Big Lake Elementary

Summary:

Big Lake Elementary is a public elementary school serving 382 students in grades PK-5 in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District in Big Lake, Alaska. The school has a diverse student population, with a majority of White students (61.26%) and significant populations of Native American (14.66%) and multi-racial (17.02%) students.

While Big Lake Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Alaska elementary schools, the school's performance in science is relatively stronger, with 60% of students proficient or better in ASA/Science, compared to 46.93% for the district and 36.94% for the state. However, the school's performance on standardized tests in English Language Arts is generally below the district and state averages. Notably, Larson Elementary and Midnight Sun Family Learning Center, both within the same district, consistently outperform Big Lake Elementary on academic measures.

Big Lake Elementary faces challenges in its student demographics, with a significantly higher percentage of Native American students (14.66%) compared to the district (8.8%) and the state (15.1%), as well as a higher percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 74.08% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. The school's performance also varies significantly across different student subgroups, with particularly concerning results for special education students. However, the school's relative strength in supporting migrant students, ranking 6th out of 30 Alaska elementary schools in the 2022-2023 school year, suggests that it may have effective strategies in place to support this population.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 Mile 4.5 South Big Lake Rd
       Big Lake, AK  99652


(907) 892-9700

District: Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
94th of 173 Alaska Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,634 Help


Students who attend Big Lake Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Houston Middle School
High:    Houston High School

Student/teacher ratio:  17.3 Help
Number of students:  382

Racial breakdown:

White:
61.3%
Two or more races:
17.0%
American Indian:
14.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  74.1% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Big Lake Elementary ranks worse than 54.3% of elementary schools in Alaska. It also ranks 18th 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 48.16. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Big Lake Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (61.3%), two or more races (17%), American Indian (14.7%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 74.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Big Lake Elementary is 17.3. 14 elementary schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Big Lake Elementary employs 22 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Big Lake Elementary is $15,634. 14 elementary schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Big Lake Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Big Lake Elementary 94th of 173 Alaska public elementary schools. (See Big Lake Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
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:

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Rank History for Big Lake Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Big Lake Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 56.87 114th 213 46.5%
2006 56.67 118th 218 45.9%
2007 60.60 105th 212 50.5%
2008 57.83 115th 219 47.5%
2009 57.40 113th 226 50.0%
2010 64.62 94th 229 59.0%
2011 61.79 104th 223 53.4%
2012 56.55 114th 227 49.8%
2013 60.34 100th 223 55.2%
2014 54.43 118th 218 45.9%
2015 26.55 173rd 246 29.7%
2017 50.89 84th 180 53.3%
2018 50.48 94th 186 49.5%
2019 47.92 99th 185 46.5%
2021 36.05 113th 173 34.7%
2022 16.39 148th 171 13.5%
2023 27.31 132nd 176 25.0%
2024 48.16 94th 173 45.7%
See the entire list of Alaska Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Big Lake Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 39.56 48th 74 35.1%
2024 44.23 43rd 68 36.8%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Big Lake Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 6.91 10th 10 0.0%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Big Lake Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 51.03 70th 147 52.4%
2021 39.51 64th 110 41.8%
2022 22.67 84th 104 19.2%
2023 32.48 82nd 119 31.1%
2024 38.64 83rd 122 32.0%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Migrant students at Big Lake Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 69.18 6th 30 80.0%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Migrant Students!

Rank History for Female students at Big Lake Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 64.92 60th 159 62.3%
2021 27.54 105th 141 25.5%
2022 18.99 124th 143 13.3%
2023 26.15 115th 152 24.3%
2024 35.66 97th 142 31.7%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Big Lake Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 32.32 116th 159 27.0%
2021 32.70 101st 142 28.9%
2022 10.86 140th 148 5.4%
2023 23.39 119th 148 19.6%
2024 47.91 81st 150 46.0%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Big Lake Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 62.55 23rd 50 54.0%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at Big Lake Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 31.51 109th 147 25.9%
2021 25.76 109th 127 14.2%
2022 4.63 137th 137 0.0%
2023 12.56 132nd 138 4.3%
2024 29.94 103rd 133 22.6%
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.

Big Lake Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
Facebook Profile Picture by a parent on FaceBook
Thursday, February 4, 2016

Open Quote All students receive free breakfast and lunch and the Special Education program is wonderful! I have no idea why this school has such a low rating, they are wonderful! Close Quote



