Cottonwood School

19 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 8th

School Overview

The Cottonwood School, located at 13233 Cottonwood Road in Bozeman, Montana, is a historic rural K-8 institution that holds a unique place in the Gallatin Valley’s educational landscape. As a traditional one-room schoolhouse—one of the few remaining in the region—it offers an intimate, multi-grade learning environment. The school is known for its close-knit community atmosphere, where the low student-to-teacher ratio allows for highly personalized instruction and a curriculum that emphasizes foundational academic skills while fostering strong relationships between students, families, and staff.

Beyond its academic program, the Cottonwood School is deeply valued for its role in preserving a piece of Montana’s educational heritage. The school operates with a focus on holistic development, often integrating the surrounding natural environment into the daily learning experience. By blending the charm and character of its historic setting with modern educational standards, Cottonwood provides a distinct alternative to the larger, urban school systems in Bozeman, offering a peaceful and focused setting for students to grow during their formative years.

Total Students

2.0

Full-Time Teachers

9.3

Student/Teacher Ratio

N/A

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Cottonwood School
Demographic	Student Count
White	17
Hispanic	1
Asian	1

White
17 (89.5 %)
Hispanic
1 (5.3 %)
Asian
1 (5.3 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Cottonwood Elem
Phone:	(406)763-4903
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 8th
Total Students:	19
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	2.0
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	9.3
NSLP Participation:¹	No
Qualified Free Lunch:	N/A
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	N/A

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Kindergarten 5

Grade 1 2

Grade 2 4

Grade 3 2

Grade 4 4

Grade 5 2

Grades Taught Data Table

Grades Taught and Student Counts for Cottonwood School
Grade	Student Count
Kindergarten	5
Grade 1	2
Grade 2	4
Grade 3	2
Grade 4	4
Grade 5	2

Gender Ratio

Student Gender Ratio Data Table

Student Gender Ratio for Cottonwood School
Gender	Student Count	Percentage
Female	11	57.9%
Male	8	42.1%

Elementary School Pre-K - 5th

Hawthorne School

Bozeman Elem

Charter School 348 Students

405 E Mendenhall
Bozeman, MT 59715 (9.0 miles away)

Elementary School Pre-K - 5th