Enrollment
459
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Somerville, AL
Cotaco School
Federal NCES profile for Cotaco School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010248001041
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cotaco School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Alabama schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Somerville · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.3:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 60.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Cotaco School has class sizes smaller than 81% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cotaco School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Somerville, AL.
School address
District: Morgan County · Alabama
NCES ID 010248001041 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.1%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cotaco School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cotaco School
Cotaco School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Somerville, Alabama, enrolling 459 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 60.1% lands close to the Alabama typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 459 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 468 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #195.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 459 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Somerville's public schools, it stands alongside Union Hill School (471 students): Cotaco School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.3:1 vs 17.4:1).
Morgan County also operates Albert P Brewer High School (757 students) and Priceville Elementary School (674 students) alongside Cotaco School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Cotaco School compares
Cotaco School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.3:1 | ▼ 14% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.1% | ▲ 2% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 459 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
459
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 19% in Alabama - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,155
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 459 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
16
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 87.4%
Hispanic or Latino 6.1%
Two or More 4.1%
African American 1.5%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 87.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.0, Cotaco School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Morgan County, which includes Cotaco School.
$11,155
Per student
-11%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.2%
State 52.6%
Federal 13.2%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Cotaco School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albert P Brewer High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Priceville Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Morgan Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Morgan Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Priceville High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cotaco School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 757
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 674
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 561
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 512
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 506
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Somerville
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~459 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cotaco School's federal record.
- Compare Cotaco School against another school. Compare schools
- Morgan County's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Cotaco School
How many students attend Cotaco School?
Cotaco School has 459 students enrolled. It is a public school in Somerville, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cotaco School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cotaco School is 15.3:1, which is 14% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cotaco School?
60.1% of students at Cotaco School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cotaco School?
The largest demographic group at Cotaco School is White at 87.4% of enrollment, in Somerville, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cotaco School?
Cotaco School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cotaco School rank among public schools in Somerville?
By Resource Investment Index, Cotaco School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Somerville, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Somerville on the city page.
Is Cotaco School a good school?
Cotaco School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Alabama schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Morgan County?
Besides Cotaco School, Morgan County also operates Albert P Brewer High School (757 students), Priceville Elementary School (674 students), and West Morgan Middle School (561 students). See the Morgan County district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.