Cottonwood Elementary School

Q: Is Cottonwood Elementary School a good school?

Cottonwood Elementary School ranks 181 st of 684 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Cottonwood Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-6 in Cottonwood, Alabama, with a student population of 481. As part of the Houston County School District, which is ranked 40 out of 137 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating, Cottonwood Elementary consistently outperforms the state average in academic assessments, particularly in Mathematics and English/Language Arts.

Cottonwood Elementary has a strong performance across various student subgroups, ranking highly for both male and female students, as well as for African American and White students. Notably, the school ranks 50th out of 395 Alabama elementary schools for its special education students and 119th out of 670 for its students of low socioeconomic status, indicating that it is effectively serving these populations. Additionally, Cottonwood Elementary has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 16.5 students per teacher, compared to the state average of 18.9, suggesting a more personalized learning environment for students.

When compared to other nearby schools in the Houston County district, such as Webb Elementary School and Ashford Elementary School, Cottonwood Elementary generally outperforms them in academic assessments. Despite having a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 73.18%, the school's academic performance remains strong, suggesting that it is effectively supporting students from low-income backgrounds. Cottonwood Elementary has also shown consistent improvement in its statewide ranking, moving from 229th out of 680 Alabama elementary schools in 2022-2023 to 181st out of 684 in 2023-2024, indicating a continuous effort to enhance its educational outcomes.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

663 Houston St
Cottonwood, AL 36320

(334) 691-2587

District: Houston County

SchoolDigger Rank:
181^st of 684 Alabama Elementary Schools

Student/teacher ratio: 16.3

Number of students: 508

Racial breakdown:

White:

78.3%

African American:

13.8%

Hispanic:

5.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 73.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Cottonwood Elementary School ranks better than 73.5% of elementary schools in Alabama. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 70.59. (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

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Teachers

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Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cottonwood Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Cottonwood Elementary School 181^st of 684 Alabama public elementary schools. (See Cottonwood Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Houston County:

SchoolDigger ranks Houston County 40^th of 137 Alabama school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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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	AL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	65.21	229^th	680	66.3%
2024	70.59	181^st	684	73.5%

See the entire list of Alabama Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Cottonwood Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	61.20	95^th	373	74.5%
2024	77.61	50^th	395	87.3%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AL State Percentile
2022	69.68	152^nd	651	76.7%
2023	69.11	158^th	623	74.6%
2024	75.98	119^th	670	82.2%

See the entire list of Best Alabama 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	AL State Percentile
2022	55.31	286^th	656	56.4%
2023	63.11	229^th	645	64.5%
2024	61.98	228^th	650	64.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at Cottonwood Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AL State Percentile
2022	61.24	240^th	669	64.1%
2023	64.67	215^th	649	66.9%
2024	74.79	146^th	655	77.7%

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

Rank History for African American students at Cottonwood Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	60.05	134^th	426	68.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Cottonwood Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AL State Percentile
2022	42.65	303^rd	540	43.9%
2023	53.71	234^th	528	55.7%
2024	58.49	209^th	535	60.9%

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

Data source: test scores: Alabama State 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: Alabama State 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
2022	365	70	4	27	3	0	4	473
2023	366	74	4	30	3	1	3	481
2024	398	70	4	27	2	1	6	508

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

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2022	473	25.0	18.9	59.8
2023	481	29.0	16.5	73.2
2024	508	31.0	16.3	73.2

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 Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2022	473	25.0	18.9	59.8
2023	481	29.0	16.5	73.2
2024	508	31.0	16.3	73.2

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.

