An equity score of 67/100 ranks Columbia Borough Sd #138 of 649 districts in Pennsylvania (state average 49). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $19,673 per pupil, Columbia Borough Sd ranks #207 of 672 Pennsylvania districts by per-pupil spending (Pennsylvania districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,249
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$19,673
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Columbia Borough Sd operates 4 public schools serving 1,249 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Pennsylvania. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Lancaster County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $19,673 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 672 Pennsylvania districts by per-pupil spending. See how Pennsylvania compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 37.9% local, 44.5% state, and 17.6% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 67/100, ranked #138 of 649 in Pennsylvania against a state average of 49, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
a 354.8:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, 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. Its most demographically mixed campus is Columbia Ms Taylor Campus, with a diversity index of 68.3/100.
Its largest campus is Park El Sch, enrolling 511 students (39% of the district's total enrollment).
Park El Sch accounts for 38.9% of all Columbia Borough Sd student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Columbia Borough Sd-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: elementary. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.
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 reports 81.5% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share is at least 75%, indicating a high concentration of measured economic need. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.
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 $19,673 per student. The district has an equity score of 67/100, ranking #138 in Pennsylvania.
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 67/100, ranking #138 out of 649 districts in Pennsylvania.