Enrollment
704
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Perris, CA
Columbia Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Columbia Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 069113511045
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #14 of 16
- elementary schools in Perris · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 28.2:1
- large classes for California
- 85.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia Elementary has class sizes larger than 93% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Elementary ranks #14 of 16 elementary schools in Perris, CA.
School address
District: Val Verde Unified · California
NCES ID 069113511045 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
28.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
85.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+54% 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 high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Perris, California, enrolling 704 students.
Class loads run heavy: 28.2:1 is larger than about 93% of California schools and 31% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 85.7% of students qualify for free meals, 54% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 704 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.
Among 1,530 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,159, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 9/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 704 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Perris's elementary schools, it stands alongside Triple Crown Elementary (971 students): Columbia Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (28.2:1 vs 27:1).
Val Verde Unified also operates Orange Vista High (2,396 students) and Rancho Verde High (2,101 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 | 28.2:1 | ▲ 31% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 85.7% | ▲ 54% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 704 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
28.2:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
704
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
85.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% above the California average of 55.5%
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
28.2:1
students per teacher
- 31% above state mean
Top 93% in California - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
45.9%
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
$15,880
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 704 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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
Hispanic or Latino 95.3%
White 2.6%
African American 1.3%
Two or More 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 95.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.1, Columbia Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Val Verde Unified, which includes Columbia Elementary.
$15,880
Per student
-4%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.4%
State 67.8%
Federal 17.7%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange Vista High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rancho Verde High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Citrus Hill High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lakeside Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tomas Rivera Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower 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
- 2,396
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 2,101
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,630
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,076
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,014
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
Similar elementary schools in Perris
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Triple Crown Elementary
Standard public school
971 students 27:1 students per teacher
Innovative Horizons Charter
Standard public school
894 students 21.3:1 students per teacher
Sierra Vista Elementary
Standard public school
867 students 22.8:1 students per teacher
May Ranch Elementary
Standard public school
848 students 24.9:1 students per teacher
Mead Valley Elementary
Standard public school
788 students 27.2:1 students per teacher
Sky View Elementary
Standard public school
725 students 24.2:1 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 (~704 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Columbia Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Val Verde Unified'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 704 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Perris, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia Elementary is 28.2:1, which is 31% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 80% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Columbia Elementary?
85.7% 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 95.3% of enrollment, in Perris, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia Elementary?
Columbia Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (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 Perris?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Elementary ranks #14 of 16 elementary schools in Perris, 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 Perris on the city page.
Is Columbia Elementary a good school?
Columbia Elementary earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Val Verde Unified?
Besides Columbia Elementary, Val Verde Unified also operates Orange Vista High (2,396 students), Rancho Verde High (2,101 students), and Citrus Hill High (1,630 students). See the Val Verde Unified 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.