Cottonwood Union School District

What Cottonwood Union School District does

Cottonwood Union School District is a California public K-8 school district headquartered at 20512 1st Street, Cottonwood, CA 96022, serving students and families in the Cottonwood area through two wholly operated schools: North Cottonwood School (K-8 education) and West Cottonwood Jr. High School (middle school education). The district provides free public education to local residents within its attendance boundaries, supplemented by a food services program and digital engagement tools for parents and students. As a government public entity, it is governed by a locally elected board of trustees and funded through state and local tax revenues; it operates independently with no parent company or private equity backing, and enrollment is open to local residents via direct enrollment.

The district's technology stack is built on standard K-12 educational infrastructure rather than proprietary systems. The district website (cwusd.com) and mobile apps (iOS and Android) are powered by Apptegy; the parent and student portal runs on ThrillShare; student records are managed through the Aeries Student Information System (cottonwood.aeries.net); and recruiting is conducted via EdJoin (edjoin.org/cwusd). These vendor relationships cover the core operational layers of web presence, family communications, student records management, and hiring. The district also maintains an employee portal, a staff mail system, and a food services information page.

Go-to-market is functionally non-commercial: as a public school district, Cottonwood Union School District does not sell its core service (education is free to in-district students) and does not disclose revenue or pricing. Its "customers" — local K-8 students and families, plus broader community members engaging with district communications and board materials — are acquired by residential address rather than marketing effort. Community engagement runs through the district website, Facebook (Cottonwood Parent Club K-8), and the mobile applications. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 3:30 pm.

Name

Cottonwood Union School District

Legal name

Cottonwood Union School District

Website

https://cwusd.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Cottonwood Union School District is a California public K-8 school district operating North Cottonwood School and West Cottonwood Jr. High School, providing free public education, food services, and digital parent/student portals to local students and families within its attendance boundaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public K-8 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

Keywords

• K-8 education services
• Public elementary schools
• Middle school education
• Student food services
• Parent communication portals

Headquarters

HQ city

Cottonwood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cottonwood Union School District operates as a public K-8 school district providing free elementary and middle school education through North Cottonwood School and West Cottonwood Jr. High School in Cottonwood, California. The district delivers classroom instruction, a student food services program, and digital engagement through Aeries, ThrillShare, and Apptegy-powered parent and student portals and mobile apps.

Product overview

Cottonwood Union School District is a K-8 public school district serving Cottonwood, California. The district operates two schools: North Cottonwood School and West Cottonwood Jr. High School. The district provides educational services including food services, and offers digital portals for parents (Aeries student portal) and staff (employee portal, staff mail). The district uses the Apptegy content management platform for its website.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-8 Education Services Free public K-8 classroom instruction delivered through North Cottonwood School (elementary) and West Cottonwood Jr. High School (middle school) for students residing within the Cottonwood Union School District boundaries in California.
• Student Food Services School meal program providing food services to enrolled K-8 students, administered through the district's food services department.
• Parent and Student Portal Digital portal powered by ThrillShare and integrated with the Aeries student information system, providing parents and students with access to student records, communications, and district information.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ApptegycoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides the district website platform and mobile app technology. The district website is powered by Apptegy.
• EdJoinminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline job posting platform used by the district for recruiting and hiring employees. 'Join Our Team' links direct to edjoin.org/cwusd.
• ThrillSharecoreTechnology or IntegrationParent and student portal platform for district communications and access to student information.
• AeriescoreTechnology or IntegrationStudent information system (SIS) used for student records management accessible via cottonwood.aeries.net.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• San Diego Unified School District: One of the largest public school districts in California. Comparable in operating model (public K-12, state funding, locally elected board) but vastly larger in scale, urban geography, and operational complexity.
• Chico Unified School District: Larger unified school district in Northern California. Operates the same public K-12 model under the same California funding framework, but at materially greater scale and with a broader grade span.

Emerging players

• Rocketship Public Schools: California-based charter management organization operating public elementary schools. Comparable in serving K-8 public education families in California, but competes via the charter pathway rather than as a traditional district.
• KIPP Northern California: Charter school network operating multiple public schools across Northern California. Overlaps with Cottonwood Union in serving K-8 public education students in the same region, but competes as an alternative public school provider rather than a district.

Direct peers

• Redding School District: Public elementary school district serving the neighboring Redding area within Shasta County, California. Directly comparable in mission (public K-8 instruction), funding model (state/local tax revenues), and rural Northern California operating context.
• Shasta Union Elementary School District: Elementary district also located in Shasta County, California, serving nearby communities. Closely comparable in scale, K-8 grade span, and dependence on the same California state funding formulas.
• Gateway Unified School District: Shasta County unified (K-12) district serving similar Northern California communities. Comparable in geography and public funding model, with the broader K-12 mandate extending the comparison.
• Palo Cedro Union School District: Small K-8 public district in the Redding-area of Shasta County, California. Closely comparable in size, single-district footprint, and rural Northern California demographic profile.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cottonwoodparentclubK8
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/west-cottonwood-junior-high

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cottonwood Union School District