Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Cottonwood Creek Elementary

Q: Is Cottonwood Creek Elementary a good school?

Cottonwood Creek Elementary ranks 41 st of 166 Alaska elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

41^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 166 Alaska Elementary Schools

Better than 75% of Alaska elementary schools

Summary

Cottonwood Creek Elementary is a PreK–5 public school in Wasilla, AK, serving 422 students within the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, one of Alaska's strongest districts. The school earned 4 stars and jumped to #41 out of 166 Alaska schools in the 2025–2026 school year — up from #71 the prior year — placing it at the 75th percentile statewide and returning it to its best ranking since before the pandemic.

Science is Cottonwood's standout subject: 67.2% of students are proficient, well above the district average of 51.0% and the state's 37.8%. That marks a dramatic turnaround from 2022–2023, when Cottonwood (41.8%) actually trailed its own district in science. Math is also a clear strength at 51.9% proficiency (district: 42.0%), while English Language Arts is comparatively softer at 45.1%. Among nearby Wasilla-area schools, John Shaw Elementary, Pioneer Peak Elementary, and Finger Lake Elementary post higher overall scores, while Iditarod Elementary and Tanaina Elementary trail Cottonwood by wide margins in every subject. Notably, Cottonwood slightly outranks nearby Fred and Sara Machetanz Elementary School even though Machetanz serves fewer students from low-income households.

The school's improvement is broad-based: female students jumped from the 42nd to the 70th percentile, and special education students have ranked in the 67th–72nd percentile statewide for two consecutive years. Students from low-income households also rank in the 93rd percentile, though that figure relies on a much smaller comparison group than in prior years. Two areas merit attention: 4th graders currently score below the district in both ELA and math while 3rd and 5th graders exceed district averages, and multiracial students post lower rankings than other subgroups. With its strong science gains, effective support for at-risk learners, and positive momentum overall, Cottonwood Creek appears well-positioned to hold onto its 4-star rating.

422

Students ?

16.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,532

Per pupil spending ?

37.9%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

800 N Seward Meridian
Wasilla, AK 99645

(907) 864-2100

District: Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District

Students who attend Cottonwood Creek Elementary usually attend:

Elementary:	Teeland Middle School
High:	Colony High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.8%

Two or more races:

19.0%

Hispanic:

8.3%

See top rated Alaska elementary schools

Compare Cottonwood Creek Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 68th percentile in 2015 → 75th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Alaska average (51% vs 33% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 25% of Alaska elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school51%

District avg43%

Alaska avg33%

41^st of 166

Alaska public elementary schools ?

Top 25%▲ up 1 pts since 2017

See the entire ranking list of Alaska Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^th of 22Elementary Schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District

6^th of 23Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District among Alaska 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	Alaska percentile	Rating
2026	70.0	41 of 166	75.3%	★★★★☆
2025	59.4	71 of 175	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.6	61 of 173	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.3	55 of 176	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.1	61 of 171	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.7	61 of 173	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	74.1	39 of 185	78.9%	★★★★☆
2018	66.6	55 of 186	70.4%	★★★★☆
2017	68.2	46 of 180	74.4%	★★★★☆
2015	63.1	78 of 246	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	71.8	64 of 218	70.6%	★★★★☆
2013	69.2	69 of 223	69.1%	★★★★☆
2012	76.4	42 of 227	81.5%	★★★★☆
2011	79.6	35 of 223	84.3%	★★★★☆
2010	81.1	23 of 229	90.0%	★★★★★
2009	85.9	10 of 226	95.6%	★★★★★
2008	86.7	6 of 219	97.3%	★★★★★
2007	84.9	8 of 212	96.2%	★★★★★
2006	84.7	12 of 218	94.5%	★★★★★
2005	69.7	67 of 213	68.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2026	63.5	42 of 140	70.0%	★★★★☆
2025	43.7	90 of 154	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.0	78 of 142	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.1	64 of 152	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.6	51 of 143	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	69.5	32 of 141	77.3%	★★★★☆
2019	74.7	34 of 159	78.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2026	86.5	2 of 28	92.9%	★★★★★
2025	53.2	59 of 125	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.6	54 of 122	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.4	39 of 119	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.3	32 of 104	69.2%	★★★★☆
2021	63.1	37 of 110	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	79.4	18 of 147	87.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2026	68.4	38 of 145	73.8%	★★★★☆
2025	68.3	36 of 149	75.8%	★★★★☆
2024	69.7	37 of 150	75.3%	★★★★☆
2023	66.2	40 of 148	73.0%	★★★★☆
2022	56.1	60 of 148	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.9	67 of 142	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.9	32 of 159	79.9%	★★★★☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2026	86.5	2 of 28	92.9%	★★★★★
2025	38.1	25 of 35	28.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	58.6	13 of 28	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.3	8 of 30	73.3%	★★★★☆
2019	46.6	14 of 24	41.7%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2026	39.2	42 of 65	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.6	41 of 62	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.9	34 of 68	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	73.2	14 of 74	81.1%	★★★★☆
2022	68.6	12 of 58	79.3%	★★★★☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2019	71.3	12 of 50	76.0%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2026	55.8	10 of 30	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.8	8 of 29	72.4%	★★★★☆
2024	55.3	9 of 27	66.7%	★★★★☆
2023	41.2	9 of 16	43.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	75.4	4 of 26	84.6%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2026	59.4	47 of 128	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	40.7	91 of 139	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.2	80 of 133	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.7	65 of 138	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.1	59 of 137	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.6	42 of 127	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.4	50 of 147	66.0%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)93rd percentile+18 vs school

