Enrollment
601
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bakersfield, CA
Columbia Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Columbia Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061470004514
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 70% of California schools.
- #74 of 97
- elementary schools in Bakersfield · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.4:1
- small classes for California
- 48.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia Elementary has class sizes smaller than 70% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Elementary ranks #74 of 97 elementary schools in Bakersfield, CA.
School address
District: Fruitvale Elementary · California
NCES ID 061470004514 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia Elementary
Columbia Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Bakersfield, California, enrolling 601 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 48.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 601 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,457 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #924.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (53%) and White (31%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1202 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Fruitvale Elementary spends $12,693 per pupil, 23% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Bakersfield's elementary schools, it stands alongside Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8 (1,151 students): Columbia Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.4:1 vs 25.6:1).
Fruitvale Elementary also operates Endeavour Elementary (724 students) and Discovery Elementary (706 students) alongside Columbia Elementary.
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 Elementary compares
Columbia Elementary on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.4:1 | ▼ 10% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.6% | ▼ 12% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 601 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.4:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
601
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.4:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 30% in California - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.6%
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
$12,693
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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
Hispanic or Latino 53.2%
White 31.1%
Asian 6.5%
Two or More 4.0%
African American 3.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 53.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.3, Columbia Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fruitvale Elementary, which includes Columbia Elementary.
$12,693
Per student
-23%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.6%
State 64.5%
Federal 10.9%
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 Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Endeavour Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Discovery Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fruitvale Junior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Quailwood Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbia Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 724
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 706
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 693
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 345
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar elementary schools in Bakersfield
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8
Standard public school
1,151 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Veterans Elementary
Standard public school
1,002 students 27.8:1 students per teacher
Douglas J. Miller Elementary
Standard public school
994 students 29.2:1 students per teacher
Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary
Standard public school
960 students 24:1 students per teacher
Berkshire Elementary
Standard public school
932 students 28.2:1 students per teacher
Patriot Elementary
Standard public school
931 students 23.3:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~601 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Columbia Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Fruitvale Elementary'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 Elementary
How many students attend Columbia Elementary?
Columbia Elementary has 601 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia Elementary is 19.4:1, which is 10% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Columbia Elementary?
48.6% of students at Columbia Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Columbia Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 53.2% of enrollment, in Bakersfield, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia Elementary?
Columbia Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower 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 Elementary rank among elementary schools in Bakersfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Elementary ranks #74 of 97 elementary schools in Bakersfield, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Bakersfield on the city page.
Is Columbia Elementary a good school?
Columbia Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 70% of California 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 Fruitvale Elementary?
Besides Columbia Elementary, Fruitvale Elementary also operates Endeavour Elementary (724 students), Discovery Elementary (706 students), and Fruitvale Junior High (693 students). See the Fruitvale Elementary 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.