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Cottonwood

Q: Is Cottonwood a good school?

Cottonwood ranks 4348 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades K-8

4348^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 26% of California elementary schools

Summary

Cottonwood is an elementary school located in Aguanga, CA that serves grades KG-8 with 189 students. It is part of the Hemet Unified School District, which is ranked 1176 out of 1565 districts in California and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cottonwood faces significant challenges in terms of academic performance, student engagement, and economic disadvantage among its student population. The school's test scores are generally lower than the Hemet Unified School District and the state of California averages across various grade levels and subjects. For example, in 2024-2025, only 36.97% of Cottonwood students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy at the end of course, compared to 34.41% for Hemet Unified and 48.81% for California. In math, only 20% of Cottonwood students were proficient or better at the end of course, compared to 18.21% for Hemet Unified and 37.3% for California. Cottonwood also has had high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 20.4% to 36.8% in recent years, which is significantly higher than the state average.

Compared to the nearby Temecula Valley Unified School District, which has several highly-performing elementary schools, Cottonwood's test scores and overall performance are significantly lower. For example, in 2024-2025, Abby Reinke Elementary in Temecula had 76.45% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy at the end of course, compared to only 36.97% at Cottonwood. While Cottonwood is investing significant resources into its educational program, with high spending per student and a low student-teacher ratio, these inputs do not appear to be translating into strong academic outcomes for the school.

197

Students ?

15.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$30,950

Per pupil spending ?

73.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

44260 Sage Rd.
Aguanga, CA 92536-9696

(951) 767-3870

District: Hemet Unified

Students who attend Cottonwood usually attend:

High:

Hamilton

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

57.4%

White:

37.1%

Two or more races:

4.1%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Cottonwood to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 62nd percentile in 2013 → 26th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (27% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 36 percentile points since 2013

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school27%

District avg24%

California avg41%

Elementary school

4,348^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 26%▼ down 47 pts since 2015

From top 28% (2015) to bottom 26% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

1,479^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Bottom 46%▼ down 11 pts since 2015

From top 43% (2015) to bottom 46% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 16Elementary Schools in the Hemet Unified

1170^th of 1,543Hemet Unified among California districts

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

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	25.6	4348 of 5857	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.7	4303 of 5869	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	54.0	2328 of 5859	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	37.3	3275 of 5883	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	68.3	1685 of 5789	70.9%	★★★★☆
2018	67.1	1715 of 5662	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	66.2	1741 of 5692	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	66.7	1680 of 5614	70.1%	★★★★☆
2015	68.6	1551 of 5611	72.4%	★★★★☆
2013	60.3	2094 of 5530	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	78.9	1088 of 5390	79.8%	★★★★☆
2011	77.5	1127 of 5377	79.0%	★★★★☆
2010	78.7	1056 of 5314	80.1%	★★★★☆
2009	66.2	1629 of 5193	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	70.0	1404 of 5113	72.5%	★★★★☆
2007	65.7	1561 of 5113	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2006	68.0	1432 of 4818	70.3%	★★★★☆
2005	60.3	1723 of 4822	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2004	59.4	1739 of 4809	63.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	26.8	4100 of 5597	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.1	4057 of 5612	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	51.8	2310 of 5609	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.3	1695 of 5413	68.7%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	29.6	3783 of 5107	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.2	3253 of 5107	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.9	2460 of 5084	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.0	1411 of 4963	71.6%	★★★★☆
2018	85.4	478 of 4830	90.1%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	22.5	4549 of 5460	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.8	4474 of 5517	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	61.7	1654 of 5363	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.3	2578 of 5264	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	83.7	554 of 5173	89.3%	★★★★☆
2018	76.8	831 of 5084	83.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	18.8	4800 of 5628	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.2	3991 of 5643	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	50.7	2410 of 5638	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	35.8	3297 of 5663	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.7	2523 of 5510	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.7	1779 of 5431	67.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	6.0	2492 of 2598	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	18.2	2267 of 2651	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.7	1843 of 2661	30.7%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	40.6	1479 of 2761	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.2	2024 of 2783	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.1	1584 of 2781	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.4	1449 of 2740	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.8	1763 of 2715	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	52.7	1018 of 2480	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	36.1	1506 of 2508	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	49.3	1130 of 2497	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	52.0	1056 of 2477	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	62.4	818 of 2379	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	65.8	673 of 2259	70.2%	★★★★☆
2011	69.4	569 of 2236	74.6%	★★★★☆
2010	74.0	452 of 2179	79.3%	★★★★☆
2009	58.1	796 of 2063	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2008	65.2	595 of 2005	70.3%	★★★★☆
2007	59.8	680 of 1999	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	50.1	816 of 1804	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2005	31.5	1188 of 1777	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2004	42.0	939 of 1769	46.9%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	27.3	1787 of 2533	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.1	1478 of 2380	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.4	1053 of 2262	53.4%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	39.9	1342 of 2395	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.5	1516 of 2388	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.6	987 of 2213	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	76.5	336 of 2072	83.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	46.6	1190 of 2542	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	28.2	1854 of 2579	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	53.0	924 of 2531	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.5	790 of 2458	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	37.4	1411 of 2369	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	63.0	631 of 2230	71.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	42.4	1266 of 2552	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	25.0	1798 of 2407	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	52.7	928 of 2273	59.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	5.1	1561 of 1602	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Female (2025)27th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)26th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)17th percentile-9 vs school

