Enrollment
388
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Andover, KS
Cottonwood Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cottonwood Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 200336001610
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cottonwood Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Kansas schools.
- #8 of 8
- public schools in Andover · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 23.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Cottonwood Elementary has class sizes larger than 83% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cottonwood Elementary ranks #8 of 8 public schools in Andover, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.3%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cottonwood Elementary compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cottonwood Elementary
Cottonwood Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Andover, Kansas, enrolling 388 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 23.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 388 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Among 247 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kansas schools statewide, it ranks #205, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Two or More (10%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 388 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Andover spends $7,432 per pupil, 52% below the Kansas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Andover also operates Andover Ecademy (3,617 students) and Andover High (1,018 students) alongside Cottonwood 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 Elementary compares
Cottonwood Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.2:1 | ▲ 17% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.3% | ▼ 45% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 388 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
388
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% below the Kansas average of 42.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 83% in Kansas - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.2%
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
$7,432
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kansas avg of $15,487
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 388 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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 76.3%
Two or More 10.3%
Hispanic or Latino 8.0%
Asian 2.6%
African American 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 76.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.0, Cottonwood Elementary is about as mixed as the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Andover, which includes Cottonwood Elementary.
$7,432
Per student
-52%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-55%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.5%
State 65.2%
Federal 4.3%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andover Ecademy | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| Andover High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Andover Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Andover Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Andover Central Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar 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
- 3,617
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 1,018
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 886
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 773
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 642
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Kansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~388 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cottonwood Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cottonwood Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Andover'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 388 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Andover, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary is 16.2:1, which is 17% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cottonwood Elementary?
23.3% of students at Cottonwood Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cottonwood Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cottonwood Elementary is White at 76.3% of enrollment, in Andover, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cottonwood Elementary?
Cottonwood Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Cottonwood Elementary rank among public schools in Andover?
By Resource Investment Index, Cottonwood Elementary ranks #8 of 8 public schools in Andover, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Andover on the city page.
Is Cottonwood Elementary a good school?
Cottonwood Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Kansas 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 Andover?
Besides Cottonwood Elementary, Andover also operates Andover Ecademy (3,617 students), Andover High (1,018 students), and Andover Central High School (886 students). See the Andover 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.