Enrollment
198
Wyoming · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Wright, WY
Cottonwood Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cottonwood Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 560147000064
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cottonwood Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wyoming median.
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11:1
- students per teacher
- 29.2%
- free-lunch eligible
- 198
- students enrolled
Cottonwood Elementary has class sizes near the Wyoming median. Computed live against every Wyoming school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Campbell County School District #1 · Wyoming
NCES ID 560147000064 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11:1
vs 11.4:1 Wyoming avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.2%
vs 27.4% Wyoming avg
+7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cottonwood Elementary compares with Wyoming and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cottonwood Elementary
Cottonwood Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Wright, Wyoming, enrolling 198 students.
At 11:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Wyoming median, within a few percentage points of the 11.4:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 29.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 198 students, its enrollment sits close to the Wyoming median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 347 scored Wyoming schools.
Against 85 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #15.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 220 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Campbell County School District #1 spends $17,006 per pupil, 24% below the Wyoming average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Wright's public schools, it stands alongside Wright Jr. & Sr. High School (174 students): Cottonwood Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (11:1 vs 9.7:1).
Campbell County School District #1 also operates Campbell County High School (1,212 students) and Thunder Basin High School (1,206 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 Wyoming and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wyoming | Wyoming avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11:1 | ▼ 4% | 11.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.2% | ▲ 7% | 27.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 198 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11:1
Leaner classes than 83% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
198
Bigger than 19% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% above the Wyoming average of 27.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 46% in Wyoming - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.8%
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
$17,006
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wyoming avg of $22,313
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 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 83.8%
Hispanic or Latino 12.6%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Two or More 1.0%
Largest group: White at 83.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.1, Cottonwood Elementary is less mixed than the Wyoming school average of 33.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Campbell County School District #1, which includes Cottonwood Elementary.
$17,006
Per student
-24%
vs Wyoming
Avg $22,313
+2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.0%
State 32.6%
Federal 9.4%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thunder Basin High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Twin Spruce Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sage Valley Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Stocktrail Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher 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
- 1,212
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,206
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 667
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 589
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 554
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar other schools in Wright
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Wyoming, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~198 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cottonwood Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cottonwood Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Campbell County School District #1'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 198 students enrolled. It is a public school in Wright, WY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary is 11:1, which is 4% lower than the Wyoming average of 11.4:1 and 30% 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?
29.2% of students at Cottonwood Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wyoming average of 27.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cottonwood Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cottonwood Elementary is White at 83.8% of enrollment, in Wright, WY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cottonwood Elementary?
Cottonwood Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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).
Is Cottonwood Elementary a good school?
Cottonwood Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wyoming 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 Campbell County School District #1?
Besides Cottonwood Elementary, Campbell County School District #1 also operates Campbell County High School (1,212 students), Thunder Basin High School (1,206 students), and Twin Spruce Junior High School (667 students). See the Campbell County School District #1 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.