Male (2025)15th percentile-11 vs school

White (2025)4th percentile-22 vs school

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)53rd percentile+7 vs school

Male (2024)50th percentile+23 vs school

Hispanic (2025)44th percentile~ school

Female (2025)29th percentile-17 vs school

White (2019)3rd percentile-33 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy37%-12 vs state

Science21%-12 vs state

Mathematics20%-17 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★0

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2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, September 25, 2012

I have had nothing but bad experiences with staff at Cottonwood. My kids are unhappy @ this school and I will now be driving them 40 miles away to go to a better school. The staff is rude and unhelpful.Not to mention all of the elementary kids are in split classes... 1 teacher literally running back and forth between 2 rooms!! This school is a joke. Close Quote

Schools Near Cottonwood

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)							% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	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	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cottonwood	Public	K-8	44260 Sage Rd.	Aguanga	92536	Riverside County	Hemet Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 767-3870	197	13	15.4	73.6%	73 (37.1%)	0 (0.0%)	113 (57.4%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.1%)	25.6	4348^th of 5857 public elementary schools	25.8%		25.7	4303^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	26.7%	45	15.6	28.6	20.8	36.4	31.6	21.9	61.1	57.9	25.0	37.0	45.5	26.3	9.4	11.1	26.3	19.1	20.0							$30,950	$4,012	$26,938
Tony Tobin Elementary	Public	K-5	45200 Morgan Hill Dr.	Temecula	92592	Riverside County	Temecula Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 294-6355	718	31	23.1	23.1%	317 (44.2%)	24 (3.3%)	197 (27.4%)	83 (11.6%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	92 (12.8%)	78.5	1218^th of 5857 public elementary schools	79.2%		84.7	961^st of 5869 public elementary schools	83.6%	257	37.5		37.5	68.4	68.0	64.2				66.6	69.2	61.5	48.4				58.0	95.6						$15,662	$950	$14,712
Crowne Hill Elementary	Public	K-5	33535 Old Kent Rd.	Temecula	92592	Riverside County	Temecula Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 294-6370	519	24	21.1	32.8%	236 (45.5%)	4 (0.8%)	200 (38.5%)	30 (5.8%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	45 (8.7%)	74.9	1372^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	76.6%		76.9	1294^th of 5869 public elementary schools	78.0%	78	46.2		46.2	52.4	59.8	67.4				60.7	54.0	50.5	54.8				53.0							$19,387	$1,023	$18,364
Pauba Valley Elementary	Public	K-5	33125 Regina Dr.	Temecula	92592	Riverside County	Temecula Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 302-5140	510	22	23.1	47.8%	178 (34.9%)	15 (2.9%)	202 (39.6%)	72 (14.1%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	39 (7.6%)	73.7	1434^th of 5857 public elementary schools	75.5%		77.1	1283^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	78.1%	151	36.5		36.5	64.4	69.6	51.8				61.8	66.7	65.8	37.7				56.6	96.0		97.0		98.0		$16,254	$1,401	$14,853
