Cottonwood Elementary

Q: Is Cottonwood Elementary a good school?

Cottonwood Elementary ranks 195 th of 433 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Cottonwood Elementary is a public elementary school located in Carlsbad, New Mexico, serving 760 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Carlsbad school district, which is ranked 80 out of 119 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cottonwood Elementary's academic performance, as measured by proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science, is generally lower than the state and district averages. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 36% in ELA, 29% in Mathematics, and 30% in Science, compared to the state averages of 39%, 25%, and 36%, respectively. Compared to nearby schools like Monterrey Elementary and Ocotillo Elementary, both within the Carlsbad district, Cottonwood's performance is also lower. The school's performance varies across different student subgroups, with relatively better performance for male students and Hispanic students compared to female students and white students.

Cottonwood Elementary has a relatively high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 44.47% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch in the 2022-2023 school year, which is higher than the nearby schools. Additionally, the school has a higher student-teacher ratio of 17:1 compared to nearby schools. Cottonwood Elementary's performance has declined over the past three school years, as evidenced by its decreasing statewide ranking and star ratings from SchoolDigger, suggesting the need for targeted interventions and strategies to address the specific needs of underperforming student subgroups and improve overall academic outcomes.

Detail:

Public K-5

1609 W Lea Street
Carlsbad, NM 88220

(575) 234-3304

District: Carlsbad

SchoolDigger Rank:
195^th of 433 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Students who attend Cottonwood Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Carlsbad Sixth Grade Academy - Alta Vista Campus
High:	Carlsbad High

Student/teacher ratio: 15.9

Number of students: 671

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

82.9%

White:

15.2%

African American:

0.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 49.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Cottonwood Elementary ranks better than 55% of elementary schools in New Mexico. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 50.09. (See more...)

Student Body

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Teachers

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Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cottonwood Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Cottonwood Elementary 195^th of 433 New Mexico public elementary schools. (See Cottonwood Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Carlsbad:

SchoolDigger ranks Carlsbad 80^th of 119 New Mexico 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	NM State Percentile
2022	24.33	314^th	420	25.2%
2023	43.11	237^th	435	45.5%
2024	50.09	195^th	433	55.0%

See the entire list of New Mexico Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Cottonwood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	75.05	48^th	191	74.9%
2024	51.82	81^st	166	51.2%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico 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	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	24.90	149^th	165	9.7%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico 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	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	20.53	314^th	410	23.4%
2023	38.41	271^st	426	36.4%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Cottonwood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	21.63	30^th	36	16.7%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Cottonwood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2022	17.78	315^th	395	20.3%
2023	32.22	268^th	390	31.3%
2024	42.38	208^th	393	47.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Cottonwood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2022	23.01	278^th	392	29.1%
2023	50.51	191^st	414	53.9%
2024	54.02	172^nd	410	58.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Cottonwood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2022	22.29	299^th	389	23.1%
2023	46.64	203^rd	395	48.6%
2024	55.71	154^th	390	60.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Cottonwood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2022	13.14	313^th	325	3.7%
2023	37.48	253^rd	413	38.7%
2024	26.09	218^th	293	25.6%

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

Data source: test scores: New Mexico Public Education Department, 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: New Mexico Public Education Department

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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	Total
2021	139	11	1	522	1	0	1	675
2022	149	15	4	537	3	1	3	712
2023	153	8	5	589	3	1	1	760
2024	102	6	4	556	2	1	0	671

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
2021	675	38.5	17.5	62.8
2022	712	42.5	16.7	60.1
2023	760	44.6	17.0	44.5
2024	671	42.0	15.9	49.9

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
2021	675	38.5	17.5	62.8
2022	712	42.5	16.7	60.1
2023	760	44.6	17.0	44.5
2024	671	42.0	15.9	49.9

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.