Migrant (2026)93rd percentile+18 vs school

Native American (2019)76th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)74th percentile~ school

Female (2026)70th percentile-5 vs school

Special Education (2026)67th percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)63rd percentile-12 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)35th percentile-40 vs school

By subject vs Alaska (2025-2026) ?

Science67%+29 vs state

Mathematics52%+20 vs state

English Language Arts45%+12 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Cottonwood Creek Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Cottonwood Creek Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Cottonwood Creek Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				STAR English Language Arts (2026)							STAR Mathematics (2026)							ASA Science (2026)			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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAR English Language Arts 3rd Grade	STAR English Language Arts 4th Grade	STAR English Language Arts 5th Grade	STAR English Language Arts 6th Grade	STAR English Language Arts 7th Grade	STAR English Language Arts 8th Grade	STAR English Language Arts All Grades	STAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAR Mathematics All Grades	ASA Science 5th Grade	ASA Science 8th Grade	ASA Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cottonwood Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	800 N Seward Meridian	Wasilla	99645	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 864-2100	422	26	16.2	37.9%	286 (67.8%)	1 (0.2%)	35 (8.3%)	3 (0.7%)	17 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	80 (19.0%)	70	41^st of 166 public elementary schools	75.3%		59.4	71^st of 175 public elementary schools	59.4%	30	39.3	37.7	59.3				45.1	52.6	45.7	58.3				51.9	67.2		67.2	$14,532	$972	$13,560
Fronteras Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	2315 N Seward Meridian Pky	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	Yes	No	No	No	(907) 376-2223	336	19	17.6	—	194 (57.7%)	4 (1.2%)	89 (26.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (12.5%)	81.5	22^nd of 166 public elementary schools	86.7%		66.9	55^th of 175 public elementary schools	68.6%	33	41.2	74.3	72.0	63.0	47.8	62.5	60.0	37.5	47.2	80.8	65.4	47.8	70.0	55.6	84.0	83.3	83.7	$14,531	$114	$14,417
Teeland Middle School	Public	PK, KG-8	2788 N Seward Meridian Pkwy	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 352-7500	643	35	18.3	39.7%	420 (65.3%)	1 (0.2%)	55 (8.6%)	9 (1.4%)	43 (6.7%)	10 (1.6%)	105 (16.3%)								(n/a)				35.5	37.9	37.0	36.9				24.7	43.2	47.0	38.3		41.1	41.1	$13,334	$1,054	$12,280
Larson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2722 E Seldon Rd	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 352-2300	319	22	14.8	47.0%	184 (57.7%)	5 (1.6%)	40 (12.5%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (11.6%)	4 (1.3%)	49 (15.4%)	57	68^th of 166 public elementary schools	59.0%		57.7	75^th of 175 public elementary schools	57.1%	7	36.6	40.7	41.3				39.7	43.9	40.4	50.0				44.4	59.5		59.5	$17,109	$2,245	$14,863
Finger Lake Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5981 Eek St	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 864-2200	445	27	16.4	41.3%	288 (64.7%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (8.5%)	4 (0.9%)	30 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	84 (18.9%)	80	26^th of 166 public elementary schools	84.3%		66.9	54^th of 175 public elementary schools	69.1%	28	38.8	53.6	64.9				53.0	44.8	56.4	70.1				57.8	70.7		70.7	$13,619	$1,424	$12,195
