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School Profile · El Dorado Hills

Cottonwood: Kids show up — absenteeism runs far below the state. But math slips between grade 3 and grade 5.

Cottonwood is a school of real strengths with one number worth interrogating. Most rating sites pick a side; we think both belong on the same page.

3921 Sandstone Drive, Suite A, 95762 (opens in new tab)·Buckeye Union Elementary·El Dorado Hills·Grades K-12·3,563 students·43% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 285-2003·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
43
🤝 Culture First · Developing
ranked #2,451 statewide · #10 of 11 in Buckeye Union Elementary

Cottonwood scores 43 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 57th percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “38% proficient” and call it done. Cottonwood deserves a closer read. The school sits in El Dorado Hills, where two in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 0.3% chronic absenteeism — versus 17.9% statewide. Attendance is the quietest strong signal a school can post.

As a charter, Cottonwood enrolls by application, not address — the score reads the same, the enrollment path doesn't.

The story this school is actually telling

The culture · kids show up
0.3%

chronic absenteeism — versus 17.9% statewide. Attendance is the quietest strong signal a school can post.

↑ a culture signal, not a test score
The trajectory · grade 3→5
−3.4pp

math proficiency runs 38% in grade 3 against 27% in grade 5, while reading holds (39% to 43%). The state average rises by +4.5pp over the same span.

↓ the part no ranking site shows you

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

19%
21%
60%
Grade 3 · 40% proficient
23%
21%
56%
Grade 4 · 44% proficient
14%
29%
57%
Grade 5 · 43% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 5.2pp across grades; the floor rises 3.5pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. The school's 5th graders aren't posting a wider lead than its 3rd graders. One question worth asking on a tour: are the strongest students being pushed, or coasting? A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
17.2%
State 21.3%
4.1pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
38.0%
State 42.7%
4.7pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-3.4pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Chronic absenteeism
0.3%
State 17.9%
17.6pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.0%
State 1.6%
1.6pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask the principal what changes between grade 3 and grade 5. The trajectory is the thing a tour will tell you more about than a spreadsheet.

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Path

Cottonwood serves grades K-12 — students can complete their entire K-12 education here.

Planning ahead? 7 licensed preschools near this school →

Your other options

All schools in El Dorado Hills →

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.

The community around it

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic15.6%
White69.7%
Asian2.8%
Black1.7%
Other10.3%
GenderFemale 50.5%Male 49.3%Non-binary 0.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 42.5% (21pp below CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
3,563
2,363 above CA avg (~1,200)
Transitional Kindergarten
TK status unconfirmed
No TK enrollment is on file with the state for this school — that isn't the same as “no TK.” Confirm directly with the district.
Student-Teacher Ratio
29:1
8 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$11,522
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$57,629 – $116,656
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Cottonwood in El Dorado Hills, 42.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 54.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Cottonwood trails its district average for low-income students by 12.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (31.0% Math proficient); White students (50.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 42.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 790 students tested.
Equity Gaps
ELA · English Learner−42.9pp
8.3% vs 51.2% overall · n=41
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−19.3pp
0.0% vs 19.3% overall · n=41
Math · Disabilities−21.1pp
15.7% vs 36.8% overall · n=138
Math Exceeded · English Learner−15.4pp
2.1% vs 17.5% overall · n=41

Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income790 tested
ELA 42.6%·Math 31.0%· -12.1pp vs district
White1,252 tested
ELA 50.2%·Math 37.5%· -21.5pp vs district
Hispanic253 tested
ELA 43.9%·Math 31.2%· -15.0pp vs district

Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.

Subgroup Growth by Grade
Change in proficiency from lowest tested grade. Shows which groups are gaining ground.

Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 7.4pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: -21.1pp.

Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 66%Support 31%Other 3%

Source: NCES F-33 (2019–2020) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$165K
$80K above CA median
Median Home Value
$916K
$257K above CA median
Bachelor's+
61%
26pp above CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
15.5 years avg experience
142 teachers · 1% second-year
Teacher Credentials
52% fully credentialed

Source: CDE SARC, 2024-25

Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →
For the data nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 43%
17.2%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 46th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
38.0%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 46th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 15%
-3.4pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 43th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
0.3%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 79th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.0%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 63th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 331419%21%22%38%39%−4
Grade 426723%21%22%33%44%−1
Grade 527214%29%22%35%43%−5
Grade 628316%29%30%25%45%−2
Grade 725214%40%24%21%55%+7
Grade 821816%44%23%17%60%+14
Grade 1117234%41%16%9%74%+27
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 331419%19%25%37%38%−8
Grade 426716%20%32%31%36%−5
Grade 527213%14%31%42%27%−8
Grade 628414%18%30%39%32%−3
Grade 725217%23%29%31%40%+7
Grade 821921%21%26%33%41%+9
Grade 1117223%20%26%31%44%+20
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1166714%31%45%10%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged79042.6%−12+4
White1,25250.2%−21−12
Hispanic/Latino25343.9%−15+5
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Cottonwood ←—4317.2%38.0%−3.40.0%
Buckeye Union Mandarin Immersion Charter2.5 mi9687.8%97.6%−7.22.0%
Russell Ranch Elementary1.8 mi7450.7%79.3%+5.90.5%
Oak Meadow Elementary2.1 mi7143.0%74.8%−4.90.9%
California average—4321.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
40%43%'22'23'24'25
2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · rank #2194 → #1984 → #2310 → #2451
What we can't show
  • — Scored here as an elementary school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
How to get into a charter school in LA →

Frequently asked questions

Is Cottonwood a good elementary school?
Cottonwood has a Scope Score of 43 out of 100, placing it in the 57th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #2,451 statewide. 17.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 4.1 percentage points below the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are Cottonwood's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 38.0% of students at Cottonwood met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 17.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 20.7% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 17.2% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 1,706 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Cottonwood rank in California?
Cottonwood ranks #2,451 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 57th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 3 to grade 5 growth), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.
Is Cottonwood getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Cottonwood decreases by 3.4 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This downward pattern doesn't necessarily mean the school is failing — it can reflect cohort differences, demographic shifts, or curriculum changes. A campus visit and conversation with teachers can reveal what the numbers can't. Growth trajectory is weighted at 15% in the elementary Scope Score because it measures what the school does, not just who walks in the door.
What is the attendance and school culture like at Cottonwood?
0.3% of students at Cottonwood are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.0%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.
How does Cottonwood compare to other schools in El Dorado Hills?
Cottonwood scores 43/100 (57th percentile) among California elementary schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 3,563 students. Use the schools in El Dorado Hills page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Cottonwood serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Cottonwood in El Dorado Hills, 42.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 54.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Cottonwood trails its district average for low-income students by 12.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (31.0% Math proficient); White students (50.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 42.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 790 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.
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