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Cottonwood Elementary School

Q: Is Cottonwood Elementary School a good school?

Cottonwood Elementary School ranks 183 rd of 909 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

183^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 909 Arizona Elementary Schools

Better than 80% of Arizona elementary schools

Summary

Cottonwood Elementary School is a public elementary school in Tucson, Arizona, serving 531 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the Vail Unified District, which is ranked 61 out of 289 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cottonwood Elementary consistently performs above the state average on standardized tests, including AASA English Language Arts, Mathematics, and AzSCI Science. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, 52% of Cottonwood's 5th-grade students scored proficient or better in AzSCI Science, compared to the state average of 34%. The school also ranks highly for the performance of its Hispanic, White, and Special Education student subgroups, indicating it effectively serves a diverse student population. Cottonwood Elementary has maintained a high statewide ranking, consistently placing in the top 25% of Arizona elementary schools over the past several years.

While Cottonwood Elementary's performance is generally stronger than nearby schools within the Vail Unified District, such as Ocotillo Ridge Elementary and Senita Valley Elementary, the school's decreasing spending per student and the presence of even higher-performing schools in the district suggest areas for potential improvement or further investigation.

570

Students ?

17.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,555

Per pupil spending ?

29.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

9950 E Rees Loop
Tucson, AZ 85747-9148

(520) 879-2602

District: Vail Unified District

Students who attend Cottonwood Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Desert Sky Middle School
High:	Andrada Polytechnic High School
	Cienega High School
	Empire High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

44.9%

White:

40.0%

Two or more races:

9.5%

See top rated Arizona elementary schools

Compare Cottonwood Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 70th percentile in 2015 → 80th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Arizona average (58% vs 39% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 20% of Arizona elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 10 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school58%

District avg61%

Arizona avg39%

183^rd of 909

Arizona public elementary schools ?

Top 20%▲ up 10 pts since 2015

From top 30% (2015) to top 20% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 9Elementary Schools in the Vail Unified District

61^st of 289Vail Unified District among Arizona 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	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	77.7	183 of 909	79.9%	★★★★☆
2024	72.5	224 of 912	75.4%	★★★★☆
2023	83.1	204 of 1245	83.6%	★★★★☆
2022	72.6	224 of 1000	77.6%	★★★★☆
2021	79.5	242 of 1226	80.3%	★★★★☆
2019	81.4	186 of 1039	82.1%	★★★★☆
2018	87.5	126 of 1109	88.6%	★★★★☆
2017	78.7	231 of 1106	79.1%	★★★★☆
2016	81.5	196 of 1079	81.8%	★★★★☆
2015	66.6	290 of 955	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	78.5	227 of 1079	79.0%	★★★★☆
2013	78.1	217 of 1158	81.3%	★★★★☆
2012	82.9	141 of 1141	87.6%	★★★★☆
2011	87.3	93 of 1075	91.3%	★★★★★
2010	84.6	143 of 1090	86.9%	★★★★☆
2009	87.4	81 of 1062	92.4%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	69.7	131 of 607	78.4%	★★★★☆
2021	62.6	167 of 895	81.3%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	28.3	267 of 316	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	84.4	26 of 620	95.8%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	71.8	137 of 589	76.7%	★★★★☆
2024	56.8	221 of 602	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	80.7	204 of 1219	83.3%	★★★★☆
2022	67.1	230 of 824	72.1%	★★★★☆
2021	81.2	212 of 1219	82.6%	★★★★☆
2019	81.6	124 of 862	85.6%	★★★★☆
2018	89.8	85 of 1023	91.7%	★★★★★

