Cottonwood School

Summary:

Cottonwood School is an exceptional elementary school in Salt Lake City, Utah, serving 387 students in grades PK-6 and consistently ranking among the top 10 elementary schools in the state. As part of the Granite School District, Cottonwood School has maintained a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger, significantly outperforming the district and the state in academic achievement.

Cottonwood School's academic performance is truly remarkable, with 68% of 3rd graders proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 34.4% for the Granite District and 46.7% for the state. In 5th grade Mathematics, Cottonwood School had an impressive 81.6% proficiency rate, far exceeding the 31.3% for the district and 44.4% for the state. This consistent high performance across all grade levels and subject areas is a testament to the school's effective teaching practices and strong focus on student learning.

While Cottonwood School's academic excellence is undeniable, the school's student population is less diverse compared to nearby schools, with 91.73% of students identifying as white. Additionally, the school has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at only 8.53%. These factors suggest that Cottonwood School serves a more affluent population, which could be a contributing factor to its outstanding academic results. Nonetheless, Cottonwood School remains a shining example of educational excellence, and its success can serve as a model for other schools in the Granite District and beyond.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

5205 Holladay Blvd
Salt Lake City, UT 84117

(385) 646-4798

District: Granite District

SchoolDigger Rank:
8^th of 561 Utah Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,669

Students who attend Cottonwood School usually attend:

Middle:	Olympus Junior High
High:	Olympus High

Student/teacher ratio: 19.6

Number of students: 343

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.2%

Hispanic:

5.0%

Two or more races:

4.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 11.7%

See top rated Utah elementary schools

Compare Cottonwood School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Cottonwood School ranks better than 98.6% of elementary schools in Utah. It also ranks 3^rd among 56 ranked elementary schools in the Granite District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 95.71. (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 (89.2%), Hispanic (5%), two or more races (4.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 11.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cottonwood School is 19.6, which is the 16^th best among 56 elementary schools in the Granite District. (See more...)

Compare Cottonwood School employs 17.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cottonwood School is $7,669. 50 elementary schools in the Granite District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cottonwood School:

SchoolDigger ranks Cottonwood School 8^th of 561 Utah public elementary schools. (See Cottonwood School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

White students:

Granite District:

SchoolDigger ranks Granite District 72^nd of 98 Utah school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Cottonwood School

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Rank History for all students at Cottonwood School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	UT State Percentile
2008	78.01	83^rd	498	83.3%
2009	80.01	62^nd	509	87.8%
2010	80.64	49^th	518	90.5%
2011	79.75	68^th	563	87.9%
2012	79.44	62^nd	579	89.3%
2013	81.09	54^th	576	90.6%
2014	85.48	45^th	509	91.2%
2015	90.66	24^th	537	95.5%
2016	93.43	14^th	533	97.4%
2017	94.27	13^th	526	97.5%
2018	96.73	4^th	528	99.2%
2019	97.86	3^rd	572	99.5%
2021	97.90	4^th	559	99.3%
2022	97.64	4^th	551	99.3%
2023	96.71	6^th	561	98.9%
2024	95.71	8^th	561	98.6%

See the entire list of Utah Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for White students at Cottonwood School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	UT State Percentile
2022	96.05	6^th	435	98.6%
2023	95.08	7^th	428	98.4%
2024	93.70	12^th	429	97.2%

