Enrollment
347
Wyoming · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Casper, WY
Cottonwood Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cottonwood Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 560451000377
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cottonwood Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wyoming median.
- #2 of 7
- schools in Casper · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12:1
- students per teacher
- 51.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Cottonwood Elementary has class sizes near the Wyoming median. Computed live against every Wyoming school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cottonwood Elementary ranks #2 of 7 schools in Casper, WY.
School address
District: Natrona County School District #1 · Wyoming
NCES ID 560451000377 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 11.4:1 Wyoming avg
+5% 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
What stands out at Cottonwood Elementary
Cottonwood Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Casper, Wyoming, enrolling 347 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12:1 puts it in the larger third of Wyoming schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 51.4% of students qualify for free meals, 88% above the Wyoming average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 347 puts it in the larger third of Wyoming schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 347 scored Wyoming schools.
Against 21 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #9.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 434 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Natrona County School District #1 spends $16,139 per pupil, 28% below the Wyoming average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Casper's public schools, it stands alongside Casper Classical Academy (516 students): Cottonwood Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12:1 vs 16.6:1).
Natrona County School District #1 also operates Kelly Walsh High School (2,002 students) and Natrona County High School (1,703 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 | 12:1 | ▲ 5% | 11.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.4% | ▲ 88% | 27.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 347 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
347
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 88% above the Wyoming average of 27.4%
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
12:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 62% in Wyoming - lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
42.4%
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
$16,139
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wyoming avg of $22,313
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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
- 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 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.
Student-body diversity index 40.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.8, Cottonwood Elementary is more mixed than the Wyoming school average of 33.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Natrona County School District #1, which includes Cottonwood Elementary.
$16,139
Per student
-28%
vs Wyoming
Avg $22,313
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Cottonwood Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Walsh High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Natrona County High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| C Y Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Centennial Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dean Morgan Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar 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
- 2,002
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,703
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 766
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 755
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 613
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Casper
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Casper Classical Academy
Standard public school
516 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Lincoln Elementary School
Standard public school
433 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Journey Elementary
Standard public school
348 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Sagewood Elementary
Standard public school
340 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Pineview Elementary
Standard public school
258 students 9.9:1 students per teacher
Bar Nunn Elementary
Standard public school
227 students 9.5:1 students per teacher
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 (~347 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cottonwood Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cottonwood Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Natrona 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 347 students enrolled. It is a public school in Casper, WY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary is 12:1, which is 5% higher than the Wyoming average of 11.4:1 and 24% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
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% of enrollment, in Casper, WY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cottonwood Elementary?
Cottonwood Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 rank among schools in Casper?
By Resource Investment Index, Cottonwood Elementary ranks #2 of 7 schools in Casper, WY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Casper on the city page.
Is Cottonwood Elementary a good school?
Cottonwood Elementary earns 34/100 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 Natrona County School District #1?
Besides Cottonwood Elementary, Natrona County School District #1 also operates Kelly Walsh High School (2,002 students), Natrona County High School (1,703 students), and C Y Middle School (766 students). See the Natrona 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.