Enrollment
325
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Rochester, IN
Columbia Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Columbia Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180963001574
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia Elementary School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Indiana schools.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Rochester · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13:1
- small classes for Indiana
- 54.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 80% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 schools in Rochester, IN.
School address
District: Rochester Community School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180963001574 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.7%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia Elementary School
Columbia Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Rochester, Indiana, enrolling 325 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13:1 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 54.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 325 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 412 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #57.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Rochester's public schools, it stands alongside Rochester Community High School (567 students): Columbia Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13:1 vs 11.8:1).
Rochester Community School Corp also operates Rochester Community High School (567 students) and Rochester Community Middle School (353 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 Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13:1 | ▼ 18% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.7% | ▲ 11% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 325 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
325
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% above the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 20% in Indiana - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
19.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,191
per pupil, district-wide
- above Indiana avg of $12,079
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 86.2%
Two or More 5.8%
Hispanic or Latino 4.3%
Asian 1.8%
African American 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 86.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.1, Columbia Elementary School is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rochester Community School Corp, which includes Columbia Elementary School.
$14,191
Per student
+17%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.5%
State 57.9%
Federal 8.7%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester Community High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rochester Community Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| George M Riddle Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar 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
- 567
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 353
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 348
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
Similar other schools in Rochester
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Indiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~325 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Columbia Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Rochester Community School Corp'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 325 students enrolled. It is a public school in Rochester, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia Elementary School is 13:1, which is 18% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 17% 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?
54.7% of students at Columbia Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Columbia Elementary School is White at 86.2% of enrollment, in Rochester, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia Elementary School?
Columbia Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Columbia Elementary School rank among schools in Rochester?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 schools in Rochester, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Rochester on the city page.
Is Columbia Elementary School a good school?
Columbia Elementary School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Indiana 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 Rochester Community School Corp?
Besides Columbia Elementary School, Rochester Community School Corp also operates Rochester Community High School (567 students), Rochester Community Middle School (353 students), and George M Riddle Elementary School (348 students). See the Rochester Community School Corp 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.