Enrollment
705
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bloomsburg, PA
Central Columbia El Sch
Federal NCES profile for Central Columbia El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 420537007260
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Columbia El Sch earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median.
- #1 of 5
- elementary schools in Bloomsburg · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.6:1
- students per teacher
- 35.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Columbia El Sch has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Columbia El Sch ranks #1 of 5 elementary schools in Bloomsburg, PA.
School address
District: Central Columbia Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420537007260 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
52.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.1%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Columbia El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Columbia El Sch
Central Columbia El Sch is a mid-sized elementary school in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, enrolling 705 students.
At 13.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Pennsylvania median, within a few percentage points of the 13.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 35.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 705 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 562 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #193.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 353 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
16.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Bloomsburg's elementary schools, it stands alongside Central Columbia Ms (587 students): Central Columbia El Sch is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.6:1 vs 16.3:1).
Central Columbia Sd also operates Central Columbia Shs (601 students) and Central Columbia Ms (587 students) alongside Central Columbia El Sch.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Central Columbia El Sch compares
Central Columbia El Sch on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.6:1 | ▼ 0% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.1% | ▼ 40% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 705 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.6:1
Leaner classes than 61% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
705
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.6:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 55% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$16,186
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 353 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 90.4%
Two or More 4.0%
Hispanic or Latino 2.8%
Asian 2.1%
African American 0.7%
Largest group: White at 90.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.0, Central Columbia El Sch is less mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central Columbia Sd, which includes Central Columbia El Sch.
$16,186
Per student
-10%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.8%
State 35.1%
Federal 9.1%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Central Columbia El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Columbia Shs | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Columbia Ms | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Columbia El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 601
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 587
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar elementary schools in Bloomsburg
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Central Columbia Ms
Standard public school
587 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Memorial El Sch
Standard public school
405 students 10.9:1 students per teacher
W W Evans Memorial El Sch
Standard public school
250 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Beaver-Main El Sch
Standard public school
95 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Pennsylvania, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~705 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Columbia El Sch's federal record.
- Compare Central Columbia El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Central Columbia Sd's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Central Columbia El Sch
How many students attend Central Columbia El Sch?
Central Columbia El Sch has 705 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bloomsburg, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Columbia El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Columbia El Sch is 13.6:1, which is 0% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Columbia El Sch?
35.1% of students at Central Columbia El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Columbia El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Central Columbia El Sch is White at 90.4% of enrollment, in Bloomsburg, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Columbia El Sch?
Central Columbia El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Central Columbia El Sch rank among elementary schools in Bloomsburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Columbia El Sch ranks #1 of 5 elementary schools in Bloomsburg, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Bloomsburg on the city page.
Is Central Columbia El Sch a good school?
Central Columbia El Sch earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Central Columbia Sd?
Besides Central Columbia El Sch, Central Columbia Sd also operates Central Columbia Shs (601 students) and Central Columbia Ms (587 students). See the Central Columbia Sd district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.