Enrollment
307
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Brooklyn, MI
Columbia Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Columbia Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260699004296
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia Elementary School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of Michigan schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Brooklyn · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.8:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 45.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 84% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Brooklyn, MI.
School address
District: Columbia School District · Michigan
NCES ID 260699004296 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia Elementary School
Columbia Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Brooklyn, Michigan, enrolling 307 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 45.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 307 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 624 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #152.
Its student body is predominantly White (94% of enrollment) (diversity index 12/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 307 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Columbia School District also operates Columbia Central High School (637 students) and Columbia Upper Elementary School (406 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 Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.8:1 | ▼ 27% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.8% | ▼ 16% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 307 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.8:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
307
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.8:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 16% in Michigan - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
33.6%
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
$11,762
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 307 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.2 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 93.5%
Hispanic or Latino 3.6%
Two or More 2.9%
Largest group: White at 93.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.4, Columbia Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbia School District, which includes Columbia Elementary School.
$11,762
Per student
-13%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.7%
State 49.6%
Federal 9.8%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Central High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbia Upper Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbia Alternative Education | Smaller | Higher 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
- 637
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 406
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 78
- Students per teacher
- 26:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~307 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Columbia Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Columbia School District'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 307 students enrolled. It is a public school in Brooklyn, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia Elementary School is 12.8:1, which is 27% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 18% 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?
45.8% of students at Columbia Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Columbia Elementary School is White at 93.5% of enrollment, in Brooklyn, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia Elementary School?
Columbia Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 public schools in Brooklyn?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Brooklyn, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Brooklyn on the city page.
Is Columbia Elementary School a good school?
Columbia Elementary School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of Michigan 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 Columbia School District?
Besides Columbia Elementary School, Columbia School District also operates Columbia Central High School (637 students), Columbia Upper Elementary School (406 students), and Columbia Alternative Education (78 students). See the Columbia School District 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.