Cottonwood Plains Elementary School

Set in FT COLLINS, Colorado, Cottonwood Plains Elementary School is a moderately sized primary school, one of the schools within Thompson School District R-2J. It serves 330 students across grades pre-K through 5.

Thompson School District R-2J comprises 32 schools with combined enrollment of 14,580 students; Cottonwood Plains Elementary School is among them.

Demographically, Cottonwood Plains Elementary School lists that 48% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups; the rest reads as 44% White, 6% multiracial. By comparison, Larimer County as a whole is about 13% Hispanic, so the school skews considerably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

On the resource side, On paper, Cottonwood Plains Elementary School has 24 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 13.6:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 16.6:1, putting Cottonwood Plains Elementary School tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 53% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is north of Larimer County's rate of about 35%.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Cottonwood Plains Elementary School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 34.8% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 29.5%.

Around the school, community-level numbers for Larimer County indicate the typical household earns roughly $93,765 per year, 53% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 5%. Across Larimer County's 94 public schools (combined enrollment of about 47,159 students), Cottonwood Plains Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Coyote Ridge Elementary School, roughly 1.3 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Cottonwood Plains Elementary School at 6th of 8; the average score across the group is 51.5%.

Geographically, the school is in a suburban area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Cottonwood Plains Elementary School has fell 21%, going from 419 students in 2018 to 330 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share shrank from 53% to 44%. Class-load math has fell: from 16.9:1 in 2018 to 13.6:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, posts here usually surface around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.