Cottonwood Creek Elementary

Summary:

Cottonwood Creek Elementary is a public elementary school in Wasilla, Alaska, serving 468 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, which is ranked 8th out of 24 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Cottonwood Creek Elementary stands out for its strong academic performance, particularly in science, English language arts, and mathematics, where it outperforms both the district and state averages. The school also excels in serving diverse student populations, with high rankings for male, Native American, multi-racial, and special education students. Compared to nearby schools like Iditarod Elementary and Tanaina Elementary, Cottonwood Creek demonstrates stronger academic outcomes, though it lags behind higher-performing schools in the district such as Pioneer Peak Elementary, John Shaw Elementary, and Fred and Sara Machetanz Elementary School.

Despite facing competition from these top-performing schools, Cottonwood Creek Elementary has maintained a consistent 3-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past several years, ranking between 39th and 78th out of Alaska's elementary schools. The school's relatively low student-teacher ratio and adequate per-student spending suggest it has the resources to support student learning, and its ability to serve a diverse population, including a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, is a notable strength.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 800 N Seward Meridian
       Wasilla, AK  99645


(907) 864-2100

District: Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
61st of 173 Alaska Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,532 Help


Students who attend Cottonwood Creek Elementary usually attend:

Elementary:    Teeland Middle School
High:    Colony High School

Student/teacher ratio:  17.3 Help
Number of students:  468

Racial breakdown:

White:
67.7%
Two or more races:
19.2%
Hispanic:
6.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  44.2% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Cottonwood Creek Elementary ranks better than 64.7% of elementary schools in Alaska. It also ranks 13th among 23 ranked elementary schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 63.61. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (67.7%), two or more races (19.2%), Hispanic (6.2%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 44.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cottonwood Creek Elementary is 17.3. 14 elementary schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Cottonwood Creek Elementary employs 27 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cottonwood Creek Elementary is $14,532. 18 elementary schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cottonwood Creek Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Cottonwood Creek Elementary 61st of 173 Alaska public elementary schools. (See Cottonwood Creek Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Migrant students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District 8th of 24 Alaska school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Cottonwood Creek Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Cottonwood Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 69.65 67th 213 68.5%
2006 84.74 12th 218 94.5%
2007 84.86 8th 212 96.2%
2008 86.67 6th 219 97.3%
2009 85.94 10th 226 95.6%
2010 81.14 23rd 229 90.0%
2011 79.64 35th 223 84.3%
2012 76.43 42nd 227 81.5%
2013 69.16 69th 223 69.1%
2014 71.83 64th 218 70.6%
2015 63.12 78th 246 68.3%
2017 68.17 46th 180 74.4%
2018 66.59 55th 186 70.4%
2019 74.13 39th 185 78.9%
2021 65.72 61st 173 64.7%
2022 60.06 61st 171 64.3%
2023 63.33 55th 176 68.8%
2024 63.61 61st 173 64.7%
See the entire list of Alaska Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Cottonwood Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 68.56 12th 58 79.3%
2023 73.24 14th 74 81.1%
2024 48.89 34th 68 50.0%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Cottonwood Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 75.42 4th 26 84.6%
2023 41.17 9th 16 43.8%
2024 55.33 9th 27 66.7%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 79.42 18th 147 87.8%
2021 63.08 37th 110 66.4%
2022 60.26 32nd 104 69.2%
2023 63.37 39th 119 67.2%
2024 55.55 54th 122 55.7%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Migrant students at Cottonwood Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 46.57 14th 24 41.7%
2023 63.32 8th 30 73.3%
2024 58.59 13th 28 53.6%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Migrant Students!

Rank History for Female students at Cottonwood Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 74.71 34th 159 78.6%
2021 69.47 32nd 141 77.3%
2022 57.61 51st 143 64.3%
2023 54.10 64th 152 57.9%
2024 46.00 78th 142 45.1%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Cottonwood Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 71.88 32nd 159 79.9%
2021 52.90 67th 142 52.8%
2022 56.15 60th 148 59.5%
2023 66.20 40th 148 73.0%
2024 69.67 37th 150 75.3%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Cottonwood Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 71.26 12th 50 76.0%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at Cottonwood Creek Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 61.44 50th 147 66.0%
2021 59.60 42nd 127 66.9%
2022 55.12 59th 137 56.9%
2023 51.69 65th 138 52.9%
2024 43.19 80th 133 39.8%
See the entire list of Best Alaska Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Alaska Department of Education and Early Developmenr, 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.

