Dena'ina Elementary School

Summary:

Dena'ina Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Wasilla, Alaska, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 435. The school 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.

Dena'ina Elementary has a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools, with a higher percentage of non-White students, including 9.66% Hispanic, 8.28% Native American, and 24.14% two or more races. However, the school has shown mixed academic performance, outperforming the district and state in science proficiency but underperforming in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Additionally, Dena'ina Elementary has a higher student-teacher ratio of 17.4 and a high percentage of students (73.56%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a higher proportion of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

Dena'ina Elementary's statewide ranking has declined over the years, from 66th out of 173 schools in 2020-2021 to 95th out of 173 schools in 2023-2024, with a consistent 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, and it generally underperforms compared to nearby schools like Tanaina Elementary, Iditarod Elementary, and Snowshoe Elementary, which have higher academic proficiency rates and better statewide rankings.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 7068 S Knik Knack Mud Shack Ro
       Wasilla, AK  99623


(907) 864-5600

District: Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
95th of 173 Alaska Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,640 Help


Students who attend Dena'ina Elementary School usually attend:

High:    Joe Redington Senior Junior/Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio:  17.4 Help
Number of students:  435

Racial breakdown:

White:
56.1%
Two or more races:
24.1%
Hispanic:
9.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  73.6% Help


 See top rated Alaska elementary schools

 Compare Dena'ina Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Dena'ina Elementary School ranks worse than 54.9% of elementary schools in Alaska. It also ranks 19th 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 47.89. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (56.1%), two or more races (24.1%), Hispanic (9.7%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 73.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Dena'ina Elementary School is 17.4. 16 elementary schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Dena'ina Elementary School employs 25 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dena'ina Elementary School is $15,640. 13 elementary schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Dena'ina Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Dena'ina Elementary School 95th of 173 Alaska public elementary schools. (See Dena'ina Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Migrant 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.)


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Rank History for Dena'ina Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Dena'ina Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 30.31 137th 185 25.9%
2021 63.46 66th 173 61.8%
2022 34.21 119th 171 30.4%
2023 39.50 109th 176 38.1%
2024 47.89 95th 173 45.1%
See the entire list of Alaska Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Dena'ina Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 62.67 19th 45 57.8%
2022 49.76 31st 58 46.6%
2023 18.48 69th 74 6.8%
2024 40.23 45th 68 33.8%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Dena'ina Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 61.38 11th 41 73.2%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Dena'ina Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 42.07 7th 10 30.0%
2023 40.85 10th 16 37.5%
2024 25.65 22nd 27 18.5%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dena'ina Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 31.43 103rd 147 29.9%
2021 80.51 15th 110 86.4%
2022 51.95 45th 104 56.7%
2023 32.02 83rd 119 30.3%
2024 39.07 82nd 122 32.8%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Migrant students at Dena'ina Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 32.05 18th 24 25.0%
2022 62.77 8th 15 46.7%
2024 67.33 9th 28 67.9%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Migrant Students!

Rank History for Female students at Dena'ina Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 25.25 131st 159 17.6%
2021 63.11 44th 141 68.8%
2022 44.80 75th 143 47.6%
2023 29.37 110th 152 27.6%
2024 44.45 81st 142 43.0%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Dena'ina Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 34.30 108th 159 32.1%
2021 54.29 63rd 142 55.6%
2022 30.90 104th 148 29.7%
2023 44.19 90th 148 39.2%
2024 42.37 89th 150 40.7%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Dena'ina Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 22.15 130th 147 11.6%
2021 45.24 75th 127 40.9%
2022 26.38 112th 137 18.2%
2023 34.28 100th 138 27.5%
2024 31.99 99th 133 25.6%
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.

Dena'ina Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

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Enrollment information for Dena'ina Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2017 298 4 13 11 66 5 14 0 411
2018 285 6 5 13 64 10 21 0 404
2019 253 6 6 13 52 9 33 0 372
2020 227 3 3 24 42 4 66 0 369
2021 218 1 3 25 25 4 83 0 359
2022 248 0 1 41 34 3 93 0 420
2023 244 1 3 42 36 4 105 0 435

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 Dena'ina Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2017 411 23.0 17.8 47.4
2018 404 23.3 17.2 43.3
2019 372 22.0 16.8 54.8
2020 369 22.0 16.7 58.3
2021 359 25.0 14.3 n/a
2022 420 21.8 19.2 n/a
2023 435 25.0 17.4 73.6

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 Dena'ina Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2017 411 23.0 17.8 47.4
2018 404 23.3 17.2 43.3
2019 372 22.0 16.8 54.8
2020 369 22.0 16.7 58.3
2021 359 25.0 14.3 n/a
2022 420 21.8 19.2 n/a
2023 435 25.0 17.4 73.6

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 Dena'ina Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,631 (10.4%) $14,010 (89.6%) $15,640

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Dena'ina Elementary School

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 137th of 185 Elementary schoolsRanks 109th of 176 Elementary schools
 12.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
All Grades Science (Dena'ina Elementary School)29.438.1
 8.7%
   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 Students372435
 16.9%
African American61
 83.3%
American Indian5236
 30.8%
Asian63
 50%
Hispanic1342
 223.1%
Pacific Islander94
 55.6%
White253244
 3.6%
Two or More Races33105
 218.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients54.8%73.6%
 18.7%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Dena'ina Elementary School

Students at Dena'ina Elementary School are 56% White, 24% Two or more races, 10% Hispanic, 8% American Indian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 435 students attended Dena'ina Elementary School.

Students who attend Dena'ina Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Joe Redington Senior Junior/Senior High School

Dena'ina Elementary School ranks 95th of 173 Alaska elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.


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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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