Sutton Elementary

Sutton Elementary, a rural-scale primary school in Sutton, Alaska, run under Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, instructs 54 students, covering grades pre-K through 5. By comparison, Alaska's public schools average about 277 students each, so Sutton Elementary sits 81% below that benchmark.

Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District comprises 49 schools with combined enrollment of 19,495 students; Sutton Elementary is among them.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Sutton Elementary logs that 67% of the student body identifies as White; the rest breaks down as 28% multiracial, 4% Native American. The wider county runs roughly 77% White, putting the school's mix visibly less White than the area baseline.

On the income-and-resources front, Sutton Elementary logs 5 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 10.8:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.3:1, putting Sutton Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 89% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is north of Matanuska-Susitna Borough's rate of about 45%.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Sutton Elementary sits in the top 10% of Alaska schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 22.6%; actual is 48.6%, +26.0 points clear of the demographic baseline.

In the broader community, census data for Matanuska-Susitna Borough shows median household earnings sit near $94,031, 24% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. In all, Matanuska-Susitna Borough runs 49 public schools (combined enrollment of about 19,495 students), of which Sutton Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is Sherrod Elementary, roughly 10.2 miles away.

The school occupies a small-town site.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Sutton Elementary has fell 28%, going from 75 students in 2018 to 54 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 63% to 67% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 16.6:1 in 2018 to 10.8:1 today.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.