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Cottonwood School

Public Grades PK, KG-8

29^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 401 Montana Elementary Schools

Better than 93% of Montana elementary schools

Summary

Cottonwood School is a small public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Bozeman, Montana, with just 16 students, making it one of the smallest schools in the area. However, Cottonwood School has consistently been ranked among the top elementary schools in the state, earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and ranking 29th out of 401 Montana elementary schools in the 2024-2025 school year.

Cottonwood School's students significantly outperform the state averages in all core subject areas. In 2024-2025, 57.14% of Cottonwood students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 43.09%. In math, 71.43% of Cottonwood students were proficient or better, compared to 36.77% statewide. Most impressively, 100% of Cottonwood students were proficient or better in science, far exceeding the state average of 38.16%. The school also has an exceptionally low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 7.7 to 9.2 over the past few years, allowing for more individualized attention and support for each student.

While Cottonwood School outperforms the state averages by a wide margin, the nearby schools, such as Morning Star, Anderson, and Longfellow, also demonstrate strong academic performance, ranking among the top 30 elementary schools in Montana. This suggests that factors beyond just school size and demographics may be contributing to the exceptional academic outcomes at Cottonwood Elementary.

Students ?

7.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,567

Per pupil spending ?

21.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

13233 Cottonwood Road
Bozeman, MT 59718

(406) 763-4903

District: Cottonwood Elementary

Students who attend Cottonwood School usually attend:

High:

Bozeman High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.8%

Two or more races:

6.3%

See top rated Montana elementary schools

Compare Cottonwood School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 100th percentile in 2015 → 93rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Montana average (67% vs 40% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 7% of Montana elementary schools

✓Small classes — about 8 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school67%

District avg67%

Montana avg40%

29^th of 401

Montana public elementary schools ?

Top 7%▼ down 7 pts since 2015

From top 1% (2015) to top 7% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

28^th of 387Cottonwood Elementary among Montana districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Montana percentile	Rating
2025	86.3	29 of 401	92.8%	★★★★★
2021	97.6	9 of 356	97.5%	★★★★★
2015	99.8	1 of 287	99.7%	★★★★★

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

Science100%+62 vs state

Mathematics71%+35 vs state

English Language Arts57%+14 vs state

★

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Schools Near Cottonwood School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAST English Language Arts (2025)	MAST Mathematics (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAST English Language Arts All Grades	MAST Mathematics All Grades	Total
Cottonwood School	Public	PK, KG-8	13233 Cottonwood Road	Bozeman	59718	Gallatin County	Cottonwood Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 763-4903	16	2	7.7		15 (93.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (6.3%)	86.3	29^th of 401 public elementary schools	92.8%					(n/a)	57.1	71.4	$13,567
Anderson School	Public	PK, KG-6	10040 Cottonwood Road	Bozeman	59718	Gallatin County	Anderson Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 587-1305	172	12	14.6	1.7%	149 (86.6%)	1 (0.6%)	10 (5.8%)	2 (1.2%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.7%)	96.2	11^th of 401 public elementary schools	97.3%					(n/a)	81.5	74.1	$11,656
Gallatin Gateway School	Public	PK, KG-6	100 Mill Street	Gallatin Gateway	59730	Gallatin County	Gallatin Gateway Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 763-4415	103	11	9.6	22.3%	85 (82.5%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (13.6%)	1 (1.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.9%)	65.6	128^th of 401 public elementary schools	68.1%					(n/a)	54.6	45.5	$17,933
Morning Star School	Public	PK, KG-5	830 Arnold St	Bozeman	59715	Gallatin County	Bozeman Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 522-6500	482	31	15.8	8.7%	413 (85.7%)	3 (0.6%)	32 (6.6%)	4 (0.8%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.4%)	87.5	28^th of 401 public elementary schools	93.0%		94.4	9^th of 212 public elementary schools	95.8%	19	77.0	55.3	$10,166
Monforton School	Public	3-5	6001 Monforton School Rd	Bozeman	59718	Gallatin County	Monforton Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 586-1557	254	17	15.3	18.5%	229 (90.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.9%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	6 (2.4%)	73.9	78^th of 401 public elementary schools	80.5%		80.1	41^st of 212 public elementary schools	80.7%	37	56.1	50.2	$9,484
Monforton Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	6001 Monforton School Rd	Bozeman	59718	Gallatin County	Monforton Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 586-1557	183	15	12.2	21.3%	170 (92.9%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.7%)								(n/a)			$11,156
Hyalite Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3600 West Babcock	Bozeman	59718	Gallatin County	Bozeman Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 582-6800	521	33	15.7	35.7%	334 (64.1%)	4 (0.8%)	144 (27.6%)	10 (1.9%)	7 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.2%)	32.8	289^th of 401 public elementary schools	27.9%		64.2	88^th of 212 public elementary schools	58.5%	201	38.4	18.7	$11,236
Irving School	Public	PK, KG-5	811 W Alderson St	Bozeman	59715	Gallatin County	Bozeman Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 522-6600	174	13	13.6	46.6%	103 (59.2%)	8 (4.6%)	35 (20.1%)	3 (1.7%)	21 (12.1%)	1 (0.6%)	3 (1.7%)	68.5	112^th of 401 public elementary schools	72.1%		86.5	23^rd of 212 public elementary schools	89.2%	89	56.5	42.5	$13,278
Meadowlark Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4415 Durston	Bozeman	59718	Gallatin County	Bozeman Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 582-6860	492	26	19.2	17.7%	386 (78.5%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (15.9%)	4 (0.8%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.7%)	55.5	179^th of 401 public elementary schools	55.4%		82.9	30^th of 212 public elementary schools	85.8%	149	51.3	34.7	$10,479
Longfellow School	Public	PK, KG-5	516 S Tracy	Bozeman	59715	Gallatin County	Bozeman Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 522-6150	289	16	18.0	18.7%	267 (92.4%)	2 (0.7%)	8 (2.8%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.1%)	77.2	66^th of 401 public elementary schools	83.5%		97.7	1^st of 212 public elementary schools	99.5%	65	70.0	41.0	$13,416

Frequently Asked Questions about Cottonwood School

What is the racial makeup of Cottonwood School?

Students at Cottonwood School are 94% White, 6% Two or more races.

Is Cottonwood School a good school?

Yes. Cottonwood School ranks in the top 7.2% of Montana elementary schools.

What district is Cottonwood School in?

Cottonwood Elementary

How many students attend Cottonwood School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 16 students attended Cottonwood School.

What schools do graduates of Cottonwood School attend?

Students who attend Cottonwood School usually go on to attend:

High : Bozeman 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 Montana Office of Public Instruction.

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.