Enrollment
684
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Carlsbad, NM
Cottonwood Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cottonwood Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 350030001156
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cottonwood Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of New Mexico schools.
- #5 of 5
- elementary schools in Carlsbad · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.5:1
- large classes for New Mexico
- 42.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Cottonwood Elementary has class sizes larger than 71% of New Mexico schools. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cottonwood Elementary ranks #5 of 5 elementary schools in Carlsbad, NM.
School address
District: Carlsbad Municipal Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350030001156 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.4%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
-48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cottonwood Elementary compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cottonwood Elementary
Cottonwood Elementary is a large elementary school in Carlsbad, New Mexico, enrolling 684 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 puts it in the larger third of New Mexico schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New Mexico, bigger than 90% of state schools at 684 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 867 scored New Mexico schools.
Against 32 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #9.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 31/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 684 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
14.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Carlsbad Municipal Schools spends $10,509 per pupil, 37% below the New Mexico average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Carlsbad Municipal Schools also operates Carlsbad High (1,685 students) and Carlsbad Intermediate School - Pr Leyva Campus (908 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 New Mexico and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New Mexico | New Mexico avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.5:1 | ▲ 11% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.4% | ▼ 48% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 684 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
684
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% below the New Mexico average of 80.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 71% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$10,509
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Mexico avg of $16,652
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 684 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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 81.6%
White 14.5%
Two or More 1.2%
African American 1.0%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 81.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.3, Cottonwood Elementary is less mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carlsbad Municipal Schools, which includes Cottonwood Elementary.
$10,509
Per student
-37%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.9%
State 41.9%
Federal 7.3%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsbad High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Carlsbad Intermediate School - Pr Leyva Campus | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Carlsbad Sixth Grade Academy - Alta Vista Campus | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Desert Willow Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ocotillo Elementary | Similar size | Lower 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
- 1,685
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 908
- Students per teacher
- 25.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 740
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 667
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
- Enrollment
- 621
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 66/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New Mexico, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~684 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cottonwood Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cottonwood Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Carlsbad Municipal Schools'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 684 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Carlsbad, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary is 15.5:1, which is 11% higher than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cottonwood Elementary?
42.4% of students at Cottonwood Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cottonwood Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cottonwood Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 81.6% of enrollment, in Carlsbad, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cottonwood Elementary?
Cottonwood Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 elementary schools in Carlsbad?
By Resource Investment Index, Cottonwood Elementary ranks #5 of 5 elementary schools in Carlsbad, NM. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Carlsbad on the city page.
Is Cottonwood Elementary a good school?
Cottonwood Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of New Mexico 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 Carlsbad Municipal Schools?
Besides Cottonwood Elementary, Carlsbad Municipal Schools also operates Carlsbad High (1,685 students), Carlsbad Intermediate School - Pr Leyva Campus (908 students), and Carlsbad Sixth Grade Academy - Alta Vista Campus (740 students). See the Carlsbad Municipal Schools 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.