The top reported proficiency rate is 69% in Math. The lowest is 64% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Cottonwood Elementary
Cottonwood Elementary, a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Kennewick, Washington, is part of the Kennewick School District. Based on the most recent state assessment data, the school delivers academic results that stand out within Benton County.
On the Washington state tests, Cottonwood’s students performed well above the midpoint relative to other districts in Benton County, placing the school in the top quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. In math, the share of students meeting proficiency was strong across the grades that are tested, with a slight dip at fifth grade compared to third and fourth. In English language arts, the pattern was similar, with fourth grade the strongest and fifth grade softer. In science, the only tested grade is fifth, and a majority of students met the bar there as well. Because this is the first year of available data, there is no multi-year trend to say whether performance is rising or falling; the picture is a single snapshot, and a strong one.
The student body is about 450 children, making it a modestly sized elementary school. The demographic profile is predominantly white, with a Hispanic population that is the second-largest racial or ethnic group, followed by a smaller share of students who identify as two or more races, and very small numbers of Asian, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. About one in five students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that is relatively low for a public school in the region, indicating that the school serves a majority of families who are above the threshold for that federal assistance. Data on the share of students with disabilities or who are English learners was not available, a gap that a parent may want to follow up on with the school to understand how these populations are served.
Cottonwood is located in Kennewick, the most populous of the Tri-Cities, a metropolitan area shaped by the Columbia River and the nearby Hanford Site and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Kennewick’s economy has diversified beyond its historical reliance on those employers and now includes a strong manufacturing and food-processing sector, along with offices for Amazon and Lamb Weston. The city has been described as having the fastest-growing population in Washington State, driven by steady growth and a trajectory of economic diversification. Housing in the ZIP code around the school is priced above the national benchmark, and rent is a significant share of income, which means families moving into the area for the school should expect a competitive housing market.
The Kennewick School District, which Cottonwood belongs to, has a bonds and levies program that relies on local voter approval for construction and major capital projects as well as ongoing operational funding. The district uses a Facility Study Committee to recommend projects based on enrollment growth projections, which matters for a school like Cottonwood in a growing city. No recent ballot outcomes were identified in available search results, so parents who want the latest on upcoming building plans or funding measures should check directly with the district.
Because Cottonwood serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate or chronic absenteeism data to report. Those measures do not apply at this level. The school’s designation as a regular public school means it follows the standard Kennewick curriculum, and its charter and magnet statuses are both absent, so it is not a specialized choice program.
For a family considering this school, the academic picture is clearly above the local norm, and the student body is majority white with a moderate low-income rate. The school sits in a city that is growing, with a diversifying economy and a housing market that is not cheap. The data suggests a parent moving to Kennewick and seeking a well-performing elementary option would find Cottonwood to be a strong candidate, but the missing details on special education and English learner services are worth a direct conversation with the principal to ensure the school can meet a specific child’s needs.
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