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Cottonwood Elementary School

Q: Is Cottonwood Elementary School a good school?

Cottonwood Elementary School ranks 303 rd of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

303^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 950 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 68% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Cottonwood Elementary School is a public elementary school in Montrose, Colorado, serving 412 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Montrose County School District Re-1J, which is ranked 75 out of 115 districts in the state.

Cottonwood Elementary consistently outperforms the district and state averages in standardized test scores across various subjects and grade levels. In the 2024-2025 school year, 56% of Cottonwood students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 37.7% for the district and 44.8% for the state. In math, 45.2% of Cottonwood students were proficient or better, compared to 24% for the district and 35.9% for the state. The school also excels in science, with 52.6% of 5th-grade students proficient or better, compared to 30.6% for the district and 39% for the state. Cottonwood's low-income students also perform well, ranking 47th out of 337 Colorado elementary schools in this subgroup.

While Cottonwood Elementary has experienced fluctuations in its chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 23.4% to 34.6% over the past three years, it is still lower than the rates of some nearby schools, such as Olathe Elementary and Johnson Elementary. Additionally, Cottonwood has a relatively lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 33.75% to 41.02%, compared to higher rates at nearby schools. The school also maintains a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 17.2 to 18 students per teacher, which is lower than the ratios of some nearby schools.

394

Students ?

17.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,425

Per pupil spending ?

40.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3500 Woodgate Road
Montrose, CO 81401-7575

(970) 249-2539

District: Montrose County School District Re-1J

Students who attend Cottonwood Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Centennial Middle School
High:	Montrose High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

71.3%

Hispanic:

24.4%

Two or more races:

3.6%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Cottonwood Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 72nd percentile in 2015 → 68th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Colorado average (51% vs 40% meeting standards)

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Montrose County School District Re-1J

✓Above the Colorado median (68th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school51%

District avg31%

Colorado avg40%

303^rd of 950

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Top 32%▼ down 4 pts since 2015

From top 28% (2015) to top 32% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 6Elementary Schools in the Montrose County School District Re-1J

75^th of 115Montrose County School District Re-1J among Colorado 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	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	67.0	303 of 950	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.1	352 of 943	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.0	233 of 933	75.0%	★★★★☆
2022	57.2	367 of 921	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.3	446 of 710	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	69.2	267 of 965	72.3%	★★★★☆
2018	66.8	267 of 917	70.9%	★★★★☆
2017	61.8	312 of 929	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	71.5	235 of 914	74.3%	★★★★☆
2015	68.5	261 of 938	72.2%	★★★★☆
2014	60.2	395 of 962	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	58.4	425 of 954	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	57.5	426 of 935	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	61.3	394 of 935	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	62.9	374 of 925	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2009	55.8	422 of 872	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	65.1	313 of 849	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	69.0	270 of 852	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	63.0	342 of 829	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2005	38.3	559 of 823	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2004	52.7	418 of 808	48.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	49.5	318 of 694	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.0	314 of 684	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.3	196 of 642	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.4	281 of 595	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	37.3	268 of 351	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	64.6	237 of 758	68.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	72.1	47 of 337	86.1%	★★★★☆
2019	68.9	61 of 332	81.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	65.7	213 of 700	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.1	299 of 683	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.9	236 of 649	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.0	316 of 594	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	22.2	309 of 352	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	61.5	255 of 764	66.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	53.2	263 of 551	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.2	257 of 539	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.7	270 of 596	54.7%	★★★☆☆

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 (2025)86th percentile+18 vs school

Male (2025)70th percentile~ school

Female (2025)54th percentile-14 vs school

White (2025)52nd percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts56%+11 vs state

Science53%+14 vs state

Math45%+9 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)				CMAS English Language Arts (2025)				CMAS Math (2025)				CMAS Science (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	CMAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	Total
Cottonwood Elementary School	Public	K-5	3500 Woodgate Road	Montrose	81401	Montrose County	Montrose County School District Re-1J	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 249-2539	394	23	17.1	40.6%	281 (71.3%)	2 (0.5%)	96 (24.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.6%)	67	303^rd of 950 public elementary schools	68.1%		61.1	352^nd of 943 public elementary schools	62.7%	49	49.3	51.6	65.8	56.0	41.7	41.9	51.3	45.2	52.6	$12,425
Pomona Elementary School	Public	K-5	1045 South Cascade	Montrose	81401	Montrose County	Montrose County School District Re-1J	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 249-2514	335	22	15.3	67.5%	177 (52.8%)	3 (0.9%)	128 (38.2%)	6 (1.8%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.1%)	25.6	661^st of 950 public elementary schools	30.4%		30.3	609^th of 943 public elementary schools	35.4%	52	40.4	28.0	26.3	31.7	35.1	10.0	22.8	23.2		$14,296
Northside Elementary School	Public	K-5	528 North Uncompahgre	Montrose	81401	Montrose County	Montrose County School District Re-1J	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 249-2554	327	23	14.4	76.5%	126 (38.5%)	2 (0.6%)	179 (54.7%)	3 (0.9%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.3%)	18.1	766^th of 950 public elementary schools	19.4%		29	625^th of 943 public elementary schools	33.7%	141		25.8		24.3	26.1			18.6	15.9	$14,528
Johnson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	13820 6700 Road	Montrose	81401	Montrose County	Montrose County School District Re-1J	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 249-2584	531	27	19.4	67.0%	235 (44.3%)	0 (0.0%)	281 (52.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.8%)	17.1	776^th of 950 public elementary schools	18.3%		20.5	737^th of 943 public elementary schools	21.8%	39	20.3	27.0	25.7	24.4		15.4		14.8	23.3	$13,095
Oak Grove Elementary School	Public	K-5	62100 Oak Grove Road	Montrose	81403	Montrose County	Montrose County School District Re-1J	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 249-6867	374	23	16.2	41.2%	249 (66.6%)	0 (0.0%)	113 (30.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.7%)	37.6	548^th of 950 public elementary schools	42.3%		44	489^th of 943 public elementary schools	48.1%	59	20.6	35.4	52.0	34.4	36.8	18.5	36.0	30.1	50.0	$13,320
Olathe Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	326 North 3rd Street	Olathe	81425	Montrose County	Montrose County School District Re-1J	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 252-7940	424	24	17.9	68.6%	179 (42.2%)	0 (0.0%)	240 (56.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	25.7	660^th of 950 public elementary schools	30.5%		22	713^th of 943 public elementary schools	24.4%	53	24.6	34.0	37.3	31.3	25.0	33.3	25.0	27.5	19.2	$12,836

Frequently Asked Questions about Cottonwood Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Cottonwood Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Centennial Middle School
High : Montrose High School

What district is Cottonwood Elementary School in?

Montrose County School District Re-1J

How many students attend Cottonwood Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 394 students attended Cottonwood Elementary School.

Is Cottonwood Elementary School a good school?

Cottonwood Elementary School ranks 303^rd of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Cottonwood Elementary School?

Students at Cottonwood Elementary School are 71% White, 24% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

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Schools in Montrose, CO

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