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

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

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Enrollment information for Cottonwood School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	574	0	6	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	583
1989	565	2	6	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	576
1990	567	1	4	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	576
1991	562	3	4	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	572
1992	540	3	5	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	550
1993	544	2	4	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	551
1994	572	6	4	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	583
1995	521	2	5	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	528
1996	521	2	5	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	528
1997	528	1	7	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	537
1998	505	1	6	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	513
1999	503	2	6	1	2	n/a	n/a	0	514
2000	510	3	6	2	3	n/a	n/a	0	524
2001	496	2	7	2	3	n/a	n/a	0	510
2002	494	6	8	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	518
2003	494	6	8	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	518
2004	492	7	12	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	522
2005	473	4	14	18	5	n/a	n/a	0	514
2006	504	7	16	20	5	n/a	n/a	0	552
2007	479	7	13	17	3	n/a	n/a	0	519
2008	484	9	14	17	2	n/a	n/a	0	526
2009	451	6	10	18	3	n/a	n/a	0	488
2010	386	6	12	13	3	n/a	n/a	69	489
2011	447	4	8	17	1	4	5	0	486
2012	445	5	15	16	1	5	2	0	489
2013	445	6	8	21	1	5	7	0	493
2014	438	9	7	21	2	7	6	0	490
2015	443	5	6	18	1	8	5	0	486
2016	460	9	6	21	0	5	10	0	511
2017	460	11	10	23	0	3	6	0	513
2018	458	11	6	21	0	5	6	0	507
2019	464	6	6	16	0	1	4	0	497
2020	476	11	7	12	0	0	5	0	511
2021	413	5	5	7	1	0	6	0	437
2022	390	8	5	11	0	0	11	0	425
2023	355	4	2	13	0	0	13	0	387
2024	306	3	1	17	0	0	16	0	343

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 School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	583	22.5	25.9	n/a
1989	576	21.5	26.7	n/a
1990	576	19.5	29.5	1
1991	572	19.5	29.3	1.6
1992	550	18.5	29.7	1.1
1993	551	19.5	28.3	3.1
1994	583	19.5	29.9	2.7
1995	528	22.5	23.5	1.5
1996	528	22.5	23.5	1.5
1997	537	22.5	23.9	1.7
1998	513	21.4	24.0	1
1999	514	21.5	23.9	1.6
2000	524	20.7	25.3	2.9
2001	510	21.7	23.5	3.3
2002	518	20.0	25.9	4.4
2003	518	20.0	25.9	4.4
2004	522	20.0	26.1	4.2
2005	514	20.5	25.1	4.5
2006	552	22.0	25.1	7.2
2007	519	20.5	25.3	99.4
2008	526	20.0	26.3	7
2009	488	7.2	23.8	2.9
2010	489	18.3	26.6	8.1
2011	486	15.4	31.5	7
2012	489	16.4	29.7	7.6
2013	493	18.4	26.7	15
2014	490	18.6	26.2	7.1
2015	486	n/a	n/a	7.2
2016	511	n/a	n/a	9.6
2017	513	18.6	27.4	12.5
2018	507	n/a	n/a	10.3
2019	497	20.3	24.4	10.1
2020	511	20.3	25.0	11.4
2021	437	n/a	n/a	10.3
2022	425	17.8	23.8	8.9
2023	387	17.5	22.1	8.5
2024	343	17.5	19.6	11.7

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 School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	583	22.5	25.9	n/a
1989	576	21.5	26.7	n/a
1990	576	19.5	29.5	1
1991	572	19.5	29.3	1.6
1992	550	18.5	29.7	1.1
1993	551	19.5	28.3	3.1
1994	583	19.5	29.9	2.7
1995	528	22.5	23.5	1.5
1996	528	22.5	23.5	1.5
1997	537	22.5	23.9	1.7
1998	513	21.4	24.0	1
1999	514	21.5	23.9	1.6
2000	524	20.7	25.3	2.9
2001	510	21.7	23.5	3.3
2002	518	20.0	25.9	4.4
2003	518	20.0	25.9	4.4
2004	522	20.0	26.1	4.2
2005	514	20.5	25.1	4.5
2006	552	22.0	25.1	7.2
2007	519	20.5	25.3	99.4
2008	526	20.0	26.3	7
2009	488	7.2	23.8	2.9
2010	489	18.3	26.6	8.1
2011	486	15.4	31.5	7
2012	489	16.4	29.7	7.6
2013	493	18.4	26.7	15
2014	490	18.6	26.2	7.1
2015	486	n/a	n/a	7.2
2016	511	n/a	n/a	9.6
2017	513	18.6	27.4	12.5
2018	507	n/a	n/a	10.3
2019	497	20.3	24.4	10.1
2020	511	20.3	25.0	11.4
2021	437	n/a	n/a	10.3
2022	425	17.8	23.8	8.9
2023	387	17.5	22.1	8.5
2024	343	17.5	19.6	11.7

