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Cottage Hill Elementary

Q: Is Cottage Hill Elementary a good school?

Cottage Hill Elementary ranks 2660 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

2660^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 55% of California elementary schools

Summary

Cottage Hill Elementary is a public K-5 school serving 485 students in Grass Valley, part of the Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary district, and represents a solid, middle-performing option in the local educational landscape.

Academically, the school shows a clear strength in mathematics, where it outperforms both its district and the state average, but faces a notable challenge in English Language Arts (ELA), where it lags behind. Performance varies significantly by grade, with strong 4th-grade results but concerning drops in 5th-grade math and 3rd-grade ELA, suggesting some curriculum or transition hurdles. The school serves its special education students relatively well, but its effectiveness with some student groups has been inconsistent year-to-year. With a student-teacher ratio of 23:1 and per-student spending slightly below several neighbors, the school operates with reasonable efficiency but may have resource constraints.

When compared to nearby schools, Cottage Hill performs substantially better than struggling schools like Auburn Elementary and Colfax Elementary, yet trails higher-performing peers such as Clear Creek Elementary and Sierra Hills Elementary. Within its own district, it is outperformed by Alta Sierra Elementary, which has similar demographics. The school's chronic absenteeism rate is a moderate concern, higher than the district average but better than the state, sitting between the very low rate at Arete Charter Academy and higher rates at other comparison schools.

485

Students ?

23.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,970

Per pupil spending ?

34.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

22600 Kingston Ln.
Grass Valley, CA 95949-7706

(530) 268-2808

District: Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary

Students who attend Cottage Hill Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Magnolia Intermediate
High:	Bear River High

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.5%

Hispanic:

17.3%

Two or more races:

12.4%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Cottage Hill Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 77th percentile in 2015 → 55th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the California median (55th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 22 percentile points since 2015

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

!Large classes — about 23 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school41%

District avg44%

California avg41%

2,660^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 45%▼ down 22 pts since 2015

From top 23% (2015) to top 45% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3Elementary Schools in the Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary

508^th of 1,543Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	48.7	2660 of 5857	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.9	2152 of 5869	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.1	2382 of 5859	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.6	2600 of 5883	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.2	656 of 1417	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.2	1920 of 5789	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.4	2265 of 5662	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	67.4	1679 of 5692	70.5%	★★★★☆
2016	66.8	1671 of 5614	70.2%	★★★★☆
2015	75.4	1304 of 5611	76.8%	★★★★☆
2013	70.8	1536 of 5530	72.2%	★★★★☆
2012	68.9	1586 of 5390	70.6%	★★★★☆
2011	79.5	1032 of 5377	80.8%	★★★★☆
2010	74.4	1265 of 5314	76.2%	★★★★☆
2009	79.5	1024 of 5193	80.3%	★★★★☆
2008	78.8	1029 of 5113	79.9%	★★★★☆
2007	87.4	652 of 5113	87.2%	★★★★☆
2006	88.2	583 of 4818	87.9%	★★★★☆
2005	87.0	643 of 4822	86.7%	★★★★☆
2004	86.1	657 of 4809	86.3%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	56.9	663 of 2227	70.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	45.0	2764 of 5597	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.9	2321 of 5612	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.7	2837 of 5609	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.1	2987 of 5635	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.8	669 of 1267	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	63.7	1812 of 5492	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.7	2249 of 5413	58.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	39.7	3043 of 5107	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	65.1	1415 of 5107	72.3%	★★★★☆
2023	54.1	1992 of 5087	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	76.8	864 of 5084	83.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	37.8	3352 of 5460	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.9	2757 of 5517	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.3	2819 of 5363	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.4	2656 of 5264	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.4	578 of 1110	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	71.7	1099 of 5173	78.8%	★★★★☆
2018	54.7	2061 of 5084	59.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	50.8	2454 of 5628	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.4	1911 of 5643	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.7	1871 of 5638	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.9	2056 of 5663	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.1	492 of 1272	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.5	1937 of 5510	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.3	2205 of 5431	59.4%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	14.4	604 of 670	9.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	29.1	518 of 669	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.0	529 of 610	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	44.6	1265 of 2847	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.4	908 of 2635	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.2	819 of 2420	66.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	23.2	2101 of 2598	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.6	1885 of 2651	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.1	2252 of 2661	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.4	2311 of 2726	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.8	2127 of 2834	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.9	2080 of 2737	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Disabled (2022)70th percentile+14 vs school

Male (2025)56th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)56th percentile~ school

Female (2025)51st percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2025)40th percentile-14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)39th percentile-16 vs school

White (2025)19th percentile-35 vs school

Multi-racial (2024)10th percentile-53 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy42%-6 vs state

Mathematics41%+4 vs state

Science33%~ state avg

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Monday, October 9, 2017

In this day and age, it's great to see that this school has remembered how an education benefits not only the child but, the whole community. They are teaching the core values, respect not only for teachers but for each other as well. Self worth, helpimg others and American pride. Close Quote