Schools Near Cottonwood Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NM-ASR Science (2024)	NM-MSSA English Language Arts (2024)	NM-MSSA Mathematics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	NM-ASR Science All Grades	NM-MSSA English Language Arts All Grades	NM-MSSA Mathematics All Grades	Total
Cottonwood Elementary	Public	K-5	1609 W Lea Street	Carlsbad	88220	Eddy County	Carlsbad	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 234-3304	671	42	15.9	49.9%	102 (15.2%)	6 (0.9%)	556 (82.9%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	50.1	195^th of 433 public elementary schools	55.0%		43.1	237^th of 435 public elementary schools	45.5%	42	30.0	36.0	29.0
Early Childhood Education Center	Public	PK-K	1801 West Lea St.	Carlsbad	88220	Eddy County	Carlsbad	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 234-3300	212	14	15.6	42.9%	49 (23.1%)	5 (2.4%)	151 (71.2%)	3 (1.4%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)								(n/a)				$10,395
Hillcrest Preschool	Public	PK	1801 West Lea St.	Carlsbad	88220	Eddy County	Carlsbad	No	(n/a)	No	No	(575) 234-3303	320	21	15.3	33.8%	106 (33.1%)	1 (0.3%)	205 (64.1%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)								(n/a)
Edison Elementary	Public	1-5	406 N. Alameda Street	Carlsbad	88220	Eddy County	Carlsbad	No	(n/a)	No	No	(575) 628-4498	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Sunset Elementary	Public	K-5	923 North Walter St	Carlsbad	88220	Eddy County	Carlsbad	No	(n/a)	No	No	(575) 234-3300	419	26	16.1	36.5%	152 (36.3%)	5 (1.2%)	247 (58.9%)	5 (1.2%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.4%)	62.6	137^th of 433 public elementary schools	68.4%		76.6	92^nd of 435 public elementary schools	78.9%	45	39.0	46.0	28.0	$8,498
Desert Willow Elementary	Public	K-5	2100 Primrose St	Carlsbad	88220	Eddy County	Carlsbad	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 234-3310	820	55	15.0	40.1%	213 (26.0%)	9 (1.1%)	587 (71.6%)	4 (0.5%)	4 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	54.2	173^rd of 433 public elementary schools	60.0%		54.8	183^rd of 435 public elementary schools	57.9%	10	36.0	40.0	27.0	$8,800
Monterrey Elementary	Public	K-5	1600 Johnson St	Carlsbad	88220	Eddy County	Carlsbad	No	(n/a)	No	No	(575) 234-3309	345	21	16.8	43.8%	119 (34.5%)	6 (1.7%)	208 (60.3%)	5 (1.4%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	3 (0.9%)	69.8	115^th of 433 public elementary schools	73.4%		83.2	71^st of 435 public elementary schools	83.7%	44	47.0	43.0	36.0	$9,032
Ocotillo Elementary	Public	K-5	2106 Captain Williams Ln	Carlsbad	88220	Eddy County	Carlsbad	No	(n/a)	No	No	(575) 628-4498	711	39	18.1	35.2%	283 (39.8%)	7 (1.0%)	392 (55.1%)	16 (2.3%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (1.0%)	74.9	96^th of 433 public elementary schools	77.8%		69.8	128^th of 435 public elementary schools	70.6%	32	35.0	51.0	38.0	$8,453
Loving Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	601 South Sixth	Loving	88256	Eddy County	Loving	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 745-2071	335	21	15.6	94.9%	96 (28.7%)	1 (0.3%)	236 (70.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	77.5	89^th of 433 public elementary schools	79.4%		67.8	132^nd of 435 public elementary schools	69.7%	43	46.0	53.0	35.0	$14,857

Frequently Asked Questions about Cottonwood Elementary

Is Cottonwood Elementary a good school?

Cottonwood Elementary ranks 195^th of 433 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Cottonwood Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 671 students attended Cottonwood Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Cottonwood Elementary attend?

Students who attend Cottonwood Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Carlsbad Sixth Grade Academy - Alta Vista Campus
High : Carlsbad High

What is the racial makeup of Cottonwood Elementary?

Students at Cottonwood Elementary are 83% Hispanic, 15% White.

What district is Cottonwood Elementary in?

Carlsbad

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Mexico Public Education Department.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.