Mountain View Preparatory School, Cottonwood AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Mountain View Preparatory School

Mountain View Preparatory School is a regular public school in Cottonwood, Arizona, serving kindergarten through eighth grade. It operates within the Cottonwood-Oak Creek Elementary District. The school is not a charter and has no magnet or Title I status in the available records. Its enrollment is small for a K–8 campus, drawing from a community that functions as the retail and service hub of the Verde Valley.

On state assessments, the school’s overall proficiency across math, reading, and science sits below the midpoint when compared with other districts in Yavapai County. The picture varies by grade and subject. In English language arts, proficiency rates tend to be stronger in the upper elementary and middle grades, with fourth grade and eighth grade showing results that would be considered solid, while fifth and sixth grade are weaker. In math, fourth and eighth grade also stand out as relative bright spots, but fifth, sixth, and seventh grade show lower proficiency. Science results, tested only in fifth and eighth grade, are low in fifth but notably stronger in eighth. Across all grades and subjects, the school’s combined proficiency rate is in the lower half of the county’s districts. Because only one year of assessment data appears in the record, no trend can be discerned. Parents may want to discuss with the school how these patterns match the curriculum and where supports are concentrated.

Demographically, the student body is majority white, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller shares of students who are two or more races, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Black. Data on economic disadvantage, special education enrollment, and English learner status were not available from the source, so a family looking at student support services would need to ask the school directly. Because the school serves only through eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report.

The school is located in Cottonwood, a city that has grown steadily due to its mild climate and role as a gateway to outdoor recreation. Dead Horse Ranch State Park and the Verde River are nearby natural anchors. Old Town Cottonwood offers a walkable historic district with wine tasting rooms and shops, while much of the rest of the city is car-dependent strip commercial. The housing market has seen some appreciation, and home values are near the middle of the national range. Rental costs also sit around the national median. The district’s brief turned up no recent major changes or initiatives that were publicly reported, so the school’s academic and programmatic trajectory appears stable in the absence of new information.

Mountain View Preparatory School may suit families who want a neighborhood school in a growing small city with outdoor amenities. The academic results suggest that children who are already on grade level, particularly in reading, may find a decent fit, while families whose children need extra support in math or science should seek a clear picture of the school’s intervention resources. The lack of published data on economic need and specialized programs means a parent should plan to visit and ask detailed questions about student services, class sizes, and how the school differentiates instruction across its K–8 span.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 338%

School 38% · District 28% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 446%

School 46% · District 35% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 22% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 626%

School 26% · District 23% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 731%

School 31% · District 21% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 843%

School 43% · District 29% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 32% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 457%

School 57% · District 41% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 28% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 639%

School 39% · District 36% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 749%

School 49% · District 33% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 859%

School 59% · District 41% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Science

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 28% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 32% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

This schoolCottonwood-Oak Creek Elementary District (4487), same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.