Cottonwood High School

Located at 663 Houston St, in Cottonwood, Alabama, Cottonwood High School is a low-enrollment senior high that teaches 379 students (grades 7 through 12), run under Houston County. That puts it 44% smaller than the typical public school in Alabama, which averages around 682 students.

Houston County runs 14 schools in total, collectively educating 6,907 students. Cottonwood High School is one of those campuses.

Demographically, Cottonwood High School reports that the largest single group is White, at 75% of enrollment. Beyond that, the school shows 15% Black, 6% Hispanic, 2% multiracial. That is visibly more White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 65%.

On the income-and-resources front, Cottonwood High School logs 23 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 16.8:1. That tracks the state average closely. About 60% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

With demographic context factored in, Cottonwood High School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 40.6%; this one delivers 34.0%.

Zooming out to the county, the surrounding county (Houston County) records that median household income runs about $58,626, roughly 23% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 13%. In all, Houston County runs 35 public schools (combined enrollment of about 15,127 students), of which Cottonwood High School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Cottonwood Elementary School, around 0.0 miles off. Within ten miles, there are 8 other public schools, a sparser pattern than typical urban areas. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Cottonwood High School at 6th of 8; the average score across the group is 36.9%.

The school occupies a small-town site.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count declined 50%: 752 students in 2018 compared to 379 in 2025. The White share of enrollment declined from 82% to 75% over that span.

On allk12, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.