Is Cottonwood Elementary School a good school?

Cottonwood Elementary School ranks 352 nd of 943 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Cottonwood Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 412 students attended Cottonwood Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Cottonwood Elementary School?

Students at Cottonwood Elementary School are 73% White, 23% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Cottonwood Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Cottonwood Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Centennial Middle School High : Montrose High School

Cottonwood Elementary School

Summary:

Cottonwood Elementary School is a public elementary school in Montrose, Colorado, serving 403 students in grades K-5. As part of the Montrose County School District Re-1J, Cottonwood stands out for its consistently strong academic performance, less diverse student population, and lower percentage of students from low-income families compared to nearby schools.

Cottonwood Elementary consistently outperforms the district and state in CMAS test scores, with proficiency rates significantly higher in English Language Arts, Math, and Science. In 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates were 53.4% in ELA, 41.3% in Math, and 44.8% in 5th-grade Science, compared to the district and state averages. This academic success may be attributed to the school's lower student-teacher ratio of 17.2, providing students with more individualized attention and support.

Cottonwood's student population is less diverse, with a higher percentage of White students (78.41%) and a lower percentage of Hispanic students (19.6%) compared to the surrounding Olathe Elementary School, Johnson Elementary School, Oak Grove Elementary School, Northside Elementary School, and Pomona Elementary School. Additionally, Cottonwood has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (33.75%), suggesting a relatively higher socioeconomic status of its student population, which may also contribute to the school's academic success.

Detail:

Public K-5

3500 Woodgate Road
Montrose, CO 81401-7575

(970) 249-2539

District: Montrose County School District Re-1J

SchoolDigger Rank:
352^nd of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,948

Students who attend Cottonwood Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Centennial Middle School
High:	Montrose High School

Student/teacher ratio: 18.0

Number of students: 412

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.8%

Hispanic:

23.3%

Two or more races:

2.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 41%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Cottonwood Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Cottonwood Elementary School ranks better than 62.7% of elementary schools in Colorado. It also ranks first among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Montrose County School District Re-1J! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 61.1. (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: White (72.8%), Hispanic (23.3%), two or more races (2.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 41% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Montrose County School District Re-1J. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary School is 18. 3 elementary schools in the Montrose County School District Re-1J have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Cottonwood Elementary School employs 22.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cottonwood Elementary School is $11,948. 3 elementary schools in the Montrose County School District Re-1J spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cottonwood Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Cottonwood Elementary School 352^nd of 943 Colorado public elementary schools. (See Cottonwood Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Montrose County School District Re-1J:

SchoolDigger ranks Montrose County School District Re-1J 68^th of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Cottonwood Elementary School?

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Rank History for Cottonwood Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Cottonwood Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2004	52.67	418^th	808	48.3%
2005	38.35	559^th	823	32.1%
2006	62.97	342^nd	829	58.7%
2007	68.99	270^th	852	68.3%
2008	65.13	313^th	849	63.1%
2009	55.85	422^nd	872	51.6%
2010	62.95	374^th	925	59.6%
2011	61.29	394^th	935	57.9%
2012	57.47	426^th	935	54.4%
2013	58.38	425^th	954	55.5%
2014	60.16	395^th	962	58.9%
2015	68.46	261^st	938	72.2%
2016	71.49	235^th	914	74.3%
2017	61.75	312^th	929	66.4%
2018	66.76	267^th	917	70.9%
2019	69.24	267^th	965	72.3%
2021	40.30	446^th	710	37.2%
2022	57.16	367^th	921	60.2%
2023	71.97	233^rd	933	75.0%
2024	61.10	352^nd	943	62.7%

See the entire list of Colorado Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cottonwood Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	68.93	61^st	332	81.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Cottonwood Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2019	64.56	237^th	758	68.7%
2021	37.32	268^th	351	23.6%
2022	52.39	281^st	595	52.8%
2023	66.30	196^th	642	69.5%
2024	50.98	314^th	684	54.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Cottonwood Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2019	61.51	255^th	764	66.6%
2021	22.19	309^th	352	12.2%
2022	44.97	316^th	594	46.8%
2023	59.88	236^th	649	63.6%
2024	54.08	299^th	683	56.2%

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

Rank History for White students at Cottonwood Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	52.69	270^th	596	54.7%
2024	53.17	257^th	539	52.3%