Schools Near Cottage Hill Elementary

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
Cottage Hill Elementary	Public	K-5	22600 Kingston Ln.	Grass Valley	95949	Nevada County	Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 268-2808	485	21	23.0	34.8%	332 (68.5%)	1 (0.2%)	84 (17.3%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.0%)	2 (0.4%)	60 (12.4%)	48.7	2660^th of 5857 public elementary schools	54.6%		57.9	2152^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	63.3%	508	32.5		32.5	32.5	48.0	47.0				42.5	42.9	52.7	30.1				41.5							$13,970	$730	$13,240
Arete Charter Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter	K-8	16229 Duggans Rd.	Grass Valley	95949	Nevada County	Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(530) 268-2805	207	9	22.5	32.4%	158 (76.3%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (13.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (9.7%)	49.5	2623^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	55.2%		38.5	3268^th of 5869 public elementary schools	44.3%	645	41.2	54.2	46.6	35.5	53.9	47.1	52.6	23.8	66.7	45.8	38.7	38.5	32.4	31.6	33.3	33.3	34.5	45.2	52.4	59.5	50.0	52.4	50.0	$12,996	$163	$12,833
Sierra Hills Elementary	Public	K-3	16505 Placer Hills Rd.	Meadow Vista	95722	Placer County	Placer Hills Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 878-9473	367	17	21.5	31.3%	287 (78.2%)	2 (0.5%)	53 (14.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	20 (5.4%)								(n/a)				59.6						59.6	64.0						64.0	95.5	97.3	96.4	97.3	96.4	98.2	$16,237	$1,164	$15,073
Alta Sierra Elementary	Public	K-5	16607 Annie Dr.	Grass Valley	95949	Nevada County	Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 272-2319	338	14	24.1	34.3%	238 (70.4%)	3 (0.9%)	56 (16.6%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (11.2%)	67.6	1708^th of 5857 public elementary schools	70.8%		68.8	1648^th of 5869 public elementary schools	71.9%	60	38.6		38.6	47.9	60.0	45.5				52.5	51.1	58.6	51.2				54.4	90.9	90.9	96.4	90.9	90.9	90.9	$15,238	$743	$14,495
Colfax Elementary	Public	K-8	24825 Ben Taylor Rd.	Colfax	95713	Placer County	Colfax Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 346-2202	345	18	19.4	40.6%	271 (78.6%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (12.5%)	3 (0.9%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.2%)	25.9	4323^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	26.2%		26.7	4239^th of 5869 public elementary schools	27.8%	84	12.8	27.5	20.3	27.3	22.2	20.5	39.5	31.0	40.0	30.3	39.4	27.8	12.8	36.8	33.3	25.0	29.0	89.7	89.7					$16,248	$1,660	$14,588
Clear Creek Elementary	Public	K-8	17700 McCourtney Rd.	Grass Valley	95949	Nevada County	Clear Creek Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 273-3664	173	10	17.3	45.1%	113 (65.3%)	1 (0.6%)	24 (13.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (19.1%)	75.9	1335^th of 5857 public elementary schools	77.2%		59.7	2079^th of 5869 public elementary schools	64.6%	744	66.7	52.4	58.3	50.0	40.0	80.0	64.3	73.3	52.4	59.2	55.6	53.3	66.7	50.0	46.7	57.1	55.1							$13,830	$1,044	$12,786
Bowman Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	13777 Bowman Rd.	Auburn	95603	Placer County	Ackerman Charter	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 885-1974	606	28	21.9	25.1%	422 (69.6%)	3 (0.5%)	109 (18.0%)	10 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (10.1%)	75.9	1334^th of 5857 public elementary schools	77.2%		84.8	956^th of 5869 public elementary schools	83.7%	378	75.0	45.8	61.0	62.1	55.6	81.3	38.1	73.9	55.9	61.5	54.6	60.3	65.6	39.7	44.9	50.0	52.5	97.5						$12,603	$412	$12,191
Chicago Park Elementary	Public	K-8	15725 Mt. Olive Rd.	Grass Valley	95945	Nevada County	Chicago Park Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 346-2153	120	8	15.8	44.2%	84 (70.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (20.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (7.5%)	65.6	1812^th of 5857 public elementary schools	69.1%		45.7	2809^th of 5869 public elementary schools	52.1%	997	37.5		32.0	77.8	69.2	43.8				59.7	61.1	61.5	12.5				41.7							$18,046	$802	$17,244
Chicago Park Community Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	15725 Mount Olive Rd.	Grass Valley	95945	Nevada County	Chicago Park Elementary	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 346-2153	43	3	16.6	41.9%	32 (74.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (23.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.3%)								(n/a)										75.0							66.7							$18,046	$802	$17,244
Auburn Elementary	Public	K-8	11400 Lariat Ranch Rd.	Auburn	95603	Placer County	Auburn Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 887-1958	501	23	21.7	84.4%	176 (35.1%)	6 (1.2%)	283 (56.5%)	12 (2.4%)	5 (1.0%)	2 (0.4%)	17 (3.4%)	14.7	5286^th of 5857 public elementary schools	9.7%		17.8	5049^th of 5869 public elementary schools	14.0%	237	19.6	15.4	17.5	18.6	21.8	31.4	22.5	29.7	28.6	24.8	18.0	11.5	15.7	14.3	7.9	17.3	14.3	52.4	64.3	85.7	52.4	59.5	59.5	$14,444	$1,090	$13,354

Frequently Asked Questions about Cottage Hill Elementary

How many students attend Cottage Hill Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 485 students attended Cottage Hill Elementary.

What district is Cottage Hill Elementary in?

Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary

What schools do graduates of Cottage Hill Elementary attend?

Students who attend Cottage Hill Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Magnolia Intermediate
High : Bear River High

Is Cottage Hill Elementary a good school?

Cottage Hill Elementary ranks 2660^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Cottage Hill Elementary?

Students at Cottage Hill Elementary are 68% White, 17% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

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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.