachers are amazing! Close Quote



Enrollment information for Butte Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1992 358 0 2 1 21 n/a n/a -69 313
1993 359 0 3 1 20 n/a n/a 0 383
1994 354 0 0 3 27 n/a n/a 0 384
1995 361 0 0 5 29 n/a n/a 2 397
1996 361 0 0 5 29 n/a n/a 2 397
1997 326 1 0 2 30 n/a n/a 0 359
1998 317 1 0 4 33 n/a n/a 0 355
1999 299 1 0 3 17 n/a n/a 0 320
2000 297 1 1 5 30 n/a n/a 0 334
2001 303 1 1 4 25 n/a n/a 0 334
2002 275 2 0 5 28 n/a n/a 0 310
2003 275 2 0 5 28 n/a n/a 0 310
2004 289 1 0 1 22 n/a n/a 0 313
2005 263 0 0 5 32 n/a n/a 0 300
2006 267 1 2 3 29 n/a n/a 0 302
2007 261 0 0 5 28 n/a n/a 0 294
2008 263 1 3 5 30 n/a n/a 7 309
2009 272 1 2 6 28 0 9 0 318
2010 281 0 2 4 23 0 7 0 317
2011 255 2 2 6 29 0 7 0 301
2012 234 1 5 7 47 0 1 0 295
2013 239 1 4 4 42 0 0 0 290
2014 260 1 2 8 44 1 0 0 316
2015 257 3 2 6 60 5 0 0 333
2016 244 1 1 6 37 3 11 0 303
2017 212 1 2 6 39 1 14 0 275
2018 217 1 1 7 40 3 13 0 282
2019 221 2 1 6 42 3 14 0 289
2020 238 1 1 22 27 0 43 0 332
2021 183 0 1 17 18 0 27 0 246
2022 201 0 2 16 17 0 34 0 270
2023 199 0 2 21 19 0 33 0 274

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 Butte Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1992 313 24.0 13.0 n/a
1993 383 0.0 0.0 n/a
1994 384 21.5 17.9 n/a
1995 397 21.0 18.9 33.4
1996 397 21.0 18.9 33.4
1997 359 21.0 17.1 31.2
1998 355 18.5 19.2 37.2
1999 320 20.0 16.0 30.6
2000 334 19.0 17.6 35
2001 334 17.0 19.6 35.6
2002 310 17.5 17.7 33.2
2003 310 17.5 17.7 33.2
2004 313 17.0 18.4 48.2
2005 300 16.0 18.8 38.3
2006 302 21.0 14.4 45
2007 294 22.1 13.3 40.5
2008 309 23.5 13.1 46
2009 318 21.8 14.6 43.1
2010 317 22.0 14.4 44.5
2011 301 21.0 14.3 43.9
2012 295 18.0 16.3 45.4
2013 290 11.6 24.8 50.7
2014 316 18.4 17.1 39.6
2015 333 19.0 17.5 44.4
2016 303 20.0 15.1 49.2
2017 275 17.2 15.9 49.5
2018 282 18.5 15.2 50.4
2019 289 19.1 15.1 49.5
2020 332 20.3 16.3 37.7
2021 246 19.0 12.9 n/a
2022 270 19.0 14.2 n/a
2023 274 19.0 14.4 43.4

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 Butte Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1992 313 24.0 13.0 n/a
1993 383 0.0 0.0 n/a
1994 384 21.5 17.9 n/a
1995 397 21.0 18.9 33.4
1996 397 21.0 18.9 33.4
1997 359 21.0 17.1 31.2
1998 355 18.5 19.2 37.2
1999 320 20.0 16.0 30.6
2000 334 19.0 17.6 35
2001 334 17.0 19.6 35.6
2002 310 17.5 17.7 33.2
2003 310 17.5 17.7 33.2
2004 313 17.0 18.4 48.2
2005 300 16.0 18.8 38.3
2006 302 21.0 14.4 45
2007 294 22.1 13.3 40.5
2008 309 23.5 13.1 46
2009 318 21.8 14.6 43.1
2010 317 22.0 14.4 44.5
2011 301 21.0 14.3 43.9
2012 295 18.0 16.3 45.4
2013 290 11.6 24.8 50.7
2014 316 18.4 17.1 39.6
2015 333 19.0 17.5 44.4
2016 303 20.0 15.1 49.2
2017 275 17.2 15.9 49.5
2018 282 18.5 15.2 50.4
2019 289 19.1 15.1 49.5
2020 332 20.3 16.3 37.7
2021 246 19.0 12.9 n/a
2022 270 19.0 14.2 n/a
2023 274 19.0 14.4 43.4

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 Butte Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,853 (10.5%) $15,801 (89.5%) $17,654

Data source: Alaska Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Butte 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.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Ranks 53rd of 185 Elementary schoolsRanks 57th of 176 Elementary schools
 3.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
All Grades Science (Butte Elementary)54.861.5
 6.8%
   All Grades Science (Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District)5146.5
 4.5%
   All Grades Science (Alaska)44.736.9
 7.7%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students289274
 5.2%
African American20
 100%
American Indian4219
 54.8%
Asian12
 100%
Hispanic621
 250%
Pacific Islander30
 100%
White221199
 10%
Two or More Races1433
 135.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients49.5%43.4%
 6.1%

Schools Near Butte Elementary








Frequently Asked Questions about Butte Elementary

Butte Elementary ranks 62nd of 173 Alaska elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Butte Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Palmer Middle School
High : Palmer High School

Students at Butte Elementary are 73% White, 12% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic, 7% American Indian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 274 students attended Butte Elementary.


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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.




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