Cottonwood School

Cottonwood School is one of the tight-knit elementary schools in SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, part of Granite District, with 340 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 6. Compared to the state average of about 491 students per school, that is 31% smaller than typical.

Within Granite District, which oversees 85 schools and 59,404 students, Cottonwood School is one campus in the system.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Cottonwood School lists that nearly all students (86%) are White. Beyond that, the school reports 6% Hispanic, 5% multiracial. That is meaningfully more White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 70%.

On the income-and-resources front, Cottonwood School reports 14 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 25.2:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 21.8:1 average. Roughly 9% of students at Cottonwood School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is below Salt Lake County's rate of about 34%.

With demographic context factored in, Cottonwood School sits in the top 10% of Utah schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 55.6%; actual is 78.5%, +22.8 points clear of the demographic baseline.

In the broader community, community-level numbers for Salt Lake County indicate median household income runs about $97,494, roughly 39% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 5%. Across Salt Lake County's 325 public schools (combined enrollment of about 209,757 students), Cottonwood School is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Olympus Jr High, roughly 1.1 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. On composite proficiency, Cottonwood School comes 2nd of 9 in the immediate cluster, higher than the nearby-schools average of 58.0%.

Cottonwood School operates from a bedroom-community location.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked down 33%: 507 students in 2018 compared to 340 in 2025.

On this page, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.