Is Cotton Creek School a good school?

Cotton Creek School ranks 737 th of 2067 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Cotton Creek School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 598 students attended Cotton Creek School.

What is the racial makeup of Cotton Creek School?

Students at Cotton Creek School are 58% White, 34% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 3% African American, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Cotton Creek School attend?

Students who attend Cotton Creek School usually go on to attend: Middle : Matthews Middle School High : Wauconda High School

Cotton Creek School

Summary:

Cotton Creek School is an elementary school located in Island Lake, Illinois, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 576 students. It is part of the Wauconda CUSD 118 district, which is ranked 297 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Cotton Creek School has consistently ranked in the middle range of Illinois elementary schools over the past 10 years, it faces several challenges. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics are generally lower than the district and state averages, with particularly low performance in 5th grade ELA. Additionally, the school has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 4.2% in 2019-2020 to 26.6% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the state average. The school's performance also varies across different student subgroups, with English Language Learners and students with disabilities ranking in the bottom quartile of Illinois elementary schools for ELA and Mathematics.

Compared to other schools in the Wauconda CUSD 118 district, Cotton Creek School generally underperforms, with Robert Crown School and Wauconda Grade School having higher proficiency rates in both ELA and Mathematics. When compared to schools outside the district, such as Deer Path Elementary and Landmark Elementary, Cotton Creek School's performance is mixed, with some schools outperforming it and others underperforming.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

545 Newport Ct
Island Lake, IL 60042-9137

(847) 526-4700

District: Wauconda CUSD 118

SchoolDigger Rank:
737^th of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,460

Students who attend Cotton Creek School usually attend:

Middle:	Matthews Middle School
High:	Wauconda High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.4

Number of students: 598

Racial breakdown:

White:

57.9%

Hispanic:

33.8%

Two or more races:

3.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 39.8%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Cotton Creek School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Cotton Creek School ranks better than 64.3% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks last among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Wauconda CUSD 118 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 59.82. (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 (57.9%), Hispanic (33.8%), two or more races (3.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 39.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cotton Creek School is 13.4. 1 elementary schools in the Wauconda CUSD 118 School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Cotton Creek School employs 44.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cotton Creek School is $19,460. 1 elementary schools in the Wauconda CUSD 118 School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cotton Creek School:

SchoolDigger ranks Cotton Creek School 737^th of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Cotton Creek School 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:

Disabled students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Wauconda CUSD 118:

SchoolDigger ranks Wauconda CUSD 118 297^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Cotton Creek School

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Rank History for all students at Cotton Creek School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	77.95	421^st	2020	79.2%
2004	79.21	365^th	2030	82.0%
2005	75.39	470^th	2022	76.8%
2006	72.64	604^th	2086	71.0%
2007	80.72	267^th	2095	87.3%
2008	76.85	463^rd	2092	77.9%
2009	77.88	440^th	2120	79.2%
2010	76.90	480^th	2139	77.6%
2011	79.11	397^th	2147	81.5%
2012	73.27	618^th	2166	71.5%
2013	65.29	799^th	2167	63.1%
2014	59.14	892^nd	2093	57.4%
2015	45.20	1004^th	2052	51.1%
2016	54.84	855^th	2046	58.2%
2017	49.74	948^th	2044	53.6%
2018	57.40	808^th	2037	60.3%
2019	59.90	781^st	2086	62.6%
2021	46.74	917^th	1948	52.9%
2022	52.13	900^th	2082	56.8%
2023	57.08	795^th	2077	61.7%
2024	59.82	737^th	2067	64.3%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Cotton Creek School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	74.57	91^st	718	87.3%
2019	46.83	340^th	743	54.2%
2021	65.95	78^th	537	85.5%
2022	50.31	290^th	768	62.2%
2023	32.71	578^th	788	26.6%
2024	36.46	534^th	826	35.4%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Cotton Creek School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	61.72	178^th	763	76.7%
2019	57.75	363^rd	1194	69.6%
2021	41.99	331^st	640	48.3%
2022	51.12	402^nd	1113	63.9%
2023	46.46	512^th	1156	55.7%
2024	61.30	341^st	1195	71.5%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cotton Creek School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	65.22	440^th	1765	75.1%
2019	64.38	474^th	1816	73.9%
2021	68.50	278^th	1514	81.6%
2022	57.14	613^th	1763	65.2%
2023	68.64	370^th	1808	79.5%
2024	69.86	352^nd	1793	80.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Cotton Creek School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	41.27	1111^th	1964	43.4%
2019	53.76	878^th	2019	56.5%
2021	38.24	964^th	1680	42.6%
2022	43.20	1017^th	1970	48.4%
2023	53.90	796^th	1957	59.3%
2024	50.95	846^th	1942	56.4%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Cotton Creek School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	50.30	332^nd	907	63.4%
2024	58.35	247^th	886	72.1%

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

Rank History for Military Connected students at Cotton Creek School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	52.24	6^th	12	50.0%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Cotton Creek School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	70.95	495^th	1972	74.9%
2019	64.16	644^th	2019	68.1%
2021	49.63	742^nd	1707	56.5%
2022	60.44	676^th	1977	65.8%
2023	57.84	722^nd	1984	63.6%
2024	64.80	592^nd	1959	69.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Cotton Creek School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	54.05	377^th	938	59.8%
2019	47.59	458^th	955	52.0%
2021	51.49	263^rd	742	64.6%
2022	42.52	512^th	954	46.3%
2023	52.58	384^th	970	60.4%
2024	45.31	463^rd	959	51.7%

