Butte Elementary

Butte Elementary is one of the middle-of-the-pack elementary-level communitys in Palmer, Alaska, part of Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, with 263 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 5.

Butte Elementary is one of 49 schools operated by Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, a district that works with 19,495 students overall.

On demographics, Butte Elementary logs that the largest single group is White, at 69% of enrollment. Other groups include 13% multiracial, 10% Hispanic, 7% Native American. The wider county runs roughly 77% White, putting the school's mix meaningfully less White than the area baseline.

On the income-and-resources front, Staff filings list 20 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 13.2:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.3:1, putting Butte Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. About 38% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

Zooming out to the county, ACS estimates for Matanuska-Susitna Borough put median household income runs about $94,031, roughly 24% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Matanuska-Susitna Borough's 49 public schools (combined enrollment of about 19,495 students), Butte Elementary is one campus in the mix.

Mat-Su Secondary School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 4.7 miles from this campus. Within ten miles, there are 8 other public schools, a sparser pattern than typical urban areas.

The campus sits in an outlying setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count decreased 7%: 282 students in 2018 compared to 263 in 2025. The White share of enrollment contracted from 77% to 69% over that span. Class-load math has pulled in: from 15.2:1 in 2018 to 13.2:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.