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	42.6	145 of 306	52.6%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	67.2	139 of 496	72.0%	★★★★☆
2024	78.8	87 of 486	82.1%	★★★★☆
2023	77.6	190 of 1170	83.8%	★★★★☆
2022	61.1	276 of 716	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	79.6	149 of 1198	87.6%	★★★★☆
2019	87.3	70 of 709	90.1%	★★★★★
2018	90.2	63 of 911	93.1%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	76.1	97 of 549	82.3%	★★★★☆
2024	76.4	94 of 556	83.1%	★★★★☆
2023	89.5	56 of 1116	95.0%	★★★★★
2022	64.2	218 of 618	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	88.4	53 of 820	93.5%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	55.0	254 of 626	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.2	221 of 628	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	80.1	210 of 1216	82.7%	★★★★☆
2022	64.2	255 of 830	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	74.6	272 of 1220	77.7%	★★★★☆
2019	69.2	239 of 850	71.9%	★★★★☆
2018	82.1	180 of 1032	82.6%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	80.8	14 of 145	90.3%	★★★★★
2022	81.1	12 of 101	88.1%	★★★★☆
2021	67.1	69 of 239	71.1%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	48.9	319 of 617	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.2	265 of 444	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	58.4	334 of 1027	67.5%	★★★☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	28.3	545 of 654	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	56.0	68 of 171	60.2%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	66.5	164 of 820	80.0%	★★★★☆
2021	82.7	57 of 1201	95.3%	★★★★★
2018	92.7	18 of 417	95.7%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	71.6	97 of 465	79.1%	★★★★☆
2024	43.0	292 of 486	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	80.9	141 of 1024	86.2%	★★★★☆
2022	69.8	179 of 800	77.6%	★★★★☆
2021	68.3	324 of 1161	72.1%	★★★★☆
2019	64.6	185 of 595	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	75.2	162 of 720	77.5%	★★★★☆

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)

Military Connected (2023)90th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)82nd percentile~ school

Special Education (2023)80th percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)79th percentile~ school

African American (2023)78th percentile-5 vs school

Female (2025)77th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)72nd percentile-8 vs school

Pacific Islander (2021)60th percentile-20 vs school

Male (2025)59th percentile-20 vs school

Foster Care (2021)53rd percentile-28 vs school

Multi-racial (2023)48th percentile-35 vs school

Native American (2021)17th percentile-64 vs school

Asian (2023)16th percentile-68 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics65%+26 vs state