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

Rank History for White students at Cotton Creek School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	46.22	788^th	1463	46.1%
2019	52.91	670^th	1462	54.2%
2021	34.51	894^th	1308	31.7%
2022	46.71	751^st	1425	47.3%
2023	46.51	764^th	1419	46.2%
2024	54.54	612^th	1392	56.0%

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

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board 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: Illinois State Board of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, October 15, 2016

So happy with this school. Everyone is super. Teachers are awesome. Office staff awesome. Child has learned a lot. Learning is pushed and parent involvement expected. No bullying allowed. Respect is taught constantly. Good students are rewarded. Mean students are sent to the office. AWESOME. Close Quote

by a citizen
Wednesday, July 20, 2011

this principal is very inept, rude & cold. many families home school or send their children to private school. another option would be to petition to have your child sent to another indistrict Wauconda Elementary school. i am not afraid to voice my opinion, as many are afraid to do so. sad to say the school superintendant supports this woman too much, as she was also allowed to act the way she does when she was assistant principal. you get what you pay for, don't send your child to Wauconda...dont buy real estate here is the best advice sad to say. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Cotton Creek School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1995	698	6	7	28	1	n/a	n/a	0	740
1996	698	6	7	28	1	n/a	n/a	0	740
1997	724	4	11	32	4	n/a	n/a	0	775
1998	789	39	3	20	7	n/a	n/a	0	858
1999	821	8	22	63	3	n/a	n/a	0	917
2000	699	10	18	64	4	n/a	n/a	0	795
2001	663	8	16	90	2	n/a	n/a	0	779
2002	613	3	7	94	1	n/a	n/a	0	718
2003	613	3	7	94	1	n/a	n/a	0	718
2004	586	4	13	105	1	n/a	n/a	0	709
2005	509	2	8	114	1	n/a	n/a	4	638
2006	467	9	9	126	1	n/a	n/a	8	620
2007	457	6	9	146	1	n/a	n/a	22	641
2008	496	3	9	135	0	n/a	n/a	27	670
2009	455	5	7	145	0	n/a	n/a	27	639
2010	441	5	12	169	1	n/a	n/a	29	657
2011	432	5	13	176	0	1	16	0	643
2012	395	6	8	184	1	1	22	0	617
2013	465	11	14	152	4	2	21	0	669
2014	502	12	15	154	3	2	18	0	706
2015	483	14	15	165	1	1	23	0	702
2016	453	13	17	162	1	0	32	0	678
2017	436	13	17	160	2	0	23	0	651
2018	409	11	17	143	2	0	18	0	600
2019	385	11	16	150	1	0	29	0	592
2020	353	15	17	143	1	0	30	0	559
2021	334	16	17	176	1	0	34	0	578
2022	315	10	14	187	1	0	27	0	554
2023	323	16	13	200	1	0	23	0	576
2024	346	18	11	202	1	0	20	0	598

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 Cotton Creek School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	740	37.2	19.9	n/a
1996	740	37.2	19.9	n/a
1997	775	38.7	20.0	n/a
1998	858	38.6	22.2	n/a
1999	917	41.7	22.0	n/a
2000	795	41.0	19.4	n/a
2001	779	40.3	19.3	n/a
2002	718	40.3	17.8	7
2003	718	40.3	17.8	7
2004	709	37.8	18.8	9.4
2005	638	35.3	18.1	14.2
2006	620	36.3	17.1	13.9
2007	641	34.0	18.9	14.1
2008	670	35.0	19.1	18.7
2009	639	40.0	16.0	23
2010	657	41.0	16.0	28.7
2011	643	40.5	15.8	25.8
2012	617	39.5	15.6	30.8
2013	669	41.1	16.2	24.8
2014	706	42.5	16.6	23.9
2015	702	41.0	17.1	34.3
2016	678	39.0	17.3	27.7
2017	651	40.7	15.9	24.4
2018	600	40.1	14.9	32.3
2019	592	42.8	13.8	31.6
2020	559	42.9	13.0	37.4
2021	578	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	554	46.0	12.0	33.8
2023	576	38.7	14.8	37.5
2024	598	44.5	13.4	39.8

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 Cotton Creek School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	740	37.2	19.9	n/a
1996	740	37.2	19.9	n/a
1997	775	38.7	20.0	n/a
1998	858	38.6	22.2	n/a
1999	917	41.7	22.0	n/a
2000	795	41.0	19.4	n/a
2001	779	40.3	19.3	n/a
2002	718	40.3	17.8	7
2003	718	40.3	17.8	7
2004	709	37.8	18.8	9.4
2005	638	35.3	18.1	14.2
2006	620	36.3	17.1	13.9
2007	641	34.0	18.9	14.1
2008	670	35.0	19.1	18.7
2009	639	40.0	16.0	23
2010	657	41.0	16.0	28.7
2011	643	40.5	15.8	25.8
2012	617	39.5	15.6	30.8
2013	669	41.1	16.2	24.8
2014	706	42.5	16.6	23.9
2015	702	41.0	17.1	34.3
2016	678	39.0	17.3	27.7
2017	651	40.7	15.9	24.4
2018	600	40.1	14.9	32.3
2019	592	42.8	13.8	31.6
2020	559	42.9	13.0	37.4
2021	578	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	554	46.0	12.0	33.8
2023	576	38.7	14.8	37.5
2024	598	44.5	13.4	39.8

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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