COTTONWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL

As a tiny elementary school in Coalgate, Oklahoma, COTTONWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL hosts 128 students from grades pre-K through 8, operated by COTTONWOOD. By comparison, Oklahoma's public schools average about 366 students each, so COTTONWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL sits 65% leaner than that benchmark.

COTTONWOOD is the operating authority for COTTONWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL, handling staffing, calendars, and reporting to the state department of education.

Looking at the student body, COTTONWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL shows that the largest single group is White at 44%, but no single group is in the majority. Other groups include 41% Native American, 9% Black, 6% Hispanic. The wider county runs roughly 65% White, putting the school's mix meaningfully less White than the area baseline.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 13 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 10.2:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.6:1, putting COTTONWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL tighter than the state norm the norm. About 75% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), COTTONWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 29.9% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 40.0%.

In the broader community, census data for Coal County shows median household earnings sit near $50,423, about 18% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 16%. COTTONWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL is one of 6 public schools in Coal County (combined enrollment of about 1,080 students).

WALLACE BYRD MS is the nearest neighboring public school, about 1.8 miles from this campus. 3 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts COTTONWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL at 2nd of 4; the average score across the group is 36.5%.

COTTONWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL operates from a low-density location.

Over the past 7-year window. COTTONWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL's enrollment has edged down 29% since 2018, when it stood at 180 (now 128). The Black share of enrollment rose from 1% to 9% over that span.

On the community side, members of the COTTONWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL community share and discuss fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.