Abby Reinke Elementary	Public	K-5	43799 Sunny Meadows Dr.	Temecula	92592	Riverside County	Temecula Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 302-6610	559	25	22.3	25.9%	257 (46.0%)	8 (1.4%)	178 (31.8%)	45 (8.1%)	6 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	64 (11.4%)	92.7	492^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	91.6%		90.6	662^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	88.7%	170	59.1		59.1	79.2	72.1	78.2				76.5	79.2	73.1	62.7				71.3	94.9			97.5	97.5		$15,742	$936	$14,806
Helen Hunt Jackson Elementary	Public	K-5	32400 Camino San Dimas	Temecula	92592	Riverside County	Temecula Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 302-5199	438	19	23.0	22.8%	152 (34.7%)	9 (2.1%)	149 (34.0%)	83 (18.9%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (8.9%)	85.6	899^th of 5857 public elementary schools	84.7%		76.8	1300^th of 5869 public elementary schools	77.8%	401	62.8		62.8	67.2	59.7	75.3				68.1	65.1	54.2	60.6				59.8	97.0				97.0		$15,149	$970	$14,179
Red Hawk Elementary	Public	K-5	32045 Camino San Jose	Temecula	92592	Riverside County	Temecula Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 302-5125	496	21	23.6	44.2%	134 (27.0%)	12 (2.4%)	218 (44.0%)	79 (15.9%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (9.9%)	87.7	793^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	86.5%		84	994^th of 5869 public elementary schools	83.1%	201	59.4		59.4	60.2	75.6	70.7				68.9	60.7	69.8	67.3				65.9	92.9	95.3	92.9	92.9	94.1	92.9	$15,893	$1,534	$14,359
Vintage Hills Elementary	Public	K-5	42240 Camino Romo	Temecula	92592	Riverside County	Temecula Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 695-4260	512	22	23.2	36.5%	236 (46.1%)	5 (1.0%)	197 (38.5%)	30 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	43 (8.4%)	75.9	1338^th of 5857 public elementary schools	77.2%		73.6	1426^th of 5869 public elementary schools	75.7%	88	49.5		49.5	49.3	61.3	67.7				60.2	50.7	55.3	57.0				54.6	94.7	97.3		96.0	96.0	96.0	$16,581	$949	$15,632
Home INstead INnovation Academy	Public, Virtual	K-8	42240 Camino Romo	Temecula	92592	Riverside County	Temecula Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(951) 294-6150	254	14	17.7	45.7%	75 (29.5%)	13 (5.1%)	101 (39.8%)	21 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	40 (15.7%)	63.1	1919^th of 5857 public elementary schools	67.2%		58.4	2126^th of 5869 public elementary schools	63.8%	207	34.5	44.1	41.2	60.7	58.3	48.3	55.0	72.2	61.8	60.9	50.0	37.5	27.6	59.0	59.3	58.8	52.1							$18,848	$1,345	$17,503
Paloma Elementary	Public	K-5	42940 Via Rami	Temecula	92592	Riverside County	Temecula Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 302-5165	547	25	21.8	36.2%	222 (40.6%)	14 (2.6%)	215 (39.3%)	34 (6.2%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (0.9%)	55 (10.1%)	83.9	971^st of 5857 public elementary schools	83.4%		85.8	917^th of 5869 public elementary schools	84.4%	54	53.5		53.5	69.7	64.8	69.0				67.9	64.0	54.4	59.0				59.1							$16,517	$966	$15,551

Frequently Asked Questions about Cottonwood

What schools do graduates of Cottonwood attend?

Students who attend Cottonwood usually go on to attend:

High : Hamilton

What district is Cottonwood in?

Hemet Unified

Is Cottonwood a good school?

Cottonwood ranks 4348^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Cottonwood?

Students at Cottonwood are 57% Hispanic, 37% White, 4% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Cottonwood?

In the 2024-25 school year, 197 students attended Cottonwood.

Rate Cottonwood!

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