English Language Arts54%+14 vs state

Science52%+18 vs state

★

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Schools Near Cottonwood Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				AASA English Language Arts (2025)						AASA Mathematics (2025)						AzSCI Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	AASA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	AASA English Language Arts 4th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 5th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 6th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 7th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 8th Grade	AASA Mathematics 3rd Grade	AASA Mathematics 4th Grade	AASA Mathematics 5th Grade	AASA Mathematics 6th Grade	AASA Mathematics 7th Grade	AASA Mathematics 8th Grade	AzSCI Science 5th Grade	AzSCI Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Cottonwood Elementary School	Public	K-6	9950 E Rees Loop	Tucson	85747	Pima County	Vail Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(520) 879-2602	570	32	17.7		228 (40.0%)	19 (3.3%)	256 (44.9%)	9 (1.6%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	54 (9.5%)	77.7	183^rd of 909 public elementary schools	79.9%		72.5	224^th of 912 public elementary schools	75.4%	41	44.0	64.0	53.0				62.0	65.0	69.0				52.0		$7,555	$340	$38	$717	$7,017	$161	$7,178
Desert Willow Elementary School	Public	K-5	9400 E Esmond Loop	Tucson	85747	Pima County	Vail Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(520) 879-2302	811	46	17.7		296 (36.5%)	55 (6.8%)	384 (47.3%)	7 (0.9%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	66 (8.1%)	66.6	280^th of 909 public elementary schools	69.2%		61.4	316^th of 912 public elementary schools	65.4%	36	45.0	53.0	48.0				57.0	52.0	59.0				47.0		$6,728	$622	$65	$1,309	$5,867	$175	$6,041
Mesquite Elementary School	Public	K-5	9455 E Rita Rd	Tucson	85747	Pima County	Vail Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(520) 879-2102	640	37	17.3		225 (35.2%)	34 (5.3%)	275 (43.0%)	27 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	79 (12.3%)	89.7	71^st of 909 public elementary schools	92.2%		84.7	127^th of 912 public elementary schools	86.1%	56	71.0	69.0	59.0				75.0	73.0	67.0				59.0		$5,901	$130	$01	$262	$5,634	$135	$5,769
Esmond Station School	Public	PK, KG-8	9400 S Atterbury Wash Way	Tucson	85747	Pima County	Vail Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(520) 879-3400	741	38	19.7		336 (45.3%)	24 (3.2%)	313 (42.2%)	12 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (7.4%)	84.7	120^th of 909 public elementary schools	86.8%		87.2	98^th of 912 public elementary schools	89.3%	22	53.0	59.0	64.0	63.0	68.0	76.0	62.0	68.0	79.0	62.0	44.0	60.0	59.0	66.0	$5,853	$137	$10	$285	$5,551	$154	$5,705
Senita Valley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	10750 E Bilby Rd	Tucson	85747	Pima County	Vail Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(520) 879-3100	709	38	18.6		325 (45.8%)	26 (3.7%)	258 (36.4%)	14 (2.0%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	81 (11.4%)	94.8	37^th of 909 public elementary schools	95.9%		95.4	27^th of 912 public elementary schools	97.0%	10	66.0	78.0	82.0				76.0	67.0	87.0				74.0		$5,830	$26	$53	$104	$5,639	$112	$5,752
Civano Community K-8 School	Public	K-8	10625 E Drexel Rd	Tucson	85747	Pima County	Vail Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(520) 879-1700	145	12	12.1		68 (46.9%)	1 (0.7%)	60 (41.4%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (9.7%)								(n/a)				63.0	58.0	95.0						50.0		73.0	$7,204	$03	$152	$158	$6,554	$495	$7,049
Ocotillo Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10701 S. White Lightning	Vail	85641	Pima County	Vail Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(520) 879-3600	723	52	13.7		389 (53.8%)	22 (3.0%)	244 (33.7%)	8 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	58 (8.0%)	90.7	64^th of 909 public elementary schools	93.0%		91.8	60^th of 912 public elementary schools	93.4%	4	64.0	70.0	64.0				69.0	69.0	75.0				67.0		$5,834	$69	$50	$187	$5,640	$76	$5,716
Acacia Elementary School	Public	K-5	12955 E Colossal Cave Rd	Vail	85641	Pima County	Vail Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(520) 879-2200	783	40	19.7		374 (47.8%)	18 (2.3%)	317 (40.5%)	10 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (8.0%)	72.9	227^th of 909 public elementary schools	75.0%		70.7	242^nd of 912 public elementary schools	73.5%	15	48.0	64.0	44.0				61.0	64.0	49.0				57.0		$6,059	$392	$36	$819	$5,556	$75	$5,631
Craycroft Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5455 E. Littletown Rd.	Tucson	85756	Pima County	Sunnyside Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 545-2600	586	27	21.7		46 (7.8%)	52 (8.9%)	457 (78.0%)	7 (1.2%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.2%)	7.4	896^th of 909 public elementary schools	1.4%		8.7	887^th of 912 public elementary schools	2.7%	9	12.0	21.0	22.0					15.0	12.0				14.0		$6,907	$1,073	$22	$2,167	$5,496	$317	$5,813
Ford Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	8001 E Stella Rd	Tucson	85730	Pima County	Tucson Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(520) 731-4300	182	17	10.4		62 (34.1%)	17 (9.3%)	94 (51.6%)	3 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.3%)								(n/a)		42.0											29.0			$00			$00

Frequently Asked Questions about Cottonwood Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Cottonwood Elementary School?

Students at Cottonwood Elementary School are 45% Hispanic, 40% White, 9% Two or more races, 3% African American, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Cottonwood Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 570 students attended Cottonwood Elementary School.

What district is Cottonwood Elementary School in?

Vail Unified District

Is Cottonwood Elementary School a good school?

Cottonwood Elementary School ranks 183^rd of 909 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Cottonwood Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Desert Sky Middle School
High : Andrada Polytechnic High School
High : Cienega High School
High : Empire 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 Arizona 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.