Enrollment
294
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Cottonwood, CA
Cottonwood Creek Charter
Federal NCES profile for Cottonwood Creek Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060181112647Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cottonwood Creek Charter earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of California schools.
- #7 of 7
- elementary schools in Cottonwood · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 26.7:1
- large classes for California
- 27.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Cottonwood Creek Charter has class sizes larger than 88% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cottonwood Creek Charter ranks #7 of 7 elementary schools in Cottonwood, CA.
School address
District: Cottonwood Creek Charter District · California
NCES ID 060181112647 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cottonwood Creek Charter compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cottonwood Creek Charter
Cottonwood Creek Charter is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Cottonwood, California, enrolling 294 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.7:1 is larger than about 88% of California schools and 24% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 294 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 576 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #549, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 26/100).
The surrounding Cottonwood Creek Charter District spends $9,664 per pupil, 41% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Cottonwood's elementary schools, it stands alongside Evergreen Elementary (541 students): Cottonwood Creek Charter is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (26.7:1 vs 22.5:1).
Cottonwood Creek Charter District is a single-school charter district, so Cottonwood Creek Charter operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Cottonwood Creek Charter compares
Cottonwood Creek Charter on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 26.7:1 | ▲ 24% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.6% | ▼ 50% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 294 | top 74% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.7:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
294
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
26.7:1
students per teacher
- 24% above state mean
Top 88% in California - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$9,664
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 85.7%
Two or More 7.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 85.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.7, Cottonwood Creek Charter is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cottonwood Creek Charter District, which includes Cottonwood Creek Charter.
$9,664
Per student
-41%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-42%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.1%
State 70.2%
Federal 1.7%
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.
Similar elementary schools in Cottonwood
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Evergreen Elementary
Standard public school
541 students 22.5:1 students per teacher
North Cottonwood
Standard public school
498 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
West Cottonwood Junior High
Standard public school
419 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Evergreen Middle
Standard public school
399 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Evergreen Community Day School (5-8)
Alternative education program
3 students
Evergreen Community Day School (K-5)
Alternative education program
2 students
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~294 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~26.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cottonwood Creek Charter's federal record.
- Compare Cottonwood Creek Charter against another school. Compare schools
- Cottonwood Creek Charter District'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 Cottonwood Creek Charter
How many students attend Cottonwood Creek Charter?
Cottonwood Creek Charter has 294 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Cottonwood, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Creek Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Creek Charter is 26.7:1, which is 24% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 70% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cottonwood Creek Charter?
27.6% of students at Cottonwood Creek Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cottonwood Creek Charter?
The largest demographic group at Cottonwood Creek Charter is White at 85.7% of enrollment, in Cottonwood, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cottonwood Creek Charter?
Cottonwood Creek Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Cottonwood Creek Charter rank among elementary schools in Cottonwood?
By Resource Investment Index, Cottonwood Creek Charter ranks #7 of 7 elementary schools in Cottonwood, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Cottonwood on the city page.
Is Cottonwood Creek Charter a good school?
Cottonwood Creek Charter earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of California 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 Cottonwood Creek Charter District?
None; Cottonwood Creek Charter District is a single-school charter district, and Cottonwood Creek Charter is its only campus.
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.