Enrollment
500
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Liberal, KS
Cottonwood Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Cottonwood Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 200873001587
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cottonwood Elementary School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Kansas schools.
- #4 of 4
- elementary schools in Liberal · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.2:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 72.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Cottonwood Elementary School has class sizes larger than 75% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cottonwood Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Liberal, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.3%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cottonwood Elementary School compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cottonwood Elementary School
Cottonwood Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Liberal, Kansas, enrolling 500 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 72.3% of students qualify for free meals, 69% above the Kansas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 500 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 1,346 Kansas schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 131 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kansas schools statewide, it ranks #119, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 500 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Liberal's elementary schools, it stands alongside Prairie View Elementary School (426 students): Cottonwood Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.2:1 vs 14.2:1).
Liberal also operates Liberal Sr High (1,421 students) and Sunflower Elementary School (570 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 Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.2:1 | ▲ 10% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.3% | ▲ 69% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 500 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
500
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% above the Kansas average of 42.7%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 75% in Kansas - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
48.2%
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
$12,495
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 500 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 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
Hispanic or Latino 87.8%
White 8.2%
Asian 1.4%
Two or More 1.4%
African American 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 87.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.2, Cottonwood Elementary School is less mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Liberal, which includes Cottonwood Elementary School.
$12,495
Per student
-19%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.3%
State 75.9%
Federal 9.8%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Sr High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sunflower Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eisenhower Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Seymour Rogers Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Prairie View Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar 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
- 1,421
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 570
- Students per teacher
- 25.9:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 516
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 472
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 426
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar elementary schools in Liberal
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~500 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cottonwood Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Cottonwood Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Liberal'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 500 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Liberal, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary School is 15.2:1, which is 10% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cottonwood Elementary School?
72.3% of students at Cottonwood Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cottonwood Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cottonwood Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 87.8% of enrollment, in Liberal, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cottonwood Elementary School?
Cottonwood Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (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 Liberal?
By Resource Investment Index, Cottonwood Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Liberal, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Liberal on the city page.
Is Cottonwood Elementary School a good school?
Cottonwood Elementary School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 Liberal?
Besides Cottonwood Elementary School, Liberal also operates Liberal Sr High (1,421 students), Sunflower Elementary School (570 students), and Eisenhower Middle School (516 students). See the Liberal 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.