Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District operates 35 schools (grades PK–12). Individual school names, addresses, and attendance zone boundaries are available directly from the district.
| Metric | Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District | National Average | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student Enrollment | 19,000 | 3,700 | ↑ Larger than avg |
| Number of Schools | 35 | 6 | Varies by district |
| Per-Pupil Spending | $22,600/yr (est.) | $13,700/yr | State avg est. |
| District Type | Supervisory Union | Public District | — |
| Overall Rating | 6/10 — Average | — | Near average |
- John Shaw Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 507 students
- Fred and Sara Machetanz Elementary School — Grades PK–5 · 468 students
- Pioneer Peak Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 449 students
- Finger Lake Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 445 students
- Iditarod Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 424 students
- Cottonwood Creek Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 422 students
- Dena'ina Elementary School — Grades PK–5 · 396 students
- Sherrod Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 383 students
- Big Lake Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 362 students
- Swanson Elementary — Grades PK–2 · 348 students
- Snowshoe Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 346 students
- Tanaina Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 324 students
- Larson Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 319 students
- Meadow Lakes Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 308 students
- Goose Bay Elementary — Grades PK–2 · 305 students
- Butte Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 263 students
- Knik Elementary School — Grades K–5 · 263 students
- Willow Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 127 students
- Talkeetna Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 121 students
- Sutton Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 54 students
- Trapper Creek Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 18 students
- Wasilla Middle School — Grades 6–8 · 584 students
- Palmer Middle School — Grades 6–8 · 563 students
- Houston Middle School — Grades 6–8 · 318 students
- Colony High School — Grades 9–12 · 1,046 students
- Wasilla High School — Grades 9–12 · 816 students
- Mat-Su Career & Tech Ed High School — Grades 9–12 · 705 students
- Palmer High School — Grades 9–12 · 616 students
- Houston High School — Grades 9–12 · 337 students
- Burchell High School — Grades 9–12 · 200 students
- Mat-Su Central School — Grades K–12 · 2,780 students
- Colony Middle School — Grades PK–8 · 771 students
- Teeland Middle School — Grades PK–8 · 643 students
- Twindly Bridge Charter School — Grades K–12 · 601 students
- Joe Redington Senior Jr/Sr High School — Grades 6–12 · 497 students
- Birchtree Charter School — Grades K–8 · 416 students
- Fronteras Charter School — Grades K–8 · 336 students
- Academy Charter School — Grades K–8 · 268 students
- Susitna Valley High — Grades 6–12 · 233 students
- Mat-Su Middle College School — Grades 8–12 · 222 students
- American Charter Academy — Grades K–12 · 193 students
- Midnight Sun Family Learning Center — Grades K–8 · 189 students
- Knik Charter School — Grades PK–12 · 189 students
- Valley Pathways — Grades PK–12 · 143 students
- Mat-Su Day School — Grades K–12 · 70 students
- Beryozova School — Grades K–12 · 39 students
- Knik Charter Correspondence School — Grades PK–12 · 34 students
- Glacier View School — Grades K–12 · 24 students
- Mat-Su Secondary School — Grades 6–12 · 10 students
About Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District
If you live in ZIP 99654 — Wasilla, Alaska in Matanuska-Susitna County — your assigned public schools are operated by Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. Its 6/10 rating is roughly in line with the Alaska average across the funding and enrollment measures NCES tracks. The district operates 35 schools and serves roughly 19,000 students (a large district), covering Pre-K – 12th. Review the funding and enrollment data above, then contact the district to confirm which schools serve your exact address before you commit to a move.
Funding and Resources
Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District reports per-pupil expenditure of approximately $22,600 per year, placing it 26% above the Alaska state average of approximately $18,000 and well above the national average nationally (U.S. average: $13,700/year). Districts at this funding level typically offer smaller class sizes, broader elective and extracurricular programs, stronger technology infrastructure, and more competitive teacher salaries. Per-pupil spending directly affects teacher compensation, class sizes, elective course offerings, technology access, and the depth of student support services — making it one of the most meaningful structural indicators of district capacity.
District Scale and Program Breadth
With 35 schools, Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District operates as a very large district serving students from Pre-K – 12th. The district enrolls approximately 19,000 students in total. Very large districts are complex systems with significant variation in school quality across attendance zones. They typically offer extensive programs — magnet schools, specialized high schools, dual-language tracks, advanced coursework — but navigating these options requires active engagement with the district.
Understanding the 6/10 Rating
Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District has earned an overall SchoolDistrictFinder rating of 6/10, placing it in the average tier. Our ratings are built from NCES Common Core of Data and measure structural factors: per-pupil expenditure, student-teacher ratio, enrollment stability, and school count. They do not incorporate test scores or graduation rates, which are not consistently available across all 13,500+ US districts in the NCES dataset.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District falls in the middle of the performance spectrum with an average rating. Average districts provide foundational public education with functional academic programs, though they may not match the resource breadth of higher-rated districts in the same region. Many families find that average-rated districts deliver solid day-to-day education, particularly when parents stay engaged and involved. If you're considering this area, look beyond the overall rating: visit schools, talk to current parents, and research the specific school your child would attend. Average districts often have individual schools that significantly outperform the district mean.
Enrollment for Families in Zip Code 99654
Children in zip code 99654 are assigned to Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District for public school enrollment, covering grades Pre-K – 12th. School assignments are address-specific — your elementary, middle, and high school placements depend on your exact street address within zip code 99654, not just your neighborhood. Two homes on opposite ends of the same zip code may be assigned to different schools within the same district.
To confirm your specific school assignments, contact Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District at (907)746-9255 or visit www.matsuk12.us. Typical enrollment documents include proof of residency (lease or deed plus a utility bill), your child’s birth certificate, current immunization records, and prior school records. If your child has an IEP or 504 plan, bring that documentation to enrollment — Alaska districts are required to continue services within a reasonable period. Fall enrollment windows typically open in late winter or early spring; contact the district for exact dates and required steps.
School Districts and Home Values in Wasilla
School district quality is one of the most consistent factors in residential home pricing. Because Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District serves zip code 99654, district assignment still factors into home-pricing comparisons between zip code 99654 and neighboring areas. District boundaries are address-specific — verify the exact district assignment for any property you’re seriously considering rather than assuming based on the neighborhood. A single block can place two adjacent homes in different districts with different ratings and different annual property tax implications.
Use the property tax estimator on this page to calculate estimated annual tax obligations based on your target purchase price. In Alaska, property taxes are a primary funding source for public schools — your tax payments directly support Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District programs and staff. Understanding both district quality and the associated tax burden is essential financial due diligence before committing to any home in zip code 99654.
Data Sources and Accuracy
All district information on this page is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024–2025, the U.S. Department of Education’s annual census of all public school districts — the same dataset used by researchers, journalists, and policymakers to analyze American public education. District boundaries, school assignments, phone numbers, and per-pupil expenditure figures are updated annually when NCES publishes new data, typically in spring. Always verify your specific school assignment and enrollment requirements directly with Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District before making any housing or enrollment decision based on zip code 99654 data.