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

Cottonwood Elementary School

Public Grades K-5

612^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 656 Kansas Elementary Schools

Better than 7% of Kansas elementary schools

Summary

Cottonwood Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Liberal, Kansas, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 514 students. The school is part of the Liberal school district, which is ranked 261 out of 264 districts in Kansas and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Cottonwood Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Kansas elementary schools over the past several years.

Cottonwood Elementary consistently underperforms compared to the state and district averages on standardized tests, with only 24.21% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 16.6% proficient in math, compared to the state averages of 44.47% and 38.73%, respectively. The school also has high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 19.5% to 20.6% in recent years, significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, Cottonwood Elementary has a very high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 76.16% to 87.74% in recent years, suggesting a high concentration of students from low-income families.

While Cottonwood Elementary's English Language Learner (ELL) students perform relatively better than the school's overall performance, the school's special education students have performed poorly, ranking in the bottom 10% of Kansas elementary schools for this subgroup in recent years. Interestingly, the per-student spending at Cottonwood Elementary is higher than the nearby Sunflower Elementary, but the academic performance is significantly lower, suggesting that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution to improving student outcomes at Cottonwood.

500

Students ?

14.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,206

Per pupil spending ?

89.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1100 W. 11th
Liberal, KS 67901

(620) 604-2700

District: Liberal

Students who attend Cottonwood Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Eisenhower Middle School
High:	Liberal Senior High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

87.8%

White:

8.2%

Asian:

1.4%

See top rated Kansas elementary schools

Compare Cottonwood Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 2nd percentile in 2022 → 7th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 7th (2025) from a 2nd-percentile low (2022)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Kansas average (21% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (7th percentile)

!Mathematics scores 22 pts below the Kansas average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school21%

District avg18%

Kansas avg42%

612^th of 656

Kansas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 7%▼ down 10 pts since 2015

From bottom 17% (2015) to bottom 7% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Kansas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 5Elementary Schools in the Liberal

261^st of 264Liberal among Kansas 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	Kansas percentile	Rating
2025	9.9	612 of 656	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.5	591 of 653	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.7	645 of 660	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	6.1	656 of 668	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	6.9	644 of 670	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.8	654 of 667	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.3	581 of 656	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	19.7	567 of 659	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	20.6	551 of 656	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	24.7	566 of 678	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	41.2	489 of 668	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	47.9	445 of 660	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	32.7	513 of 631	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	11.0	586 of 630	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	16.6	564 of 621	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	18.3	552 of 614	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	26.9	501 of 600	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	19.7	511 of 585	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2019	18.3	179 of 193	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	53.0	62 of 140	55.7%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2025	49.2	57 of 129	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.9	58 of 124	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	37.4	74 of 117	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.1	105 of 117	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.1	97 of 108	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.8	104 of 122	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.3	92 of 129	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2021	7.3	576 of 591	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.2	581 of 591	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	17.9	501 of 574	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2025	27.0	223 of 262	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.6	192 of 260	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.6	227 of 245	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	18.5	238 of 254	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	20.3	208 of 229	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.5	225 of 235	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	31.0	154 of 207	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2025	16.8	493 of 533	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	21.4	478 of 546	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.4	528 of 541	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.3	500 of 512	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	13.6	473 of 494	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.9	502 of 509	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	22.6	441 of 512	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2021	10.3	563 of 605	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.5	570 of 586	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	15.1	512 of 575	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2019	18.3	179 of 193	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	53.0	62 of 140	55.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2019	11.6	558 of 592	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	35.3	408 of 574	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2025)56th percentile+49 vs school

Hispanic (2025)15th percentile+8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)8th percentile~ school

Special Education (2019)7th percentile+5 vs school

Disabled (2019)7th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2021)7th percentile+3 vs school

White (2019)6th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2021)3rd percentile~ school

By subject vs Kansas (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts24%-20 vs state

