2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 010177000612

Cottonwood High School — Cottonwood, AL

Federal NCES profile for Cottonwood High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 42/100.

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0/100100/10042/100
👥 Class size
28
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
24
📋 Attendance
47
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 →

The verdict

Cottonwood High School earns a D Resource Investment Index (42/100), with class sizes near the Alabama median.

D
Resource Index · 42/100
18.1:1
students per teacher
64.3%
free-lunch eligible
379
students enrolled

School address

Cottonwood, AL 36320
District: Houston County · Alabama

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.

Enrollment

379

Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

22.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

18.1:1

vs 17.8:1 Alabama avg

+2% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

64.3%

vs 58.8% Alabama avg

+9% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Cottonwood High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians

Slightly above state median
0:135:118.1:1

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

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 High School reports 379 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 22.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 18.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 2% above the Alabama state mean of 17.8:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 15% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.

Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 64.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 9% above the Alabama average and 24% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 379 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 21.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.

On the finance side, the surrounding Houston County spends $10,538 per pupil district-wide, below the Alabama average of $12,491 and below the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 24.8% from local sources (property taxes), 58.7% from the state, and 16.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (D), 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 High School compares

Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Alabama state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.

Metric This school vs Alabama Alabama avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 18.1:1 ▲ 2% 17.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 64.3% ▲ 9% 58.8% 51.8%
Enrollment 379 top 32% — —

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

Class size vs. every US school

Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)

18 smaller classes than 24% of 92,598 US schools

0–2: 295 US schools (0%). Below this entry. 2–4: 597 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 4–6: 1,033 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 6–8: 1,939 US schools (2%). Below this entry. 8–10: 4,805 US schools (5%). Below this entry. 10–12: 11,082 US schools (12%). Below this entry. 12–14: 16,971 US schools (18%). Below this entry. 14–16: 18,959 US schools (20%). Below this entry. 16–18: 13,660 US schools (15%). Below this entry. 18–20: 8,300 US schools (9%). This entry sits in this band. 20–22: 5,448 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 22–24: 4,007 US schools (4%). Above this entry. 24–26: 2,663 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 26–28: 1,131 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 28–30: 504 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 30–32: 307 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 32–34: 189 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 34–36: 141 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 36–38: 93 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 38–40: 94 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 40–42: 59 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 42–44: 46 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 44–46: 56 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 46–48: 58 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 48–50: 34 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 50–52: 37 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 52–54: 30 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 54–56: 15 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 56–58: 25 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 58–60: 20 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 60 every US school, by class size, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

School size vs. every US school

Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')

379 larger than 44% of 95,891 US schools

0–150: 14,035 US schools (15%). Below this entry. 150–300: 16,928 US schools (18%). Below this entry. 300–450: 21,633 US schools (23%). This entry sits in this band. 450–600: 17,006 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 600–750: 10,042 US schools (10%). Above this entry. 750–900: 5,568 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 900–1,050: 3,006 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 1,050–1,200: 1,826 US schools (2%). Above this entry. 1,200–1,350: 1,220 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,350–1,500: 908 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,500–1,650: 692 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,650–1,800: 607 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,800–1,950: 502 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,950–2,100: 432 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,100–2,250: 346 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,250–2,400: 252 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,400–2,550: 203 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,550–2,700: 163 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,700–2,850: 115 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,850–3,000: 85 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 3,000 every US school, by enrollment, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 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
64.3%
free-lunch eligible — 9% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.1:1
students per teacher — 2% above state mean
Top 58% in Alabama — lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.4%
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
$10,538
per pupil, district-wide — below Alabama avg of $12,491
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 379 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
154
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 40.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 40.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 70 expulsions.

Overview

Enrollment 379 Top 32% in Alabama — larger than 68% of 1,369 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 22.0
Students per teacher 18.1:1 +2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 64.3% +9% vs state
NCES ID 010177000612

Student demographics

White 75.5%
African American 15.0%
Hispanic or Latino 5.8%
Two or More 2.4%
Asian 1.3%

Largest group: White at 75.5% of enrollment.

Programs & staff

Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 379:1

Discipline & special education

Chronically absent 21.4%
In-school suspensions 154
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Expulsions 70

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Houston County, which includes Cottonwood High School.

$10,538
Per student
-16%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.8%
State 58.7%
Federal 16.5%

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

Houston County · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar other schools in Cottonwood

1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.

Cottonwood Elementary School
Standard public school
502 students 16.6:1 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.

Before you act on this record

Treat this page as the federal baseline — then verify locally.

  • Compare Cottonwood High School side-by-side with another school you're considering on the same NCES measures. Compare schools
  • Read the district context — spending per pupil, staffing, and equity ranking are district-level decisions that shape this school. District profile
  • Confirm current enrollment windows, programs, and boundaries with the school directly — federal data lags the current school year. Choosing guide

Figures are the school's reported federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) — coverage varies by entity type, and PlainSchools does not rate or rank schools.

Frequently asked questions about Cottonwood High School

How many students attend Cottonwood High School?

Cottonwood High School has 379 students enrolled. It is a other school in Cottonwood, AL.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood High School?

The student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood High School is 18.1:1, which is 2% higher than the Alabama average of 17.8:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cottonwood High School?

64.3% of students at Cottonwood High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cottonwood High School?

The largest demographic group at Cottonwood High School is White at 75.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in Cottonwood, AL.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Cottonwood High School?

Cottonwood High School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (D) 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.

Is Cottonwood High School a good school?

Cottonwood High School earns a D Resource Investment Index (42/100), with class sizes near the Alabama median. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.

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Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type — administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) — universe of U.S. public schools and districts. nces.ed.gov/ccd
  • NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) — discipline, absenteeism, and AP-course participation. ocrdata.ed.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey — per-pupil expenditure and revenue sources. nces.ed.gov/ccd/f33agency
  • USDA National School Lunch Program (NSLP) — free and reduced-price lunch eligibility. fns.usda.gov/nslp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS — demographic and socioeconomic context for school catchment areas. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • U.S. Department of Education ESSA Title I — federal Title I program participation. ed.gov