Enrollment
191
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Columbia, LA
Columbia Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Columbia Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 64/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 220036000284
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia Elementary School earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% of Louisiana schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 64
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.9:1
- small classes for Louisiana
- 55.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 87% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Columbia, LA.
School address
District: Caldwell Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220036000284 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.9%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia Elementary School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia Elementary School
Columbia Elementary School is a higher-need, small elementary school in Columbia, Louisiana, enrolling 191 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.9:1, Columbia Elementary School is leaner than roughly 87% of Louisiana schools and 29% under the state's 16.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 55.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 191 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 94% of the 1,330 Louisiana schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 84 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #11.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 31/100).
12.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 23.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Columbia's elementary schools, it stands alongside Union Central Elementary School (215 students): Columbia Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.9:1 vs 14.3:1).
Caldwell Parish also operates Caldwell Parish High School (398 students) and Caldwell Parish Junior High School (294 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 Louisiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Louisiana | Louisiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.9:1 | ▼ 29% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.9% | ▼ 11% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 191 | top 89% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.9:1
Leaner classes than 76% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
191
Bigger than 19% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% below the Louisiana average of 62.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.9:1
students per teacher
- 29% below state mean
Top 13% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 87% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
12.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$17,040
per pupil, district-wide
- above Louisiana avg of $16,376
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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
White 81.7%
African American 15.2%
Two or More 2.1%
Hispanic or Latino 1.0%
Largest group: White at 81.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.9, Columbia Elementary School is less mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Caldwell Parish, which includes Columbia Elementary School.
$17,040
Per student
+4%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.0%
State 48.1%
Federal 23.9%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caldwell Parish High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Caldwell Parish Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Union Central Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Grayson Elementary School | Similar size | Higher 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
- 398
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 294
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 215
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 212
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
Similar elementary schools in Columbia
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Louisiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~191 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Columbia Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Caldwell Parish'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 191 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Columbia, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia Elementary School is 11.9:1, which is 29% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 24% 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?
55.9% of students at Columbia Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Columbia Elementary School is White at 81.7% of enrollment, in Columbia, LA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia Elementary School?
Columbia Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 64/100 (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 public schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Columbia, LA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Columbia on the city page.
Is Columbia Elementary School a good school?
Columbia Elementary School earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% of Louisiana 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 Caldwell Parish?
Besides Columbia Elementary School, Caldwell Parish also operates Caldwell Parish High School (398 students), Caldwell Parish Junior High School (294 students), and Union Central Elementary School (215 students). See the Caldwell Parish 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.