Cottonwood Creek Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

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Enrollment information for Cottonwood Creek Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 437 6 4 3 25 n/a n/a -22 453
1990 522 2 9 7 30 n/a n/a 0 570
1991 461 1 3 6 33 n/a n/a 0 504
1992 505 3 1 6 47 n/a n/a -86 476
1993 441 3 9 11 33 n/a n/a 0 497
1994 466 4 7 10 45 n/a n/a 0 532
1995 423 5 5 8 34 n/a n/a 6 481
1996 423 5 5 8 34 n/a n/a 6 481
1997 453 5 0 9 39 n/a n/a 0 506
1998 466 5 3 8 41 n/a n/a 0 523
1999 427 7 2 6 29 n/a n/a 0 471
2000 413 7 1 5 41 n/a n/a 0 467
2001 371 7 0 8 38 n/a n/a 0 424
2002 346 4 2 18 46 n/a n/a 0 416
2003 346 4 2 18 46 n/a n/a 0 416
2004 349 5 2 16 52 n/a n/a 0 424
2005 338 1 4 15 50 n/a n/a 0 408
2006 358 2 4 17 59 n/a n/a 0 440
2007 405 2 6 14 50 n/a n/a 0 477
2008 385 5 3 12 45 n/a n/a 22 472
2009 413 4 6 13 37 1 14 0 488
2010 346 9 7 5 33 5 11 0 416
2011 348 9 5 8 32 2 7 0 411
2012 286 5 9 8 67 4 0 0 379
2013 317 10 10 7 85 2 0 0 431
2014 321 11 17 14 82 6 0 0 451
2015 337 11 15 16 89 5 0 0 473
2016 362 10 19 10 80 5 25 0 511
2017 351 4 14 11 80 9 27 0 496
2018 332 6 14 8 60 6 36 0 462
2019 331 3 12 4 61 7 36 0 454
2020 327 2 12 17 47 6 54 0 465
2021 242 3 8 16 26 2 53 0 350
2022 292 3 6 25 27 6 74 0 433
2023 317 2 5 29 23 2 90 0 468

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 Creek Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 453 24.5 18.4 15.2
1990 570 28.5 20.0 11.4
1991 504 27.3 18.4 n/a
1992 476 27.3 17.4 n/a
1993 497 27.3 18.2 n/a
1994 532 27.3 19.5 n/a
1995 481 28.0 17.2 20.2
1996 481 28.0 17.2 20.2
1997 506 28.0 18.1 18.6
1998 523 24.0 21.8 24.3
1999 471 25.0 18.8 25.1
2000 467 22.5 20.8 31.9
2001 424 25.0 17.0 20
2002 416 24.0 17.3 26.4
2003 416 24.0 17.3 26.4
2004 424 22.0 19.3 30.7
2005 408 24.0 17.0 31.6
2006 440 26.0 16.9 30.9
2007 477 26.1 18.3 31.9
2008 472 27.5 17.2 31.3
2009 488 28.0 17.4 29.5
2010 416 24.0 17.3 28.4
2011 411 25.0 16.4 28
2012 379 19.9 18.9 26.1
2013 431 16.5 26.0 30.6
2014 451 24.9 18.0 35.3
2015 473 27.0 17.5 35.3
2016 511 30.0 17.0 29.2
2017 496 29.5 16.8 35.3
2018 462 28.9 15.9 38.7
2019 454 26.0 17.4 42.3
2020 465 26.0 17.8 41.3
2021 350 27.6 12.6 n/a
2022 433 26.0 16.6 n/a
2023 468 27.0 17.3 44.2

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 Creek Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 453 24.5 18.4 15.2
1990 570 28.5 20.0 11.4
1991 504 27.3 18.4 n/a
1992 476 27.3 17.4 n/a
1993 497 27.3 18.2 n/a
1994 532 27.3 19.5 n/a
1995 481 28.0 17.2 20.2
1996 481 28.0 17.2 20.2
1997 506 28.0 18.1 18.6
1998 523 24.0 21.8 24.3
1999 471 25.0 18.8 25.1
2000 467 22.5 20.8 31.9
2001 424 25.0 17.0 20
2002 416 24.0 17.3 26.4
2003 416 24.0 17.3 26.4
2004 424 22.0 19.3 30.7
2005 408 24.0 17.0 31.6
2006 440 26.0 16.9 30.9
2007 477 26.1 18.3 31.9
2008 472 27.5 17.2 31.3
2009 488 28.0 17.4 29.5
2010 416 24.0 17.3 28.4
2011 411 25.0 16.4 28
2012 379 19.9 18.9 26.1
2013 431 16.5 26.0 30.6
2014 451 24.9 18.0 35.3
2015 473 27.0 17.5 35.3
2016 511 30.0 17.0 29.2
2017 496 29.5 16.8 35.3
2018 462 28.9 15.9 38.7
2019 454 26.0 17.4 42.3
2020 465 26.0 17.8 41.3
2021 350 27.6 12.6 n/a
2022 433 26.0 16.6 n/a
2023 468 27.0 17.3 44.2

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 Creek Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $972 (6.7%) $13,560 (93.3%) $14,532

Data source: Alaska Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cottonwood Creek Elementary

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 39th of 185 Elementary schoolsRanks 55th of 176 Elementary schools
 10.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
All Grades Science (Cottonwood Creek Elementary)53.341.8
 11.5%
   All Grades Science (Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District)5146.5
 4.5%
   All Grades Science (Alaska)44.736.9
 7.7%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students454468
 3.1%
African American32
 33.3%
American Indian6123
 62.3%
Asian125
 58.3%
Hispanic429
 625%
Pacific Islander72
 71.4%
White331317
 4.2%
Two or More Races3690
 150%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients42.3%44.2%
 1.9%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Cottonwood Creek Elementary

Cottonwood Creek Elementary ranks 61st of 173 Alaska elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at Cottonwood Creek Elementary are 68% White, 19% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic, 5% American Indian, 1% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 468 students attended Cottonwood Creek Elementary.

Students who attend Cottonwood Creek Elementary usually go on to attend:

Elementary : Teeland Middle School
High : Colony High School


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alaska Department of Education and Early Developmenr.

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.





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