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Public elementary school · Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District · Palmer, Alaska

Swanson Elementary

Swanson Elementary's 7.2 is partly an estimate: with no state test scores on file, its academic component is borrowed, at reduced weight, from 11 schools in Palmer.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
7.2this school

7.2 on a one-to-ten scale; the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District median is 7.3.

#112 of 413 schools in Alaska · Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District: 24 elementary schools rated, median 7.3 · Partly an estimate: the academic component is borrowed, at reduced weight, from 11 schools in Palmer

The brief

A Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District elementary school serving grades Pre-K – 2nd.

It ranks 112 of 413 schools in Alaska and 18 of 46 in Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District.

Swanson Elementary is listed in Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

The rating blends 2 components; no state test results are on file for this campus.MySchoolScout ranking model.

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
Requires 2+ years of test data
Academics
8.3
55% of the rating, estimated from 11 schools in Palmer
Resources & Environment
5.8
45% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 3 sources, 2019–2024

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

  • Estimated academic score. This school does not have standardized test data. Based on 11 schools in Palmer. Learn more
  • Based on limited data: 44% component coverage.
  • Component weights adjusted due to data availability.

Partial Profile · 2/3 metrics

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 99645; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments vintage unavailable; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Swanson Elementary and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$97,069
Median home value
$338,400
Median rent
$1,309/mo
College educated
31.1%
Homeownership
78.6%
Poverty rate
8.7%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 99645; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
24
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
59
Bikeable
City reported crime
1,527/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Palmer. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Palmer), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
46.1%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 8.9Compare →
  2. Academy Charter School0.4 mi · charter
    8.4Compare →
  3. 7.7Compare →
  4. Swanson Elementarythis school
    7.2
  5. 7.1Compare →
  6. 5.8Compare →
Five grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and three rate higher than Swanson Elementary.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Swanson Elementary serve?

Swanson Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 2nd.

How many students attend Swanson Elementary?

Swanson Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 343 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Swanson Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Swanson Elementary is 14.9:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Swanson Elementary rank in AK?

Swanson Elementary ranks #112 of 413 schools in AK.

What is Swanson Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Swanson Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.2 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

Is Swanson Elementary a charter school?

No, Swanson Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Swanson Elementary a Title I school?

No, Swanson Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Swanson Elementary?

46.1% of students at Swanson Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Pre-K – 2nd
Enrollment
343
Student-teacher ratio
14.9:1
Teachers (FTE)
23
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Small Suburb
County
Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Rank in district
#18 of 46
Schools in district
49
District spending per student
$15,575
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
7.8%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 99645)
31,494
Area average commute
31.6 min
Area median age
36.5

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Alaska Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.