Enrollment
364
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Decatur, GA
Columbia Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Columbia Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130174000652
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Georgia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Georgia schools.
- #12 of 23
- schools in Decatur · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.7:1
- small classes for Georgia
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 91% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Elementary School ranks #12 of 23 schools in Decatur, GA.
School address
District: Dekalb County · Georgia
NCES ID 130174000652 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.7:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia Elementary School
Columbia Elementary School is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Decatur, Georgia, enrolling 364 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.7:1, Columbia Elementary School is leaner than roughly 91% of Georgia schools and 26% under the state's 14.4:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 65% above the Georgia average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 364 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 291 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #84.
Its student body is predominantly African American (89% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 243 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 53.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Decatur's public schools, it stands alongside Peachcrest Elementary School (729 students): Columbia Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.7:1 vs 15.8:1).
Dekalb County also operates Lakeside High School (2,234 students) and Dunwoody High School (2,012 students) alongside Columbia Elementary School.
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 School compares
Columbia Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Georgia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Georgia | Georgia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.7:1 | ▼ 26% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 65% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 364 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.7:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
364
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% above the Georgia average of 60.7%
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
10.7:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 9% in Georgia - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
53.3%
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
$15,594
per pupil, district-wide
- above Georgia avg of $13,863
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 243 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.1 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 89.0%
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
Two or More 3.8%
White 1.6%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 89.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.4, Columbia Elementary School is less mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dekalb County, which includes Columbia Elementary School.
$15,594
Per student
+12%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.6%
State 32.7%
Federal 15.7%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeside High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dunwoody High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chamblee High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cross Keys High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sequoyah Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbia Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,234
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,012
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,867
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,748
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,713
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar other schools in Decatur
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Peachcrest Elementary School
Standard public school
729 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Oakview Elementary
Standard public school
685 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Narvie Harris Elementary School
Standard public school
535 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Chapel Hill Elementary School
Standard public school
495 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Ronald E Mcnair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School
Standard public school
475 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Canby Lane Elementary School
Standard public school
446 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Georgia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~364 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Columbia Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Dekalb County'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 School
How many students attend Columbia Elementary School?
Columbia Elementary School has 364 students enrolled. It is a public school in Decatur, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia Elementary School is 10.7:1, which is 26% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 32% lower 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 School?
100.0% of students at Columbia Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Columbia Elementary School is African American at 89.0% of enrollment, in Decatur, GA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia Elementary School?
Columbia Elementary School 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 Elementary School rank among schools in Decatur?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Elementary School ranks #12 of 23 schools in Decatur, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Decatur on the city page.
Is Columbia Elementary School a good school?
Columbia Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Georgia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Georgia 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 Dekalb County?
Besides Columbia Elementary School, Dekalb County also operates Lakeside High School (2,234 students), Dunwoody High School (2,012 students), and Chamblee High School (1,867 students). See the Dekalb County 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.