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

Data source: test scores: Colorado 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: Colorado Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Cottonwood Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1997	203	1	0	86	1	n/a	n/a	291
1998	203	4	1	100	1	n/a	n/a	309
1999	199	0	1	135	0	n/a	n/a	335
2000	211	0	1	147	0	n/a	n/a	359
2001	221	0	1	169	2	n/a	n/a	393
2002	249	0	3	39	2	n/a	n/a	293
2003	249	0	3	39	2	n/a	n/a	293
2004	295	0	3	40	1	n/a	n/a	339
2005	321	4	5	45	4	n/a	n/a	379
2006	347	7	8	47	1	n/a	n/a	410
2007	397	6	11	51	1	n/a	n/a	466
2008	415	8	11	69	2	n/a	n/a	505
2009	426	8	18	65	2	n/a	n/a	519
2010	385	3	16	68	1	n/a	n/a	473
2011	399	0	2	91	0	0	13	505
2012	373	3	1	79	0	0	10	466
2013	361	4	1	75	1	0	10	452
2014	358	5	2	69	1	0	15	450
2015	346	2	3	70	1	0	15	437
2016	371	3	1	73	2	0	9	459
2017	359	7	2	78	1	0	6	453
2018	332	2	2	70	1	0	9	416
2019	338	2	2	71	1	0	9	423
2020	339	2	3	76	1	0	10	431
2021	289	2	6	86	0	0	7	390
2022	333	0	5	90	0	0	5	433
2023	316	1	4	79	0	0	3	403
2024	300	2	4	96	0	0	10	412

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 School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1997	291	14.0	20.8	32.3
1998	309	17.0	18.2	38.5
1999	335	18.5	18.1	43
2000	359	17.0	21.1	44.6
2001	393	19.8	19.8	51.7
2002	293	18.7	15.7	29.4
2003	293	18.7	15.7	29.4
2004	339	18.5	18.3	26.5
2005	379	21.7	17.5	27.2
2006	410	23.8	17.2	24.6
2007	466	23.5	19.8	27.3
2008	505	24.7	20.4	33.9
2009	519	24.7	21.0	39.5
2010	473	23.6	20.0	38.1
2011	505	25.1	20.1	38.8
2012	466	23.0	20.2	36.7
2013	452	23.9	18.8	32.5
2014	450	23.4	19.2	31.8
2015	437	26.0	16.8	30.2
2016	459	24.0	19.1	35.7
2017	453	23.3	19.4	31.8
2018	416	22.6	18.4	37.3
2019	423	22.9	18.4	40.9
2020	431	23.9	18.0	35.3
2021	390	22.4	17.4	38.2
2022	433	24.6	17.6	33.9
2023	403	23.3	17.2	33.7
2024	412	22.8	18.0	41

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 School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1997	291	14.0	20.8	32.3
1998	309	17.0	18.2	38.5
1999	335	18.5	18.1	43
2000	359	17.0	21.1	44.6
2001	393	19.8	19.8	51.7
2002	293	18.7	15.7	29.4
2003	293	18.7	15.7	29.4
2004	339	18.5	18.3	26.5
2005	379	21.7	17.5	27.2
2006	410	23.8	17.2	24.6
2007	466	23.5	19.8	27.3
2008	505	24.7	20.4	33.9
2009	519	24.7	21.0	39.5
2010	473	23.6	20.0	38.1
2011	505	25.1	20.1	38.8
2012	466	23.0	20.2	36.7
2013	452	23.9	18.8	32.5
2014	450	23.4	19.2	31.8
2015	437	26.0	16.8	30.2
2016	459	24.0	19.1	35.7
2017	453	23.3	19.4	31.8
2018	416	22.6	18.4	37.3
2019	423	22.9	18.4	40.9
2020	431	23.9	18.0	35.3
2021	390	22.4	17.4	38.2
2022	433	24.6	17.6	33.9
2023	403	23.3	17.2	33.7
2024	412	22.8	18.0	41

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.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Cottonwood Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$9,252
2020	$9,823
2021	$10,596
2022	$10,578
2023	$11,948