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 School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$638 (8.3%)	$7,031 (91.7%)	$7,669

Data source: Utah Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cottonwood 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 3^rd of 572 Elementary schools	Ranks 6^th of 561 Elementary schools	0.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Cottonwood School)	79.7	66.1	13.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Granite District)	33.6	35.2	1.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	46.8	46.2	0.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Cottonwood School)	87	72.4	14.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Granite District)	40.3	38.7	1.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Utah)	50.2	49	1.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Cottonwood School)	81	86.9	5.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Granite District)	36.9	32.7	4.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	47.3	44.2	3.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Cottonwood School)	91.4	91.3	0.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Granite District)	41.8	39.6	2.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Utah)	49.3	50.1	0.8%
4th Grade Science (Cottonwood School)	91.4	83.8	7.6%
4th Grade Science (Granite District)	38	41.7	3.7%
4th Grade Science (Utah)	51.1	49.6	1.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Cottonwood School)	93.5	84.2	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Granite District)	34.7	37.5	2.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	47.9	49	1.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Cottonwood School)	75.3	88.2	12.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Granite District)	38.4	34.3	4.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Utah)	49	45.3	3.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	497	387	22.1%
African American	6	4	33.3%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	6	2	66.7%
Hispanic	16	13	18.8%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	464	355	23.5%
Two or More Races	4	13	225%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	10.1%	8.5%	1.5%

