Enrollment
338
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Colorado City, AZ
Cottonwood Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cottonwood Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040002103446
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cottonwood Elementary earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Arizona schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Arizona schools.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Colorado City · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.5:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 53.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Cottonwood Elementary has class sizes larger than 88% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cottonwood Elementary ranks #3 of 3 schools in Colorado City, AZ.
School address
District: Colorado City Unified District (4370) · Arizona
NCES ID 040002103446 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.5:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cottonwood Elementary compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cottonwood Elementary
Cottonwood Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Colorado City, Arizona, enrolling 338 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.5:1 is larger than about 88% of Arizona schools and 32% above the 17:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 53.9% lands close to the Arizona typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 338 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arizona median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Among 230 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #191, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 7/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Colorado City Unified District (4370) spends $18,183 per pupil, 38% above the Arizona average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 28.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Colorado City's public schools, it stands alongside Masada Charter School (522 students): Cottonwood Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Its district, Colorado City Unified District (4370), also runs El Capitan Public School (206 students).
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 Elementary compares
Cottonwood Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.5:1 | ▲ 32% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.9% | ▲ 12% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 338 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.5:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
338
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% above the Arizona average of 48.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
22.5:1
students per teacher
- 32% above state mean
Top 88% in Arizona - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
32.0%
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
$18,183
per pupil, district-wide
- above Arizona avg of $13,145
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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 96.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.1%
Hispanic or Latino 0.9%
African American 0.3%
Two or More 0.3%
Largest group: White at 96.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 7.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 7.0, Cottonwood Elementary is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Colorado City Unified District (4370), which includes Cottonwood Elementary.
$18,183
Per student
+38%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
+10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.7%
State 48.4%
Federal 28.9%
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 Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Capitan Public School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cottonwood Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 206
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools in Colorado City
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~338 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cottonwood Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cottonwood Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Colorado City Unified District (4370)'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 Elementary
How many students attend Cottonwood Elementary?
Cottonwood Elementary has 338 students enrolled. It is a public school in Colorado City, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary is 22.5:1, which is 32% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cottonwood Elementary?
53.9% of students at Cottonwood Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cottonwood Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cottonwood Elementary is White at 96.4% of enrollment, in Colorado City, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cottonwood Elementary?
Cottonwood Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (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 Elementary rank among schools in Colorado City?
By Resource Investment Index, Cottonwood Elementary ranks #3 of 3 schools in Colorado City, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Colorado City on the city page.
Is Cottonwood Elementary a good school?
Cottonwood Elementary earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Arizona schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Arizona 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 Colorado City Unified District (4370)?
Besides Cottonwood Elementary, Colorado City Unified District (4370) also operates El Capitan Public School (206 students). See the Colorado City Unified District (4370) 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.