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School district · California · LEAID 0609990

Cottonwood Union Elementary

Cottonwood Union Elementary is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (892 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Cottonwood Union Elementary come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$84,853
Est. avg teacher salary

Well below benchmark

$16,985
Per-pupil spending
892
Students enrolled
7th
Pct. in CA
$84,853

Cottonwood Union Elementary is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (892 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $84,853, above the national average of $70,245, serving 892 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Cottonwood Union Elementary is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (892 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 7th percentile for California
  • 80th percentile nationally
  • 31% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • California ranks #2 of 49 on the salary estimate and #1 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Cottonwood Union Elementary ranks #696 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #611 of 750 by per-pupil spending. Calaveras County Office of Education pay #1 at $178,519 is not Beverly Hills Unified spending #1 at $61,843 per pupil
  • +28.6% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs California median

Among 954 California districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Cottonwood Union Elementary's instructional payroll puts 93.2% into regular program , 7.4 points above the state median of 85.8%. Regular-program teachers claim more of the instructional salary pool here than at the median California district.

Program Cottonwood Union CA median Gap
Regular program 93.2% 85.8% +7.4 pp
Special education 6.8% 10.8% -4.0 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 954 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 0609990 · FY2023.

LEAID 0609990 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Cottonwood Union F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-LOW -23% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P7 in state RANK-NAT-MID P80 national PPE-MID $17K/pupil ENR-SMALL 892 students INSTR-LOW 31% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Laton FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $84,853 estimated average teacher salary · P7 in California · P80 nationally · 31% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Modesto ($5,060est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Cottonwood Union

Salary neighbourhood · Cottonwood Union

Cottonwood Union trails most of its in-state peer set; the chart plots it against the top and bottom pay poles for context (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).

est. salary
Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey As of FY2023
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Cottonwood Union

Cottonwood Union Elementary's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$84,853 Top 20% higher than 80% of 10,684 US districts

Show national distribution $30,000–$40,000: 155 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 1,360 US districts (13%). Below this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 2,382 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). Below this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). This entry sits in this band. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). Above this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 371 US districts (3%). Above this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 249 US districts (2%). Above this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 156 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 112 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 57 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 25 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 13 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 10 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. Cottonwood Union Elementary $30,000 $190,000 every reliable-salary US district, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $10K-wide band; taller bars hold more US districts. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 · FY2023

Cottonwood Union in California's lower-third pay band

Same 750 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Cottonwood Union Elementary ranks #696 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #611 of 750 by per-pupil spending. Calaveras County Office of Education pay #1 at $178,519 is not Beverly Hills Unified spending #1 at $61,843 per pupil

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Cottonwood Union Elementary is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Beverly Hills Unified leads spending at $61,843 per pupil; Calaveras County Office of Education leads pay.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

What stands out about Cottonwood Union Elementary

  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +28.6% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing California's statewide +25.3% by 3.4 points, a growth rate faster than 67% of the 856 California districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.

California prices absorb part of this salary

Nominal district estimate
$84,853.036

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

California price level
112.2 / 100

BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.

National-price equivalent
$75,630

-11% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in California run above the national average, so this salary has roughly the buying power of the national-price equivalent above. Comparing it with a district in a cheaper state without this adjustment overstates its relative value.

Regional price parity: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023 all-items RPP by state. The adjustment applies a statewide index to a district figure, so it captures how California compares nationally, not how this district compares with others in its own state. Compare every state on this basis.

How this salary figure is calculated
Full NCES reading for Cottonwood Union Elementary

What the Numbers Say About Cottonwood Union Elementary

Cottonwood Union Elementary is a small school district in California, serving 892 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $16,985. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $84,853, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0609990 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the California statewide average of $110,546, teacher pay in Cottonwood Union Elementary runs materially below the state benchmark, a 23.2% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (20.8% differential). Among enrolling districts in California, it pays more than 7% of them. California itself ranks #2 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Cottonwood Union Elementary reports $15.2M in total expenditure against $17.4M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 31% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $3.7M, special-education teacher pay is $0.3M.

