Columbia Heights Public School Dist

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Columbia Heights, Minnesota - 10 schools

An equity score of 68/100 ranks Columbia Heights Public School Dist #76 of 410 districts in Minnesota (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $15,723 per pupil, Columbia Heights Public School Dist ranks #146 of 504 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending (Minnesota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,281
Total Enrollment
10
Schools
$15,723
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Columbia Heights Public School Dist operates 10 public schools serving 3,281 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Minnesota. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 combined, 3 high, 2 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Anoka County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,723 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 504 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending. See how Minnesota compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 20.9% local, 63.6% state, and 15.5% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 68/100, ranked #76 of 410 in Minnesota against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 10 schools offering Advanced Placement (9 AP courses district-wide), and 37.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 47.7% Hispanic or Latino, 27.3% African American, 18.2% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is North Park School for Innovation, with a diversity index of 70.9/100.

Its largest campus is Columbia Heights Senior High, enrolling 1,141 students (32% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Columbia Academy Anchor Program, at 6 students, a 190x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Columbia Heights Senior High accounts for 32.5% of all Columbia Heights Public School Dist student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Columbia Heights Public School Dist-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Columbia Heights Public School Dist school enrollment varies 190× across entities

Columbia Heights Public School Dist school enrollment ranges from 6 students (lowest) to 1,141 students (highest), a spread of 1,135 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Columbia Heights Public School Dist has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 67.1% 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). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. 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.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Columbia Heights Public School Dist chronic absenteeism rate is 37.1% — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

15.5%
Federal
63.6%
State
20.9%
Local

Funding Equity

68
Equity Score
76 / 410
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 10 schools in Columbia Heights Public School Dist.

White 18.2%
Hispanic or Latino 47.7%
African American 27.3%
Asian 2.0%
Multiracial 4.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 59.6/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Columbia Heights Public School Dist's schools, above the Minnesota average of 42.8.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 North Park School for Innovation 70.9
  2. 2 Virtual Heights Secondary 68.7
  3. 3 Highland Elementary 65.7
  4. 4 Early Childhood 64.5
  5. 5 Columbia Heights Senior High 63.5

Programs & Resources

1 / 10
Schools with AP
9 AP courses total
37.1%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Columbia Heights Public School Dist

School Enrollment
Columbia Heights Senior High
1,141
Columbia Academy
719
Valley View Elementary
568
Highland Elementary
534
North Park School for Innovation
433
Early Childhood
74
Virtual Heights Secondary
19
Anchor
11
Columbia Heights Transition Program
11
Columbia Academy Anchor Program
6

How Columbia Heights Public School Dist Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Minnesota districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Faribault Public School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Princeton Public School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Worthington Public School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Big Lake Public School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Chisago Lakes School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Columbia Heights Public School Dist's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Minnesota

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Compare Columbia Heights Public School Dist

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Anoka-Hennepin School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Columbia Heights Public School Dist?

Columbia Heights Public School Dist has 10 schools, including 3 high, 2 middle, 5 combined. Total enrollment is 3,281 students.

How much does Columbia Heights Public School Dist spend per student?

Columbia Heights Public School Dist spends $15,723 per student. The district has an equity score of 68/100, ranking #76 in Minnesota.

What is the demographic composition of Columbia Heights Public School Dist?

Columbia Heights Public School Dist students are 47.7% Hispanic or Latino, 27.3% African American, 18.2% White, 2.0% Asian, averaged across 10 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Columbia Heights Public School Dist?

Columbia Heights Public School Dist has an equity score of 68/100, ranking #76 out of 410 districts in Minnesota.