Columbia Borough SD operates 4 public schools serving 1,249 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Pennsylvania. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 1,312 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Lancaster County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $21,759 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 37.9% local, 44.5% state, and 17.6% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $77,109 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 66/100, ranked #154 of 659 in Pennsylvania against a state average of 49 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
a 354.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 33.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 41.9% Hispanic or Latino, 36.5% White, 9.8% African American across the district's schools.
Park El Sch accounts for 38.9% of all Columbia Borough SD student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Columbia Borough SD-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Columbia Borough SD school enrollment varies 2.5× across entities
Columbia Borough SD school enrollment ranges from 202 students (lowest) to 511 students (highest), a spread of 309 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio — most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Columbia Borough SD has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 84.5% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Columbia Borough SD student-counselor ratio is 355:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Columbia Borough SD chronic absenteeism rate is 33.2% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Columbia Borough SD has 4 schools, including 2 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,249 students.
How much does Columbia Borough SD spend per student?
Columbia Borough SD spends $21,759 per student. The district has an equity score of 66/100, ranking #154 in Pennsylvania.
What is the average teacher salary in Columbia Borough SD?
The average teacher salary in Columbia Borough SD is $77,109 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Columbia Borough SD?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Lancaster County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Columbia Borough SD?
Columbia Borough SD students are 41.9% Hispanic or Latino, 36.5% White, 9.8% African American, 0.9% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Columbia Borough SD?
Columbia Borough SD has an equity score of 66/100, ranking #154 out of 659 districts in Pennsylvania. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.