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Public elementary school · Cleveland ISD · Cleveland, Texas

Cottonwood EL

Cottonwood EL rates 5.5, right at the middle of Cleveland ISD's elementary schools: the district's rated median is 5.8 and the Houston-area median is 7.0.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
5.5this school

5.5 on a one-to-ten scale; the Cleveland ISD median is 5.8; the Houston area median is 7.0.

#6,110 of 8,584 schools in Texas · Cleveland ISD: 6 elementary schools rated, median 5.8 · Houston area: 940 elementary schools rated, median 7.0

The brief

I'm choosing a school for

A Cleveland ISD elementary school where students score 7 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 6,110 of 8,584 schools in Texas and 6 of 11 in Cleveland ISD.

Cottonwood EL is listed in Cleveland ISD, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math25%20 points below the Texas average of 45%435 students tested · 2025 STAAR
Reading30%25 points below the Texas average of 55%437 students tested · 2025 STAAR
Proficiency has improved 6 points since 2021, reaching 28% in 2025, across a 6-year record (2020–2025).2025 STAAR; 10 test records from TX state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
6.2
50% of the rating
Academics
3.7
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
6.5
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

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 24% (multi-year average, 2020-2025) · reading/ELA 25% (multi-year average, 2020-2025).

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 · 2025 STAAR · Medium confidence
  • 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 · 2025 STAAR · Medium confidence
  • 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)
State assessments · 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 77327; 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, 2020-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Cottonwood EL 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
$57,538
Median home value
$144,100
Median rent
$1,001/mo
College educated
10.2%
Homeownership
81.6%
Poverty rate
21.1%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 77327; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
3
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
29
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
2,372/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Cleveland. 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 (Cleveland), 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
96.9%
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.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 6.7Compare →
  2. Iltexas Bg Ramirez EL3.5 mi · charter
    6.3Compare →
  3. 6.0Compare →
  4. 5.8Compare →
  5. Cottonwood ELthis school
    5.5
Four grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and four rate higher than Cottonwood EL.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.

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 EL serve?

Cottonwood EL serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Cottonwood EL?

Cottonwood EL has an enrollment of approximately 1,116 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood EL?

The student-teacher ratio at Cottonwood EL is 15.9:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Cottonwood EL rank in TX?

Cottonwood EL ranks #6,110 of 8,584 schools in TX.

What is Cottonwood EL's MySchoolScout rating?

Cottonwood EL has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.5 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 EL?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Cottonwood EL has 24% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2020-2025) and 25% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2020-2025).

Is Cottonwood EL a charter school?

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

Is Cottonwood EL a Title I school?

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

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

96.9% of students at Cottonwood EL 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
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
1,116
Student-teacher ratio
15.9:1
Teachers (FTE)
70
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Fringe Rural
County
Liberty County
Rank in district
#6 of 11
Schools in district
11
District spending per student
$13,415
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
37.4%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 77327)
37,574
Area average commute
44.6 min
Area median age
28.6

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

Related reading

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