Summary:
Zip code 79021 is home to a single school, Cotton Center School, a small, rural PK-12 alternative school within the Cotton Center Independent School District (ISD), serving just 100 students in a remote area.
Cotton Center School stands out for its exceptionally low student-to-teacher ratio of 5.8:1 and a perfect 100% graduation rate with a 0% dropout rate for the 2023-2024 school year. However, this comes with a high per-student spending of $20,621, reflecting the fixed costs of running a tiny district. The school’s academic performance is highly volatile, a common trait in very small schools where a single cohort of students can dramatically swing results. For example, 8th Grade Reading proficiency soared to 87.5% (well above the state’s 58.69%), while 4th Grade Reading plummeted to just 14.29% (far below the state’s 53.04%). Similarly, 8th Grade Social Studies was a major strength at 62.5% (nearly double the state average of 31.69%), but U.S. History End-of-Course exams lagged at 55.56% (compared to the state’s 70.17%).
For parents, this school offers the benefit of intense, individualized attention due to its tiny size, which likely contributes to its perfect graduation and dropout rates. However, the trade-off is inconsistent academic proficiency across grades and subjects, with 62% of students classified as economically disadvantaged. The “alternative” label is somewhat misleading, as the school functions as a comprehensive PK-12 district. While the high spending per student provides resources like a low student-teacher ratio, it does not guarantee uniform academic success, making it a school where outcomes can vary significantly from year to year based on the specific group of students enrolled.
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