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cottonwood Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 267^th of 965 Elementary schools	Ranks 233^rd of 933 Elementary schools	2.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Cottonwood Elementary School)	38.7	46.2	7.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Montrose County School District Re-1J)	27	28.1	1.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	41.3	39.9	1.4%
3rd Grade Math (Cottonwood Elementary School)	48.7	47.4	1.3%
3rd Grade Math (Montrose County School District Re-1J)	31.7	29.4	2.3%
3rd Grade Math (Colorado)	41	40.4	0.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Cottonwood Elementary School)	55.9	61.3	5.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Montrose County School District Re-1J)	34.9	38	3.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48	43.8	4.2%
4th Grade Math (Cottonwood Elementary School)	50	47.6	2.4%
4th Grade Math (Montrose County School District Re-1J)	25.6	20	5.6%
4th Grade Math (Colorado)	33.6	32.7	0.9%
5th Grade Science (Cottonwood Elementary School)	60.5	61.2	0.7%
5th Grade Science (Montrose County School District Re-1J)	32.2	30.3	1.9%
5th Grade Science (Colorado)	35.9	33.9	2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Cottonwood Elementary School)	51.2	61.8	10.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Montrose County School District Re-1J)	40.6	38.8	1.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48.4	47.8	0.6%
5th Grade Math (Cottonwood Elementary School)	51.2	41.2	10%
5th Grade Math (Montrose County School District Re-1J)	27.6	20.6	7%
5th Grade Math (Colorado)	35.7	36.5	0.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Cottonwood Elementary School)	48.5	55.8	7.3%
All Grades English Language Arts (Montrose County School District Re-1J)	41.8	38.3	3.5%
All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)	45.8	43.7	2.1%
All Grades Math (Cottonwood Elementary School)	50	45.5	4.5%
All Grades Math (Montrose County School District Re-1J)	26.8	23	3.8%
All Grades Math (Colorado)	34.7	32.9	1.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	423	403	4.7%
African American	2	1	50%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	2	4	100%
Hispanic	71	79	11.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	338	316	6.5%
Two or More Races	9	3	66.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	40.9%	33.7%	7.2%

Schools Near Cottonwood Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CMAS English Language Arts (2024)				CMAS Math (2024)				CMAS Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CMAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	Total
Cottonwood Elementary School	Public	K-5	3500 Woodgate Road	Montrose	81401	Montrose County	Montrose County School District Re-1J	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 249-2539	412	23	18.0	41.0%	300 (72.8%)	2 (0.5%)	96 (23.3%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.4%)	61.1	352^nd of 943 public elementary schools	62.7%		72	233^rd of 933 public elementary schools	75.0%	119	33.3	61.3	64.6	53.4	28.8	48.0	46.3	41.3	44.8	$11,948
Early Childhood Center	Public	PK	900 Colorado Avenue	Montrose	81401	Montrose County	Montrose County School District Re-1J	No	No	No	No	(970) 249-5858	170	5	32.7	77.6%	70 (41.2%)	0 (0.0%)	97 (57.1%)	3 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										$5,063
Pomona Elementary School	Public	K-5	1045 South Cascade	Montrose	81401	Montrose County	Montrose County School District Re-1J	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 249-2514	328	20	16.4	71.0%	191 (58.2%)	4 (1.2%)	110 (33.5%)	6 (1.8%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.7%)	30.3	609^th of 943 public elementary schools	35.4%		22.5	703^rd of 933 public elementary schools	24.7%	94	40.4			32.7	29.2			17.9	21.6	$13,135
Northside Elementary School	Public	K-5	528 North Uncompahgre	Montrose	81401	Montrose County	Montrose County School District Re-1J	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 249-2554	338	23	14.6	80.5%	138 (40.8%)	4 (1.2%)	179 (53.0%)	4 (1.2%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.3%)	29	625^th of 943 public elementary schools	33.7%					(n/a)			38.2	26.9	22.7			17.9	32.7	$14,081
Johnson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	13820 6700 Road	Montrose	81401	Montrose County	Montrose County School District Re-1J	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 249-2584	528	28	18.6	72.7%	251 (47.5%)	1 (0.2%)	257 (48.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.2%)	20.5	737^th of 943 public elementary schools	21.8%		24.6	678^th of 933 public elementary schools	27.3%	59	28.4	24.7	36.4	29.8	31.5	10.4	11.3	18.3		$11,397
Oak Grove Elementary School	Public	K-5	62100 Oak Grove Road	Montrose	81403	Montrose County	Montrose County School District Re-1J	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 249-6867	387	24	15.9	47.5%	261 (67.4%)	0 (0.0%)	114 (29.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.6%)	44	489^th of 943 public elementary schools	48.1%		39.7	525^th of 933 public elementary schools	43.7%	36	27.7	47.4	48.5	41.0	33.3	25.9	36.4	32.1	44.6	$12,635
Olathe Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	326 North 3rd Street	Olathe	81425	Montrose County	Montrose County School District Re-1J	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 252-7940	432	22	19.8	76.2%	204 (47.2%)	0 (0.0%)	218 (50.5%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.4%)	22	713^th of 943 public elementary schools	24.4%		18.7	758^th of 933 public elementary schools	18.8%	45	28.3	20.3	28.4	25.7	24.1	16.7	25.0	22.0	30.9	$11,799

Cottonwood Elementary School

Cottonwood Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Montrose County School District Re-1J:

What do you think?

Rank History for Cottonwood Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Cottonwood Elementary School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cottonwood Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at Cottonwood Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at Cottonwood Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Cottonwood Elementary School

Enrollment information for Cottonwood Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Cottonwood Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Cottonwood Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Cottonwood Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Cottonwood Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Cottonwood Elementary School