Enrollment information for Big Lake Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1992 526 4 4 0 57 n/a n/a 0 591
1993 510 4 6 3 62 n/a n/a 0 585
1994 570 2 4 9 72 n/a n/a 0 657
1995 557 3 8 9 55 n/a n/a 9 641
1996 557 3 8 9 55 n/a n/a 9 641
1997 620 3 0 12 62 n/a n/a 0 697
1998 484 4 0 4 66 n/a n/a 0 558
1999 441 5 0 8 69 n/a n/a 0 523
2000 441 5 0 9 92 n/a n/a 0 547
2001 290 3 2 10 55 n/a n/a 0 360
2002 274 1 2 5 76 n/a n/a 0 358
2003 274 1 2 5 76 n/a n/a 0 358
2004 213 4 4 6 72 n/a n/a 0 299
2005 225 1 7 5 75 n/a n/a 0 313
2006 235 4 9 7 83 n/a n/a 0 338
2007 268 3 4 10 79 n/a n/a 0 364
2008 275 5 3 8 74 n/a n/a 7 372
2009 306 3 2 10 72 2 9 0 404
2010 290 3 2 11 58 4 6 0 374
2011 313 2 2 9 73 4 0 0 403
2012 303 4 3 20 89 11 0 0 430
2013 283 3 8 17 104 7 0 0 422
2014 305 2 4 23 95 10 0 0 439
2015 320 8 8 21 111 10 0 0 478
2016 317 7 7 12 79 10 23 0 455
2017 285 5 2 4 69 6 24 0 395
2018 287 3 4 4 70 5 25 0 398
2019 290 7 3 6 76 9 29 0 420
2020 261 2 4 18 50 12 40 0 387
2021 198 2 3 12 44 9 47 0 315
2022 233 1 3 15 47 10 49 0 358
2023 234 0 3 15 56 9 65 0 382

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 Big Lake Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1992 591 27.0 21.8 n/a
1993 585 0.0 0.0 n/a
1994 657 25.0 26.3 n/a
1995 641 31.0 20.7 37.2
1996 641 31.0 20.7 37.2
1997 697 31.0 22.5 41
1998 558 35.0 15.9 51.1
1999 523 33.5 15.6 56.6
2000 547 30.5 17.9 50.1
2001 360 22.5 16.0 47.2
2002 358 24.0 14.9 45.5
2003 358 24.0 14.9 45.5
2004 299 17.0 17.6 57.9
2005 313 17.0 18.4 59.4
2006 338 23.0 14.7 65.7
2007 364 27.7 13.1 62.1
2008 372 26.5 14.0 55.9
2009 404 26.0 15.5 58.9
2010 374 24.5 15.2 63.9
2011 403 25.5 15.8 64
2012 430 23.9 17.9 58.6
2013 422 15.0 28.1 65.4
2014 439 25.9 16.9 61.7
2015 478 27.0 17.7 86
2016 455 31.0 14.6 93.4
2017 395 28.0 14.1 94.4
2018 398 24.5 16.2 83.9
2019 420 23.1 18.1 80.7
2020 387 23.3 16.5 77.8
2021 315 25.0 12.6 n/a
2022 358 25.0 14.3 n/a
2023 382 22.0 17.3 74.1

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 Big Lake Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1992 591 27.0 21.8 n/a
1993 585 0.0 0.0 n/a
1994 657 25.0 26.3 n/a
1995 641 31.0 20.7 37.2
1996 641 31.0 20.7 37.2
1997 697 31.0 22.5 41
1998 558 35.0 15.9 51.1
1999 523 33.5 15.6 56.6
2000 547 30.5 17.9 50.1
2001 360 22.5 16.0 47.2
2002 358 24.0 14.9 45.5
2003 358 24.0 14.9 45.5
2004 299 17.0 17.6 57.9
2005 313 17.0 18.4 59.4
2006 338 23.0 14.7 65.7
2007 364 27.7 13.1 62.1
2008 372 26.5 14.0 55.9
2009 404 26.0 15.5 58.9
2010 374 24.5 15.2 63.9
2011 403 25.5 15.8 64
2012 430 23.9 17.9 58.6
2013 422 15.0 28.1 65.4
2014 439 25.9 16.9 61.7
2015 478 27.0 17.7 86
2016 455 31.0 14.6 93.4
2017 395 28.0 14.1 94.4
2018 398 24.5 16.2 83.9
2019 420 23.1 18.1 80.7
2020 387 23.3 16.5 77.8
2021 315 25.0 12.6 n/a
2022 358 25.0 14.3 n/a
2023 382 22.0 17.3 74.1

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 Big Lake Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $2,351 (15.0%) $13,283 (85.0%) $15,634

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Big Lake 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 99th of 185 Elementary schoolsRanks 132nd of 176 Elementary schools
 21.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
All Grades Science (Big Lake Elementary)42.341.7
 0.6%
   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 Students420382
 9%
African American70
 100%
American Indian7656
 26.3%
Asian33
Hispanic615
 150%
Pacific Islander99
White290234
 19.3%
Two or More Races2965
 124.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients80.7%74.1%
 6.6%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Big Lake Elementary

Big Lake Elementary ranks 94th of 173 Alaska elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Big Lake Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Houston Middle School
High : Houston High School

Students at Big Lake Elementary are 61% White, 17% Two or more races, 15% American Indian, 4% Hispanic, 2% Pacific Islander.

In the 2022-23 school year, 382 students attended Big Lake 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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