Enrollment
570
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Tucson, AZ
Cottonwood Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Cottonwood Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 040885002193
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cottonwood Elementary School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.
- #38 of 54
- elementary schools in Tucson · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.8:1
- students per teacher
- 23.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Cottonwood Elementary School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cottonwood Elementary School ranks #38 of 54 elementary schools in Tucson, AZ.
School address
District: Vail Unified District (4413) · Arizona
NCES ID 040885002193 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cottonwood Elementary School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cottonwood Elementary School
Cottonwood Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Tucson, Arizona, enrolling 570 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 23.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 570 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 277 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #176.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (45%) and White (40%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 570 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Vail Unified District (4413) spends $9,396 per pupil, 29% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Tucson's elementary schools, it stands alongside Los Amigos Elementary School (613 students): Cottonwood Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.8:1 vs 17.5:1).
Vail Unified District (4413) also operates Cienega High School (1,881 students) and Mica Mountain High (1,319 students) alongside Cottonwood Elementary School.
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 School compares
Cottonwood Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.8:1 | ▲ 5% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.0% | ▼ 52% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 570 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
570
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 52% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 61% in Arizona - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.5%
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
$9,396
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arizona avg of $13,145
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 570 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 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 44.9%
White 40.0%
Two or More 9.5%
African American 3.3%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.8, Cottonwood Elementary School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Vail Unified District (4413), which includes Cottonwood Elementary School.
$9,396
Per student
-29%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-43%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.8%
State 54.2%
Federal 10.0%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cienega High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mica Mountain High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Empire High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Andrada Polytechnic High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Old Vail Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cottonwood Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,881
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,319
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 886
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 836
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 811
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar elementary schools in Tucson
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Los Amigos Elementary School
Standard public school
613 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Sonoran Science Academy East
Standard public school
467 students
Legacy Traditional School - East Tucson
Standard public school
439 students
Summit View Elementary
Standard public school
403 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Da Vinci Tree Academy
Standard public school
265 students
Similar elementary 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 (~570 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cottonwood Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Cottonwood Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Vail Unified District (4413)'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 School
How many students attend Cottonwood Elementary School?
Cottonwood Elementary School has 570 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Tucson, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary School is 17.8:1, which is 5% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cottonwood Elementary School?
23.0% of students at Cottonwood Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cottonwood Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cottonwood Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 44.9% of enrollment, in Tucson, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cottonwood Elementary School?
Cottonwood Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower 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 School rank among elementary schools in Tucson?
By Resource Investment Index, Cottonwood Elementary School ranks #38 of 54 elementary schools in Tucson, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Tucson on the city page.
Is Cottonwood Elementary School a good school?
Cottonwood Elementary School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona 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 Vail Unified District (4413)?
Besides Cottonwood Elementary School, Vail Unified District (4413) also operates Cienega High School (1,881 students), Mica Mountain High (1,319 students), and Empire High School (886 students). See the Vail Unified District (4413) 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.