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Public elementary school · Jefferson County Joint District · Rigby, Idaho

Cottonwood Elementary

Cottonwood Elementary rates 7.2, among the strongest elementary schools in Jefferson County Joint District, where the rated median is 5.0.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
7.2this school

7.2 on a one-to-ten scale; the Jefferson County Joint District median is 5.0.

#237 of 723 schools in Idaho · Jefferson County Joint District: 6 elementary schools rated, median 5.0

The brief

A Jefferson County Joint District elementary school where students score 6 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 237 of 723 schools in Idaho and 3 of 11 in Jefferson County Joint District.

Cottonwood Elementary is listed in Jefferson County Joint District, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math46%333 students tested · state average not published · 2022 EdFacts
Reading43%334 students tested · state average not published · 2022 EdFacts
Proficiency has held near 45% across the 3-year record (2020–2022).2022 EdFacts; 6 test records from ID state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
9.9
50% of the rating
Academics
5.4
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
3.1
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2024

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

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 43% (multi-year average, 2020-2022) · reading/ELA 42% (multi-year average, 2020-2022).

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 · 2022 EdFacts · Low confidence
  • Older source: 2022 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2022 EdFacts · Low confidence
  • Older source: 2022 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • 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 83442; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2020-2022; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Cottonwood Elementary and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$84,328
Median home value
$376,800
Median rent
$1,098/mo
College educated
30.4%
Homeownership
85.5%
Poverty rate
9.1%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 83442; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
11
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
31
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
1,060/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Rigby. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Rigby), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
33.3%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Cottonwood Elementarythis school
    7.2
  2. 6.5Compare →
  3. 5.9Compare →
  4. 5.0Compare →
  5. 4.0Compare →
Four grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and none rates higher than Cottonwood Elementary.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Cottonwood Elementary serve?

Cottonwood Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 5th.

How many students attend Cottonwood Elementary?

Cottonwood Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 654 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary is 21.1:1. 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 ID?

Cottonwood Elementary ranks #237 of 723 schools in ID.

What is Cottonwood Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Cottonwood Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.2 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 43% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2020-2022) and 42% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2020-2022).

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?

33.3% 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 facts

Grades
Kindergarten – 5th
Enrollment
654
Student-teacher ratio
21.1:1
Teachers (FTE)
31
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Fringe Rural
County
Jefferson County
Rank in district
#3 of 11
Schools in district
12
District spending per student
$8,045
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
7.5%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 83442)
24,829
Area average commute
24.4 min
Area median age
31.8

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Idaho Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.