Enrollment
627
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Visalia, CA
Cottonwood Creek Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cottonwood Creek Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 11/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 064116011824
👥 S:T ratio 4
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cottonwood Creek Elementary earns 11/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of California schools.
- #24 of 31
- elementary schools in Visalia · Resource Index
- 11
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.1:1
- large classes for California
- 49.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Cottonwood Creek Elementary has class sizes larger than 72% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cottonwood Creek Elementary ranks #24 of 31 elementary schools in Visalia, CA.
School address
District: Visalia Unified · California
NCES ID 064116011824 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cottonwood Creek Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cottonwood Creek Elementary
Cottonwood Creek Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Visalia, California, enrolling 627 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.1:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 49.8% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 627 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,479 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,380, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (70%) and White (16%) (diversity index 48/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Visalia's elementary schools, it stands alongside Riverway Elementary (857 students): Cottonwood Creek Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.1:1 vs 27.6:1).
Visalia Unified also operates Redwood High (2,490 students) and Golden West High (2,059 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 California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24.1:1 | ▲ 12% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.8% | ▼ 10% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 627 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.1:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
627
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
24.1:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 72% in California - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
43.1%
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
$14,150
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.7 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
Hispanic or Latino 69.7%
White 16.4%
Asian 5.6%
Two or More 5.6%
African American 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 69.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.1, Cottonwood Creek Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Visalia Unified, which includes Cottonwood Creek Elementary.
$14,150
Per student
-14%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.1%
State 69.0%
Federal 12.9%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redwood High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Golden West High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| El Diamante High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mt. Whitney High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ridgeview Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher 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
- 2,490
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 2,059
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,890
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 1,637
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 975
- Students per teacher
- 28.7:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
Similar elementary schools in Visalia
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Riverway Elementary
Standard public school
857 students 27.6:1 students per teacher
Annie R. Mitchell
Standard public school
789 students 26.3:1 students per teacher
Oak Grove Elementary
Standard public school
756 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Manuel F. Hernandez
Standard public school
707 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Four Creeks Elementary
Standard public school
654 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Denton Elementary
Standard public school
648 students 24.9:1 students per teacher
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 (~627 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cottonwood Creek Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cottonwood Creek Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Visalia Unified'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 627 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Visalia, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Creek Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Creek Elementary is 24.1:1, which is 12% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 54% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cottonwood Creek Elementary?
49.8% of students at Cottonwood Creek Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cottonwood Creek Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cottonwood Creek Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 69.7% of enrollment, in Visalia, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cottonwood Creek Elementary?
Cottonwood Creek Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 11/100 (lower 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 elementary schools in Visalia?
By Resource Investment Index, Cottonwood Creek Elementary ranks #24 of 31 elementary schools in Visalia, 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 Visalia on the city page.
Is Cottonwood Creek Elementary a good school?
Cottonwood Creek Elementary earns 11/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% 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 Visalia Unified?
Besides Cottonwood Creek Elementary, Visalia Unified also operates Redwood High (2,490 students), Golden West High (2,059 students), and El Diamante High (1,890 students). See the Visalia Unified 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.