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)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2024)				Summative Assessment Science (2024)	Summative Assessment English (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	Summative Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment English 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 5th Grade	Summative Assessment English 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cottonwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	663 Houston St	Cottonwood	36320	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 691-2587	508	31	16.3	73.2%	398 (78.3%)	70 (13.8%)	27 (5.3%)	4 (0.8%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.2%)	70.6	181^st of 684 public elementary schools	73.5%		65.2	229^th of 680 public elementary schools	66.3%	48	64.1	58.8	47.5	43.1	46.0	68.8	62.0	55.0	64.8
Ashford Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	100 Barfield St	Ashford	36312	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 726-5960	665	39	17.2	68.0%	436 (65.6%)	151 (22.7%)	23 (3.5%)	5 (0.8%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	45 (6.8%)	73.7	166^th of 684 public elementary schools	75.7%		73.7	158^th of 680 public elementary schools	76.8%	8	50.5	51.1	62.9		39.8	78.8	66.3	70.1		$9,417	$2,014	$7,389
Rehobeth Primary School	Public	PK, KG-3	5525 County Road 203	Dothan	36301	Houston County	Houston County	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(334) 677-5153	790	48	16.4	55.8%	560 (70.9%)	54 (6.8%)	113 (14.3%)	9 (1.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (6.6%)								(n/a)	65.5					81.0
Hidden Lake Primary School	Public	K-2	1475 Prevatt Rd	Dothan	36301	Houston County	Dothan City	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 794-1491	450	25	18.0	86.7%	90 (20.0%)	292 (64.9%)	35 (7.8%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.2%)								(n/a)										$9,711	$1,309	$8,164
Beverlye Intermediate School	Public	3-6	1025 S Beverlye Rd	Dothan	36301	Houston County	Dothan City	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 794-1432	391	26	15.0	90.0%	48 (12.3%)	281 (71.9%)	46 (11.8%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.1%)	9.2	655^th of 684 public elementary schools	4.2%		12.3	608^th of 680 public elementary schools	10.6%	47	8.1	4.4	2.2	5.6	15.7	23.3	27.4	34.0	37.4	$8,529	$728	$7,564
Carver School of Mathematics Science and Technology	Public	3-6	303 Rollins Avenue	Dothan	36301	Houston County	Dothan City	No	No	No	No	(334) 794-1440	427	21	20.3	57.6%	205 (48.0%)	151 (35.4%)	35 (8.2%)	21 (4.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.3%)	95.9	16^th of 684 public elementary schools	97.7%		97.3	12^th of 680 public elementary schools	98.2%	4	63.2	85.9	65.0	78.9	78.8	88.4	92.9	97.0	88.1	$10,963	$756	$9,970
Selma Street Elementary School	Public	K-6	1501 W Selma St	Dothan	36301	Houston County	Dothan City	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 794-1463	406	25	16.2	92.4%	48 (11.8%)	261 (64.3%)	65 (16.0%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (6.7%)	40.1	430^th of 684 public elementary schools	37.1%		37.6	433^rd of 680 public elementary schools	36.3%	3	36.0	34.0	27.1	19.1	34.0	60.4	56.8	52.1	40.0	$11,300	$2,679	$8,383
Dothan City Early Education Center	Public	PK	1665 Honeysuckle Road	Dothan	36305	Houston County	Dothan City	No	No	No	No	(334) 794-1420	208	14	14.8		62 (29.8%)	107 (51.4%)	17 (8.2%)	7 (3.4%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (6.7%)								(n/a)
Faine Elementary School	Public	K-6	1901 Stringer St	Dothan	36303	Houston County	Dothan City	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 794-1455	354	24	14.7	96.9%	8 (2.3%)	331 (93.5%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.8%)	4	683^rd of 684 public elementary schools	0.1%		9.3	642^nd of 680 public elementary schools	5.6%	41	7.1	0.0	4.4	2.0	2.0	20.0	10.0	20.0	16.0	$10,275	$2,211	$7,834
Heard Elementary School	Public	K-6	201 Daniel Cir	Dothan	36301	Houston County	Dothan City	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 794-1471	361	20	18.0	74.8%	119 (33.0%)	185 (51.2%)	25 (6.9%)	11 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.8%)	29.4	492^nd of 684 public elementary schools	28.1%		39.1	425^th of 680 public elementary schools	37.5%	67	17.8	17.4	16.2	15.2	32.6	53.3	56.5	51.4	42.4	$8,142	$635	$7,269

Frequently Asked Questions about Cottonwood Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Cottonwood Elementary School?

Students at Cottonwood Elementary School are 78% White, 14% African American, 5% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

What district is Cottonwood Elementary School in?

Houston County

Is Cottonwood Elementary School a good school?

Cottonwood Elementary School ranks 181^st of 684 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Cottonwood Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 508 students attended Cottonwood Elementary 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 Alabama State Department of Education.

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.