Public schools in Cottonwood, AZ
Cottonwood has 10 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 4 high, 4 elementary, 2 other, enrolling 3,058 students. They are run by 5 districts and agencies; Cottonwood-Oak Creek Elementary District (4487) runs 4 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 5 districts and agencies that run Cottonwood's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in Cottonwood | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cottonwood-Oak Creek Elementary District (4487) | 4 | 1,823 | $11,818 |
| Mingus Union High School District (4488) | 2 | 1,235 | $11,279 |
| Valley Academy for Career and Technology Education (79397) | 2 | 7 | not reported |
| Edkey Inc. dba American Heritage Academy (6365) | 1 | 350 | $11,637 |
| Liberty Leadership Academy (1001520) | 1 | 53 | $14,623 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
4 high schools in Cottonwood, 1,210 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mingus Union High School | 1,165 | 20.7 | 33.9% | Mingus Union High |
| Mingus Online Academy | 37 | not reported | not reported | Mingus Union High |
| VACTE - Valley Academy for Career and Technology Education | 7 | 1.5 | not reported | Valley Academy for Career and Technology Education (79397) |
| VACTE - Mingus Union High School | 1 | not reported | not reported | Valley Academy for Career and Technology Education (79397) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
4 elementary schools in Cottonwood, 1,522 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Daniel Bright Elementary School | 585 | 18.3 | 60.0% | Cottonwood-Oak Creek Elementary District (4487) |
| Cottonwood Community School | 430 | 23.9 | 62.0% | Cottonwood-Oak Creek Elementary District (4487) |
| Mountain View Preparatory School | 426 | 21.8 | 20.8% | Cottonwood-Oak Creek Elementary District (4487) |
| Liberty Leadership Academy | 81 | 27.0 | not reported | Liberty Leadership Academy (1001520) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
2 other schools in Cottonwood, 326 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Heritage Academy - Cottonwood | 240 | 14.1 | 46.6% | Edkey Inc. dba American Heritage Academy (6365) |
| Cottonwood Education Services | 86 | 24.6 | 58.3% | Cottonwood-Oak Creek Elementary District (4487) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How Cottonwood's public schools compare with Arizona's
The median Cottonwood school has 21.8 students per full-time teacher, more than the Arizona median of 16.8. 30% of its schools ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22, against 53% across the state. Its median school enrolls 163 students (state 412).
| Cottonwood | Arizona | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 21.8 | 16.8 |
| Median school size (students) | 163 | 412 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | 30% | 53% |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 50% | 44% |
| Charter schools | 20% | 26% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 10 Cottonwood schools and the 2,183 Arizona schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in Cottonwood
- Cottonwood-Oak Creek Elementary District (4487)Runs 4 of Cottonwood's 10 public schools and spent $11,818 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,818
- Mingus Union High School, the largest high school in Cottonwood1,165 students in 2024-25, 20.7 per teacher.1,165
- Compare Cottonwood-Oak Creek Elementary District (4487) with Mingus Union High School District (4488)Cottonwood's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in ArizonaArizona's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for a Cottonwood addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in Arizona
Questions about schools in Cottonwood
How many public schools are in Cottonwood, AZ?
10 public schools with an address in Cottonwood were open in 2024-25: 4 high, 4 elementary, 2 other, enrolling 3,058 students. 2 are charter schools.What is the largest high school in Cottonwood?
Mingus Union High School, with 1,165 students in 2024-25 (Mingus Union High School District (4488)).Which districts run Cottonwood's schools?
Cottonwood-Oak Creek Elementary District (4487) (4 schools), Mingus Union High School District (4488) (2 schools), Valley Academy for Career and Technology Education (79397) (2 schools), Edkey Inc. dba American Heritage Academy (6365) (1 school), and 1 more. A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25