Is Cottonwood Elementary a good school?

Cottonwood Elementary ranks in the bottom 4.9% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Cottonwood Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 889 students attended Cottonwood Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Cottonwood Elementary?

Students at Cottonwood Elementary are 81% Hispanic, 11% White, 5% African American, 1% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Cottonwood Elementary attend?

Students who attend Cottonwood Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Cedar Middle High : Oak Hills High

Cottonwood Elementary

Summary:

Cottonwood Elementary is a public elementary school in Hesperia, California, serving 891 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the Hesperia Unified School District, which is ranked 1365 out of 1568 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cottonwood Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom 10-15% of California elementary schools based on the statewide SchoolDigger ranking. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics are significantly lower than the Hesperia Unified School District and the state of California averages. For example, in 2023-2024, only 16.97% of Cottonwood students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 27.5% for the district and 47.04% for the state. The school's performance is particularly low in Mathematics, with only 11.98% of students proficient or better in 2023-2024, compared to 16.29% for the district and 35.54% for the state. Cottonwood Elementary's performance is also below average for various student subgroups, such as Hispanic students, English Language Learners, and students with disabilities. Additionally, the school has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 16.0% in 2018-2019 to 39.3% in 2022-2023.

Cottonwood Elementary's academic performance is consistently lower than the nearby schools within the Hesperia Unified School District, such as Lime Street Elementary, Eucalyptus Elementary, and Mesquite Trails Elementary. The nearby Pathways to College K8 charter school also outperforms Cottonwood Elementary in both ELA and Mathematics proficiency rates. Targeted interventions and support programs focused on improving attendance and academic achievement, particularly in Mathematics, could be beneficial for Cottonwood Elementary.

Detail:

Public K-6

8850 Cottonwood Ave.
Hesperia, CA 92345-3702

(760) 949-1390

District: Hesperia Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
5575^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,567

Students who attend Cottonwood Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Cedar Middle
High:	Oak Hills High

Student/teacher ratio: 23.3

Number of students: 889

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

81.0%

White:

11.1%

African American:

5.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 65.6%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Cottonwood Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Cottonwood Elementary ranks worse than 95.1% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 13^th among 15 ranked elementary schools in the Hesperia Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.59. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (81%), White (11.1%), African American (5.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 65.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary is 23.3, which is the 2^nd best among 15 elementary schools in the Hesperia Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Cottonwood Elementary employs 38 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cottonwood Elementary is $6,567, which is the 7^th highest among 15 elementary schools in the Hesperia Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cottonwood Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Cottonwood Elementary 5575^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Cottonwood Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Hesperia Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Hesperia Unified 1365^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Cottonwood Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Cottonwood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	26.98	3420^th	4809	28.9%
2005	27.31	3459^th	4822	28.3%
2006	25.71	3613^th	4818	25.0%
2007	23.70	4024^th	5113	21.3%
2008	23.09	4111^th	5113	19.6%
2009	27.48	3882^nd	5193	25.2%
2010	21.88	4471^st	5314	15.9%
2011	32.24	3817^th	5377	29.0%
2012	42.47	3114^th	5390	42.2%
2013	40.67	3272^nd	5530	40.8%
2015	21.16	4507^th	5611	19.7%
2016	15.55	5005^th	5614	10.8%
2017	16.46	4989^th	5692	12.4%
2018	18.25	4827^th	5662	14.7%
2019	15.82	5177^th	5789	10.6%
2022	16.31	5237^th	5883	11.0%
2023	13.52	5447^th	5874	7.3%
2024	11.59	5575^th	5862	4.9%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Cottonwood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	46.55	1419^th	3246	56.3%
2019	35.48	2095^th	3275	36.0%
2022	33.66	2305^th	3311	30.4%
2023	26.24	2801^st	3250	13.8%
2024	26.34	2775^th	3160	12.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Cottonwood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	20.78	2156^th	2420	10.9%
2024	20.65	2362^nd	2634	10.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cottonwood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	20.92	4415^th	5084	13.2%
2019	19.43	4601^st	5173	11.1%
2022	18.74	4736^th	5264	10.0%
2023	14.05	5103^rd	5374	5.0%
2024	11.63	5327^th	5511	3.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Cottonwood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	14.56	4938^th	5413	8.8%
2019	13.37	5134^th	5492	6.5%
2022	17.26	4971^st	5635	11.8%
2023	15.33	5117^th	5617	8.9%
2024	13.68	5219^th	5605	6.9%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Cottonwood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	34.04	1263^rd	2128	40.6%
2019	29.16	1849^th	2585	28.5%
2022	28.51	1560^th	2227	30.0%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Cottonwood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	23.05	4271^st	5431	21.4%
2019	20.34	4635^th	5510	15.9%
2022	16.59	5065^th	5663	10.6%
2023	13.13	5305^th	5650	6.1%
2024	10.69	5444^th	5636	3.4%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Cottonwood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	42.50	368^th	700	47.4%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Cottonwood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	23.93	3982^nd	4830	17.6%
2019	18.82	4455^th	4963	10.2%
2022	20.59	4468^th	5084	12.1%
2023	15.11	4789^th	5098	6.1%
2024	13.39	4855^th	5102	4.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Cottonwood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	6.86	2624^th	2737	4.1%
2019	7.39	2705^th	2834	4.6%
2022	5.72	2629^th	2726	3.6%
2023	8.93	2499^th	2662	6.1%
2024	7.22	2519^th	2647	4.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Cottonwood Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	558	16	5	123	0	n/a	n/a	0	702
1989	685	26	17	185	2	n/a	n/a	0	915
1990	586	23	15	158	2	n/a	n/a	0	784
1991	704	29	25	201	4	n/a	n/a	0	963
1992	773	23	8	190	0	n/a	n/a	0	994
1993	643	42	15	216	4	n/a	n/a	0	920
1994	612	40	19	250	3	n/a	n/a	0	924
1995	800	27	16	370	2	n/a	n/a	0	1215
1996	800	27	16	370	2	n/a	n/a	0	1215
1997	819	40	22	387	1	n/a	n/a	0	1269
1998	451	32	6	219	2	n/a	n/a	0	710
1999	394	31	7	237	4	n/a	n/a	0	673
2000	377	36	4	229	8	n/a	n/a	0	654
2001	391	23	7	260	9	n/a	n/a	2	692
2002	359	26	9	295	11	n/a	n/a	18	718
2003	359	26	9	295	11	n/a	n/a	18	718
2004	357	34	8	332	7	n/a	n/a	20	758
2005	327	43	18	393	7	n/a	n/a	16	804
2006	270	55	36	448	4	n/a	n/a	9	822
2007	262	82	45	518	4	n/a	n/a	8	919
2008	238	67	44	534	5	n/a	n/a	0	888
2009	224	104	33	500	5	3	8	0	877
2010	237	120	30	519	6	1	7	0	920
2011	213	89	24	534	7	0	0	0	867
2012	219	61	24	561	6	0	11	0	882
2013	191	47	24	545	5	4	6	0	822
2014	194	67	27	506	4	4	7	0	809
2015	207	52	32	553	2	3	7	0	856
2016	208	48	23	598	4	3	12	0	896
2017	48	22	5	561	1	0	227	0	864
2018	211	62	18	579	3	2	16	0	891
2019	185	63	17	608	3	4	10	0	890
2020	167	60	16	646	2	3	10	0	904
2021	155	48	16	652	1	2	15	0	889
2022	128	42	16	648	2	3	12	0	851
2023	117	50	15	694	0	3	12	0	891
2024	99	45	12	720	0	1	12	0	889

