Enrollment
347
Wyoming · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 560451000377
Cottonwood Elementary — Casper, WY
Federal NCES profile for Cottonwood Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 33/100.
👥 Class size 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Natrona County School District #1 · Wyoming
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 11.7:1 Wyoming avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.4%
vs 27.4% Wyoming avg
+88% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cottonwood Elementary compares with Wyoming and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Cottonwood Elementary reports 347 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 29.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 14% above the Wyoming state mean of 11.7:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 16% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 51.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 88% above the Wyoming average and 1% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 434 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 42.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Natrona County School District #1 spends $17,459 per pupil district-wide, below the Wyoming average of $24,788 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 20.6% from local sources (property taxes), 64.3% from the state, and 15.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Cottonwood Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Wyoming state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Wyoming | Wyoming avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.3:1 | ▲ 14% | 11.7:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.4% | ▲ 88% | 27.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 347 | top 80% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
51.4%
free-lunch eligible
— 88% above the Wyoming average of 27.4%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.3:1
students per teacher
— 14% above state mean
Top 72% in Wyoming — lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
42.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,459
per pupil, district-wide
— below Wyoming avg of $24,788
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.8 FTE
Per 434 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 347 Top 80% in Wyoming — larger than 20% of 351 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 29.0
Students per teacher 13.3:1 +14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 51.4% +88% vs state
NCES ID 560451000377
Student demographics
White 74.9%
Hispanic or Latino 16.1%
Two or More 6.9%
African American 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: White at 74.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.8
Students per counselor 434:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 42.4%
In-school suspensions 5
Out-of-school suspensions 22
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Natrona County School District #1, which includes Cottonwood Elementary.
$17,459
Per student
-30%
vs Wyoming
Avg $24,788
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 20.6%
State 64.3%
Federal 15.1%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,002
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,703
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Enrollment
- 766
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Enrollment
- 755
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Enrollment
- 613
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
Similar other schools in Casper
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Casper Classical Academy
Standard public school
516 students 15:1 students per teacher
Lincoln Elementary School
Standard public school
433 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Journey Elementary
Standard public school
348 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Sagewood Elementary
Standard public school
340 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Pineview Elementary
Standard public school
258 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Bar Nunn Elementary
Standard public school
227 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Cottonwood Elementary
How many students attend Cottonwood Elementary?
Cottonwood Elementary has 347 students enrolled. It is a other school in Casper, WY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary is 13.3:1, which is 14% higher than the Wyoming average of 11.7:1 and 16% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cottonwood Elementary?
51.4% 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 74.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in Casper, WY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cottonwood Elementary?
Cottonwood Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.