How does Cottonwood Union Elementary compare?

Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the California average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.

Cottonwood Union Elementary $84,853
Los Angeles Unified $103,820
California avg $110,546
National avg $70,245

Cottonwood Union Elementary pays -18.3% less than Los Angeles Unified · per-pupil $16,985 vs $26,962

Derived from NCES F-33 teacher salary expenditure (Z35-Z38) and CCD Staff Universe teacher FTE (FY2023); a small minority use the documented fallback. Unreliable service entities are excluded.

Data-derived comparison paths

Find comparable California districts

On pay, Cottonwood Union Elementary sits closest to Laton Joint Unified; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Alview-Dairyland Union Elementary. These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2023 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. Laton Joint Unified
  2. Sutter Union High
  3. Corning Union High
  4. Anderson Valley Unified
  5. Lassen Union High
  6. New Jerusalem Elementary
  7. Julian Union Elementary
  8. Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified
  9. Denair Unified
  10. Sonora Union High
  11. Le Grand Union High
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Alview-Dairyland Union Elementary
  2. Lafayette Elementary
  3. Walnut Creek Elementary
  4. McSwain Union Elementary
  5. Orland Joint Unified
  6. Taft City
  7. Hughson Unified
  8. New Jerusalem Elementary
  9. South Fork Union
  10. Manzanita Elementary
  11. Plumas Lake Elementary

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Cottonwood Union Elementary's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Cottonwood Union Elementary: closest on enrollment (892 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($84,853 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood.

Similar enrollment

Nearest other districts by NCES student count (floored at ≥200).

Similar estimated salary

Nearest other districts by F-33-derived average teacher salary, distinct from the enrollment row.

Enrollment and salaries from NCES CCD F-33; estimated teacher pay can diverge widely at the same student count because of state funding, cost of living, and local bargaining.

Revenue & Expenditure

$17.4M
Total Revenue
$15.2M
Total Expenditure
$4.6M
Instruction Salaries
31% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$3.7M
Regular Program
$0.3M
Special Education

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 2 programs in Cottonwood Union Elementary: the regular program and special education. It reports no separate figure for vocational programs and other programs. Together they are 85% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 15% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

California Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized California districts belongs to San Bernardino County Office of Education at $178,265. Placed 613 of 644, Cottonwood Union Elementary is in the lower quarter, where a state-average comparison flatters the district rather than describing it. Because California prices run above the national average, this salary is worth less than the same number elsewhere; District of Columbia and Hawaii are the states it can be compared with directly on BEA's price parity.

View all California districts →

Other California Districts

Smaller-district sample from 776 California peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.

Hickman Community Charter
$106,582
985 students
Aromas - San Juan Unified
$94,004
992 students
Durham Unified
$80,798
996 students
El Dorado County Office of Education
$112,645
782 students
Acton-Agua Dulce Unified
$110,203
1,002 students
Liberty Elementary
$81,568
781 students

This is a sample of 6 from 776 California districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cottonwood Union Elementary
What is the average teacher salary in Cottonwood Union Elementary?

The average teacher salary in Cottonwood Union Elementary is $84,853 (NCES CCD FY2023), from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by the district's reported teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey).

How does Cottonwood Union Elementary teacher pay compare to the California average?

Cottonwood Union Elementary pays 23.2% less than the California state average of $110,546. The district's average is $84,853.

How does Cottonwood Union Elementary teacher pay compare to the national average?

Cottonwood Union Elementary pays 20.8% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $84,853.

What is the per-pupil spending in Cottonwood Union Elementary?

Cottonwood Union Elementary spends approximately $16,985 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Cottonwood Union Elementary's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 31% of Cottonwood Union Elementary's total expenditure of $15.2M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Cottonwood Union Elementary
Disclaimer & data sources

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher

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Editorial standards & source notes

According to the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, PlainTeacher's figures are computed directly, no number is typed in by an editor. Cottonwood Union Elementary's salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2023 F-33 submission, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of FY2023.