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Cottonwood Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	702	26.0	27.0	n/a
1989	915	36.0	25.4	n/a
1990	784	30.0	26.1	n/a
1991	963	36.0	26.7	n/a
1992	994	36.6	27.1	25.9
1993	920	32.0	28.8	27.9
1994	924	33.0	28.0	33.2
1995	1215	41.0	29.6	37.7
1996	1215	41.0	29.6	37.7
1997	1269	49.0	25.9	39.3
1998	710	32.0	22.2	54.4
1999	673	36.0	18.7	58.5
2000	654	29.5	22.2	61.8
2001	692	31.0	22.3	62.3
2002	718	32.0	22.4	64.4
2003	718	32.0	22.4	64.4
2004	758	31.1	24.4	65.2
2005	804	36.0	22.3	63.5
2006	822	37.0	22.2	63.2
2007	919	42.0	21.9	59.9
2008	888	47.0	18.9	66.8
2009	877	42.0	19.9	61.9
2010	920	32.0	28.7	62.5
2011	867	n/a	n/a	70
2012	882	29.0	30.4	n/a
2013	822	29.0	28.3	79.7
2014	809	28.0	28.8	72.1
2015	856	32.0	26.7	73.5
2016	896	30.0	29.8	79.5
2017	864	36.0	24.0	72.9
2018	891	36.0	24.7	79.1
2019	890	39.0	22.8	78
2020	904	n/a	n/a	83.5
2021	889	39.0	22.7	64
2022	851	37.0	23.0	76.7
2023	891	37.0	24.0	55.8
2024	889	38.0	23.3	65.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Cottonwood Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	702	26.0	27.0	n/a
1989	915	36.0	25.4	n/a
1990	784	30.0	26.1	n/a
1991	963	36.0	26.7	n/a
1992	994	36.6	27.1	25.9
1993	920	32.0	28.8	27.9
1994	924	33.0	28.0	33.2
1995	1215	41.0	29.6	37.7
1996	1215	41.0	29.6	37.7
1997	1269	49.0	25.9	39.3
1998	710	32.0	22.2	54.4
1999	673	36.0	18.7	58.5
2000	654	29.5	22.2	61.8
2001	692	31.0	22.3	62.3
2002	718	32.0	22.4	64.4
2003	718	32.0	22.4	64.4
2004	758	31.1	24.4	65.2
2005	804	36.0	22.3	63.5
2006	822	37.0	22.2	63.2
2007	919	42.0	21.9	59.9
2008	888	47.0	18.9	66.8
2009	877	42.0	19.9	61.9
2010	920	32.0	28.7	62.5
2011	867	n/a	n/a	70
2012	882	29.0	30.4	n/a
2013	822	29.0	28.3	79.7
2014	809	28.0	28.8	72.1
2015	856	32.0	26.7	73.5
2016	896	30.0	29.8	79.5
2017	864	36.0	24.0	72.9
2018	891	36.0	24.7	79.1
2019	890	39.0	22.8	78
2020	904	n/a	n/a	83.5
2021	889	39.0	22.7	64
2022	851	37.0	23.0	76.7
2023	891	37.0	24.0	55.8
2024	889	38.0	23.3	65.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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