Science22%-19 vs state

Mathematics17%-22 vs state

★

No ratings yet

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

Rate Cottonwood Elementary School

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 Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				KAP English Language Arts (2025)				KAP Mathematics (2025)				KAP 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	KAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	KAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	KAP English Language Arts All Grades	KAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	KAP Mathematics 4th Grade	KAP Mathematics 5th Grade	KAP Mathematics All Grades	KAP Science 5th Grade	KAP Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cottonwood Elementary School	Public	K-5	1100 W. 11th	Liberal	67901	Seward County	Liberal	No	No	No	Yes	(620) 604-2700	500	34	14.9	89.2%	41 (8.2%)	4 (0.8%)	439 (87.8%)	7 (1.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.4%)	9.9	612^th of 656 public elementary schools	6.7%		12.5	591^st of 653 public elementary schools	9.5%	21	23.1	29.7	20.9	24.2	10.8	18.7	20.9	16.6	22.0	22.0	$13,206	$1,388	$11,818
MacArthur Elementary School	Public	K-5	925 South Holly	Liberal	67901	Seward County	Liberal	No	No	No	Yes	(620) 604-1700	386	29	13.3	80.1%	60 (15.5%)	6 (1.6%)	303 (78.5%)	8 (2.1%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.8%)	19.9	551^st of 656 public elementary schools	16.0%		20.7	542^nd of 653 public elementary schools	17.0%	9	37.5	32.8	33.3	34.4	35.7	21.9	25.0	27.2	18.3	18.3	$13,901	$1,954	$11,948
Meadowlark Elementary School	Public	K-5	1200 N Calvert	Liberal	67901	Seward County	Liberal	No	No	No	Yes	(620) 604-2100	362	27	13.4	97.5%	16 (4.4%)	7 (1.9%)	329 (90.9%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.7%)	3.4	654^th of 656 public elementary schools	0.3%		5.8	646^th of 653 public elementary schools	1.1%	8	13.6	12.7	15.8	14.0	10.0	7.1	7.1	8.2	10.5	10.5	$14,124	$1,536	$12,588
Sunflower Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	310 W. Pine	Liberal	67901	Seward County	Liberal	No	No	No	Yes	(620) 604-2800	570	25	23.2	87.2%	45 (7.9%)	8 (1.4%)	499 (87.5%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.9%)	14.7	582^nd of 656 public elementary schools	11.3%		18.2	561^st of 653 public elementary schools	14.1%	21	38.9	17.6	27.9	28.4	21.4	25.5	18.2	21.8	27.3	27.3	$12,276	$1,237	$11,039
Prairie View Elementary School	Public	K-5	615 Warren Avenue	Liberal	67901	Seward County	Liberal	No	No	No	Yes	(620) 604-1800	426	32	13.3	88.3%	23 (5.4%)	4 (0.9%)	393 (92.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.4%)	8.3	619^th of 656 public elementary schools	5.6%		20.2	548^th of 653 public elementary schools	16.1%	71	29.8	28.3	17.6	24.9	13.4	13.3	13.5	13.4	18.9	18.9	$14,175	$1,310	$12,866
Kismet Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	505 Kansas Avenue	Kismet	67859	Seward County	Kismet-Plains	No	No	No	Yes	(620) 563-7248	152	14	11.2	79.6%	47 (30.9%)	1 (0.7%)	103 (67.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)								(n/a)											$17,279	$917	$16,361

Frequently Asked Questions about Cottonwood Elementary School

Is Cottonwood Elementary School a good school?

Cottonwood Elementary School ranks in the bottom 6.7% of Kansas elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Cottonwood Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Eisenhower Middle School
High : Liberal Senior High

How many students attend Cottonwood Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 500 students attended Cottonwood Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Cottonwood Elementary School?

Students at Cottonwood Elementary School are 88% Hispanic, 8% White, 1% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

What district is Cottonwood Elementary School in?

Liberal

Rate Cottonwood Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

KSKansas Elementary School Rankings

KSKansas District Rankings

Schools in Liberal, KS

Sign up for updates!

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

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