Enrollment
216
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · St Louis, MO
Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr.
Federal NCES profile for Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 292928002693
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 57
📋 Attendance 12
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr. earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Missouri schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #15 of 65
- schools in St Louis · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.4:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 98.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr. has class sizes larger than 74% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr. ranks #15 of 65 schools in St Louis, MO.
School address
District: St. Louis City · Missouri
NCES ID 292928002693 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.6%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+114% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr.
Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr. is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in St Louis, Missouri, enrolling 216 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 98.6% of students qualify for free meals, 114% above the Missouri average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 216 puts it in the smaller third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 147 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #52.
Its student body is predominantly African American (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 5/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 216 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding St. Louis City spends $17,843 per pupil, 38% above the Missouri average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
St. Louis City also operates Gateway High (860 students) and Roosevelt High (734 students) alongside Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr..
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 Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr. compares
Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr. on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.4:1 | ▲ 12% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.6% | ▲ 114% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 216 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.4:1
Leaner classes than 53% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
216
Bigger than 21% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 114% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.4:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 74% in Missouri - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
35.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,843
per pupil, district-wide
- above Missouri avg of $12,931
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 216 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
African American 97.7%
Hispanic or Latino 1.9%
Two or More 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 97.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 4.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 4.5, Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr. is less mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for St. Louis City, which includes Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr..
$17,843
Per student
+38%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 78.0%
State 5.8%
Federal 16.2%
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 Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Vashon High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mckinley Class. Leadership Ac. | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Stix Early Childhood Ctr. | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 860
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 734
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 621
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 610
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 472
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Missouri, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~216 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr.'s federal record.
- Compare Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr. against another school. Compare schools
- St. Louis City'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 Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr.
How many students attend Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr.?
Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr. has 216 students enrolled. It is a public school in St Louis, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr.?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr. is 14.4:1, which is 12% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr.?
98.6% of students at Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr.?
The largest demographic group at Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr. is African American at 97.7% of enrollment, in St Louis, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr.?
Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr. has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical 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 Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr. rank among schools in St Louis?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr. ranks #15 of 65 schools in St Louis, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in St Louis on the city page.
Is Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr. a good school?
Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr. earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Missouri schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools. 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 St. Louis City?
Besides Columbia Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr., St. Louis City also operates Gateway High (860 students), Roosevelt High (734 students), and Vashon High (621 students). See the St. Louis City 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.