The brief
A Carlsbad elementary school where students score 17 points below what's typical for similar communities.
It ranks 823 of 874 schools in New Mexico and 11 of 13 in Carlsbad.
Cottonwood Elementary is listed in Carlsbad, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.
- 202220%
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 6 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.
- Based on limited data: 50% component coverage.
- Component weights adjusted due to data availability.
Partial Profile · 2/3 metrics
Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 19% (2022 EdFacts) · reading/ELA 20% (2022 EdFacts).
- 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.
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- 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.
- 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 88220; 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 2022 EdFacts; directory SY 2023–24
The neighborhood
Where it sits, and what the area looks like.The area
- Median income
- $79,668
- Median home value
- $192,600
- Median rent
- $1,218/mo
- College educated
- 20.4%
- Homeownership
- 75.5%
- Poverty rate
- 12%
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 88220; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.
Getting around
- Walk Score
- 26
- Car-Dependent
- Bike Score
- 46
- Somewhat Bikeable
- City reported crime
- 3,285/100K
- Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Carlsbad. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.
Walk, transit and bike scores by
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Carlsbad), 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
- 49.9%
- 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.- 8.2Compare →
- 7.6Compare →
- 6.0Compare →
- 5.9Compare →
- 5.5Compare →
- 5.0Compare →
- Cottonwood Elementary3.8
- 3.3Compare →
Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.
Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.
Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.
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 671 students.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood Elementary is 16:1. 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 NM?
Cottonwood Elementary ranks #823 of 874 schools in NM.
What is Cottonwood Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?
Cottonwood Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 3.8 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 19% math proficiency (2022 EdFacts) and 20% reading/ELA proficiency (2022 EdFacts).
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?
49.9% 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
- 671
- Student-teacher ratio
- 16:1
- Teachers (FTE)
- 42
- Type
- Regular
- Title I
- No
- Setting
- Remote Town
- County
- Eddy County
- Phone
- (575) 234-3304
- Rank in district
- #11 of 13
- Schools in district
- 14
- District spending per student
- $13,304
- NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
- District child poverty rate
- 16.1%
- Census SAIPE · 2024
- Area population (ZIP 88220)
- 40,151
- Area average commute
- 21.5 min
- Area median age
- 37.9
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).
Sources and official links
Keep exploring
Related reading
Data from NCES Common Core of Data, New Mexico Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.