Schools Near Cottonwood School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				RISE English Language Arts (2024)						RISE Mathematics (2024)						RISE Science (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	RISE English Language Arts 3rd Grade	RISE English Language Arts 4th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 5th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 6th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 7th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 8th Grade	RISE Mathematics 3rd Grade	RISE Mathematics 4th Grade	RISE Mathematics 5th Grade	RISE Mathematics 6th Grade	RISE Mathematics 7th Grade	RISE Mathematics 8th Grade	RISE Science 4th Grade	RISE Science 5th Grade	RISE Science 6th Grade	RISE Science 7th Grade	RISE Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cottonwood School	Public	PK, KG-6	5205 Holladay Blvd	Salt Lake City	84117	Salt Lake County	Granite District	No	No	No	No	(385) 646-4798	343	18	19.6	11.7%	306 (89.2%)	3 (0.9%)	17 (5.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.7%)	95.7	8^th of 561 public elementary schools	98.6%		96.7	6^th of 561 public elementary schools	98.9%	2	68.0	69.2	85.1				78.4	81.6	81.6				78.5					$7,669	$638	$7,031
Oakwood School	Public	PK, KG-6	5815 S Highland Dr	Salt Lake City	84121	Salt Lake County	Granite District	No	No	No	No	(385) 646-4942	579	20	28.9	24.4%	424 (73.2%)	16 (2.8%)	64 (11.1%)	15 (2.6%)	3 (0.5%)	6 (1.0%)	51 (8.8%)	75.2	125^th of 561 public elementary schools	77.7%		88.9	36^th of 561 public elementary schools	93.6%	89	59.6	52.2	59.8				54.3	61.6	43.3				78.3	72.7				$8,404	$629	$7,775
Howard R. Driggs School	Public	PK, KG-6	4340 S 2700 E	Salt Lake City	84124	Salt Lake County	Granite District	No	No	No	No	(385) 646-4810	482	18	27.5	9.5%	429 (89.0%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (3.9%)	16 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.3%)	97.5	3^rd of 561 public elementary schools	99.5%		97.4	5^th of 561 public elementary schools	99.1%	2	86.5	67.9	83.6				93.3	79.5	81.1				80.8	88.8				$8,191	$500	$7,691
Morningside School	Public	K-6	4170 S 3000 E	Salt Lake City	84124	Salt Lake County	Granite District	No	No	No	No	(385) 646-4924	585	26	22.5	10.8%	448 (76.6%)	9 (1.5%)	41 (7.0%)	31 (5.3%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (9.1%)	90.8	30^th of 561 public elementary schools	94.7%		92.8	21^st of 561 public elementary schools	96.3%	9	75.8	59.2	75.8				82.1	64.8	75.5				67.6	72.8				$7,660	$492	$7,168
Crestview School	Public	PK, KG-6	2100 E Lincoln Lane	Salt Lake City	84124	Salt Lake County	Granite District	No	No	No	No	(385) 646-4804	504	22	22.9	18.7%	424 (84.1%)	9 (1.8%)	36 (7.1%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.0%)	20 (4.0%)	78	104^th of 561 public elementary schools	81.5%		72	137^th of 561 public elementary schools	75.6%	33	48.0	57.3	64.6				54.7	60.9	58.6				68.2	86.3				$7,763	$679	$7,084
Wasatch Waldorf Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	1458 East Murray-Holladay Road	Holladay	84117	Salt Lake County	Wasatch Waldorf Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(801) 871-3950	621	32	19.2	19.3%	479 (77.1%)	4 (0.6%)	89 (14.3%)	17 (2.7%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.7%)	23.9	438^th of 561 public elementary schools	21.9%		16.7	471^st of 561 public elementary schools	16.0%	33	19.7	38.6	51.8	40.7	42.1	40.8		17.8	12.5	11.2	29.8	27.8	33.3	50.9	40.6	36.8	41.9	$6,150	$225	$5,925
Oakridge School	Public	K-5	4325 S Jupiter Dr	Salt Lake City	84124	Salt Lake County	Granite District	No	No	No	No	(385) 646-4936	300	12	26.0	6.7%	248 (82.7%)	2 (0.7%)	17 (5.7%)	6 (2.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	25 (8.3%)	97.4	4^th of 561 public elementary schools	99.3%		93.9	18^th of 561 public elementary schools	96.8%	14	83.3	83.1	77.4				75.5	84.8	76.9				86.5	83.0				$8,039	$511	$7,528
Woodstock School	Public	PK, KG-6	6015 S 1300 E	Salt Lake City	84121	Salt Lake County	Granite District	No	No	No	No	(385) 646-5108	633	25	25.8	30.5%	450 (71.1%)	14 (2.2%)	80 (12.6%)	45 (7.1%)	3 (0.5%)	4 (0.6%)	37 (5.8%)	66.6	182^nd of 561 public elementary schools	67.6%		84.5	67^th of 561 public elementary schools	88.1%	115	54.0	51.4	52.3				57.3	55.4	49.5				65.1	53.3				$8,433	$497	$7,936
Bella Vista School	Public	K-5	2131 E 7000 S	Salt Lake City	84121	Salt Lake County	Canyons District	No	No	No	No	(801) 826-7825	212	13	16.3	36.8%	144 (67.9%)	1 (0.5%)	43 (20.3%)	2 (0.9%)	5 (2.4%)	1 (0.5%)	16 (7.5%)								(n/a)																		$12,341	$848	$11,494
Butler School	Public	K-5	2700 E 7000 S	Salt Lake City	84121	Salt Lake County	Canyons District	No	No	No	No	(801) 826-7975	610	26	23.9	12.6%	501 (82.1%)	5 (0.8%)	49 (8.0%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	50 (8.2%)	81.8	83^rd of 561 public elementary schools	85.2%		73.8	125^th of 561 public elementary schools	77.7%	42	65.0	61.0	56.1				78.4	66.7	51.6				64.8	66.0				$7,784	$428	$7,355

Frequently Asked Questions about Cottonwood School

What district is Cottonwood School in?

Granite District

Is Cottonwood School a good school?

Yes! Cottonwood School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 8^th of 561 Utah elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Cottonwood School attend?

Students who attend Cottonwood School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Olympus Junior High
High : Olympus High

How many students attend Cottonwood School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 343 students attended Cottonwood School.

What is the racial makeup of Cottonwood School?

Students at Cottonwood School are 89% White, 5% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Utah State Board 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.