Enrollment
422
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Wasilla, AK
Cottonwood Creek Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cottonwood Creek Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 020051000514
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cottonwood Creek Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alaska median.
- #6 of 18
- schools in Wasilla · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.6:1
- students per teacher
- 35.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Cottonwood Creek Elementary has class sizes near the Alaska median. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cottonwood Creek Elementary ranks #6 of 18 schools in Wasilla, AK.
School address
District: Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020051000514 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.9%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
-42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cottonwood Creek Elementary compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cottonwood Creek Elementary
Cottonwood Creek Elementary is a large combined-grade school in Wasilla, Alaska, enrolling 422 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Alaska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 35.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 422 puts it in the larger third of Alaska schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 495 scored Alaska schools.
Against 66 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #20.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Two or More (19%) (diversity index 50/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District spends $16,171 per pupil, 51% below the Alaska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Wasilla's public schools, it stands alongside Mat-Su Central School (2,780 students): Cottonwood Creek Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District also operates Mat-Su Central School (2,780 students) and Colony High School (1,046 students) alongside Cottonwood Creek Elementary.
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 Elementary compares
Cottonwood Creek Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Alaska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alaska | Alaska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.6:1 | ▲ 3% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.9% | ▼ 42% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 422 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
422
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% below the Alaska average of 61.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 62% in Alaska - lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
43.8%
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
$16,171
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alaska avg of $33,240
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
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 67.8%
Two or More 19.0%
Hispanic or Latino 8.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.0%
Asian 0.7%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: White at 67.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.6, Cottonwood Creek Elementary is more mixed than the Alaska school average of 43.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, which includes Cottonwood Creek Elementary.
$16,171
Per student
-51%
vs Alaska
Avg $33,240
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.6%
State 62.7%
Federal 14.7%
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.
How Cottonwood Creek Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mat-Su Central School | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| Colony High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wasilla High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Colony Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mat-Su Career & Tech Ed High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cottonwood Creek Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,780
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,046
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 816
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 771
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 705
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar other schools in Wasilla
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Mat-Su Central School
Standard public school
2,780 students
Twindly Bridge Charter School
Standard public school
601 students
John Shaw Elementary
Standard public school
507 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Joe Redington Senior Jr/Sr High School
Standard public school
497 students 16:1 students per teacher
Fred and Sara Machetanz Elementary School
Standard public school
468 students 18:1 students per teacher
Finger Lake Elementary
Standard public school
445 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alaska, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~422 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cottonwood Creek Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cottonwood Creek Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Matanuska-Susitna Borough School 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 Elementary
How many students attend Cottonwood Creek Elementary?
Cottonwood Creek Elementary has 422 students enrolled. It is a public school in Wasilla, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Creek Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Creek Elementary is 15.6:1, which is 3% higher than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cottonwood Creek Elementary?
35.9% of students at Cottonwood Creek Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cottonwood Creek Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cottonwood Creek Elementary is White at 67.8% of enrollment, in Wasilla, AK.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cottonwood Creek Elementary?
Cottonwood Creek Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cottonwood Creek Elementary rank among schools in Wasilla?
By Resource Investment Index, Cottonwood Creek Elementary ranks #6 of 18 schools in Wasilla, AK. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Wasilla on the city page.
Is Cottonwood Creek Elementary a good school?
Cottonwood Creek Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alaska median. 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 Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District?
Besides Cottonwood Creek Elementary, Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District also operates Mat-Su Central School (2,780 students), Colony High School (1,046 students), and Wasilla High School (816 students). See the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District 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.