Enrollment
303
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Omaha, NE
Cottonwood Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Cottonwood Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 317374001245
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cottonwood Elementary School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median.
- #43 of 116
- schools in Omaha · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.7:1
- students per teacher
- 20.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Cottonwood Elementary School has class sizes near the Nebraska median. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cottonwood Elementary School ranks #43 of 116 schools in Omaha, NE.
School address
District: Millard Public Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 317374001245 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.5%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cottonwood Elementary School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cottonwood Elementary School
Cottonwood Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Omaha, Nebraska, enrolling 303 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Nebraska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 20.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 303 students, its enrollment sits close to the Nebraska median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,003 scored Nebraska schools.
Among 190 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Nebraska schools statewide, it ranks #150, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 606 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Millard Public Schools spends $11,075 per pupil, 37% below the Nebraska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Millard Public Schools also operates Millard North High School (2,572 students) and Millard South High School (2,526 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 Nebraska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Nebraska | Nebraska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.7:1 | ▼ 13% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.5% | ▼ 34% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 303 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
303
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% below the Nebraska average of 30.9%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.7:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 36% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
15.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,075
per pupil, district-wide
- below Nebraska avg of $17,680
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 76.9%
Hispanic or Latino 9.9%
Two or More 6.9%
African American 5.3%
Asian 1.0%
Largest group: White at 76.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.1, Cottonwood Elementary School is more mixed than the Nebraska school average of 34.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Millard Public Schools, which includes Cottonwood Elementary School.
$11,075
Per student
-37%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.7%
State 31.6%
Federal 9.7%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Millard North High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Millard South High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Millard West High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Beadle Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kiewit Middle School | Larger | Similar 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
- 2,572
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,526
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,344
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,011
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 967
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Nebraska, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~303 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cottonwood Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Cottonwood Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Millard Public 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 School
How many students attend Cottonwood Elementary School?
Cottonwood Elementary School has 303 students enrolled. It is a public school in Omaha, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary School is 11.7:1, which is 13% lower than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 25% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cottonwood Elementary School?
20.5% of students at Cottonwood Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cottonwood Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cottonwood Elementary School is White at 76.9% of enrollment, in Omaha, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cottonwood Elementary School?
Cottonwood Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 School rank among schools in Omaha?
By Resource Investment Index, Cottonwood Elementary School ranks #43 of 116 schools in Omaha, NE. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Omaha on the city page.
Is Cottonwood Elementary School a good school?
Cottonwood Elementary School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska 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 Millard Public Schools?
Besides Cottonwood Elementary School, Millard Public Schools also operates Millard North High School (2,572 students), Millard South High School (2,526 students), and Millard West High School (2,344 students). See the Millard Public 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.