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Needs Improvement

#9464 of 9,539 schools in CA

Cottonwood Elementary

Elementary School · Hesperia Unified · Hesperia, CA

A Hesperia Unified elementary school where students score 23 points below what's typical for similar communities.

8850 Cottonwood Ave., Hesperia, CA 92345

  • Math 12% vs CA 38% (2024)
  • Reading 17% vs CA 45% (2024)
  • 23.4:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress2.3Needs Improvement50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data14
Annual Change-2.76 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2024
TrendDeclining
Academics2.4Needs Improvement30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency12% (2024 CAASPP)
Reading/ELA Proficiency17% (2024 CAASPP)
Math vs. State Avg-33.7 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-25.8 pts
Overall Proficiency14% (2024 CAASPP, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)37% (model expectation from 2024 CAASPP)
vs. Expected-22.9 pts
Adjusted Percentile7th
Resources & Environment2.7Needs Improvement20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio23.4:1
District spending per student$15,572
Chronic Absenteeism44.3%

Students at Cottonwood Elementary score 14% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 37%).

How we calculate scores →

2024 CAASPP proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. CA average.

Math Proficiency12%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
38%(2024 CAASPP)
ELA Proficiency17%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
45%(2024 CAASPP)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 28 points across the 16-year record (2009–2024) and has held near 14% recently.

Show all 14 years
2009
Math
47%
ELA
37%
2010
Math
58%
ELA
41%
2011
Math
64%
ELA
47%
2012
Math
61%
ELA
44%
2014
Math
17%
ELA
25%
2015
Math
17%
ELA
22%
2016
Math
19%
ELA
21%
2017
Math
21%
ELA
27%
2018
Math
20%
ELA
26%
2019
Math
20%
ELA
26%
2020*
Math
10%
ELA
10%
2021*
Math
10%
ELA
10%
2022
Math
12%
ELA
20%
2024
Math
12%
ELA
17%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 24% (multi-year average, 2009-2024) · reading/ELA 24% (multi-year average, 2009-2024)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 36 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

65.6%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Cottonwood Elementary sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 5Car-Dependent
  • Bike 28Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High1,970/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Hesperia), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$65,949

Median home value

$359,700

Median rent

$1,499/mo

College educated

11.2%

Homeownership

64.9%

Poverty rate

18.5%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 92345; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

3 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Mojave River Academy - Rockview ParkCharter · enrollment unverified7.2K–121.3 mi313Compare →
Mesquite Trails ElementaryEnrollment path unverified4.9K–61.5 mi917Compare →
Shadow RidgeEnrollment path unverified6.3K–121.5 mi440Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Hesperia Unified

Schools in district
25
Rank in district
#23 of 25
District spending per student
$15,572NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
19.9%Census SAIPE · 2024

Cottonwood Elementary is listed in Hesperia Unified; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Cottonwood Elementary

Cottonwood Elementary is a public elementary school in Hesperia, CA, part of Hesperia Unified, serving approximately 889 students in grades Kindergarten-6th with a 23.4:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 2.4 out of 10 and ranks #9,464 of 9,539 schools in CA. State assessment records show 24% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 24% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Cottonwood Elementary

What grades does Cottonwood Elementary serve?

Cottonwood Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 6th.

How many students attend Cottonwood Elementary?

Cottonwood Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 889 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary is 23.4:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Cottonwood Elementary rank in CA?

Cottonwood Elementary ranks #9,464 of 9,539 schools in CA.

What is Cottonwood Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Cottonwood Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 2.4 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Cottonwood Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Cottonwood Elementary has 24% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 24% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Is Cottonwood Elementary a charter school?

No, Cottonwood Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Cottonwood Elementary a Title I school?

No, Cottonwood Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Cottonwood Elementary?

65.6% of students at Cottonwood Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Kindergarten – 6th
Enrollment
889
Student-Teacher Ratio
23.4:1
Teachers (FTE)
38
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
San Bernardino County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
44.3%
Area population (ZIP 92345)
87,906
Area average commute
40.8 min
Area median age
33.2
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2024 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2024 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2024 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2024 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 92345; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2024; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

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