Iditarod Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	455 E Carpenter Cir	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 352-9100	424	26	16.3	72.2%	244 (57.5%)	4 (0.9%)	50 (11.8%)	9 (2.1%)	24 (5.7%)	1 (0.2%)	92 (21.7%)	36.6	111^th of 166 public elementary schools	33.1%		22.6	137^th of 175 public elementary schools	21.7%	26	36.5	33.3	26.9				32.0	36.5	36.4	31.8				34.7	42.7		42.7	$17,072	$3,548	$13,525
John Shaw Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3750 E Paradise Ln	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 352-0500	507	31	16.3	41.2%	395 (77.9%)	2 (0.4%)	29 (5.7%)	2 (0.4%)	33 (6.5%)	1 (0.2%)	45 (8.9%)	85.8	18^th of 166 public elementary schools	89.2%		90.6	8^th of 175 public elementary schools	95.4%	10	44.3	53.0	56.6				51.4	61.0	63.3	80.6				67.6	74.3		74.3	$13,883	$843	$13,040
Fred and Sara Machetanz Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4961 E Nelson Rd	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 864-2300	468	26	18.3	29.1%	301 (64.3%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (7.9%)	7 (1.5%)	23 (4.9%)	5 (1.1%)	94 (20.1%)	67.4	47^th of 166 public elementary schools	71.7%		77	29^th of 175 public elementary schools	83.4%	18	51.7	46.7	47.6				48.4	53.3	37.3	51.2				47.0	61.0		61.0	$14,038	$875	$13,163
Birchtree Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	1675 N Nadina St.	Palmer	99645	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	Yes	No	No	No	(907) 745-1831	416	24	17.6	—	329 (79.1%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.1%)	1 (0.2%)	51 (12.3%)	60.2	61^st of 166 public elementary schools	63.3%		59	73^rd of 175 public elementary schools	58.3%	12	32.7	46.7	50.0	39.5	60.5	60.0	47.0	32.7	42.2	69.6	45.5	50.0	46.7	47.6	64.6	56.3	61.3	$16,733	$116	$16,617
Tanaina Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2550 Lucille St	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 352-9400	324	22	14.7	55.2%	203 (62.7%)	1 (0.3%)	22 (6.8%)	3 (0.9%)	26 (8.0%)	5 (1.5%)	64 (19.8%)	49.3	90^th of 166 public elementary schools	45.8%		44.2	97^th of 175 public elementary schools	44.6%	7	21.8	36.0	45.2				34.7	32.7	44.0	50.0				42.5	55.7		55.7	$16,334	$1,666	$14,668

Frequently Asked Questions about Cottonwood Creek Elementary

What district is Cottonwood Creek Elementary in?

Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District

Is Cottonwood Creek Elementary a good school?

Cottonwood Creek Elementary ranks 41^st of 166 Alaska elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Cottonwood Creek Elementary?

Students at Cottonwood Creek Elementary are 68% White, 19% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic, 4% American Indian.

How many students attend Cottonwood Creek Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 422 students attended Cottonwood Creek Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Cottonwood Creek Elementary attend?

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

Elementary : Teeland Middle School
High : Colony High School

Rate Cottonwood Creek Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

AKAlaska Elementary School Rankings

AKAlaska District Rankings

Schools in Wasilla, AK

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Cottonwood Creek Elementary!

Latest Alaska data All new data »

2025–26 ASA & STAR test scoresSep 3, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesDec 12, 2025

2018–19 through 2023–24 graduation ratesSep 19, 2025

2024–25 ASA & STAR test scoresSep 5, 2025

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.