Enrollment
378
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Columbia, MS
Columbia Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Columbia Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 280117000148
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia Elementary School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median.
- #1 of 6
- public schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia Elementary School has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Elementary School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Columbia, MS.
School address
District: Columbia School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280117000148 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia Elementary School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia Elementary School
Columbia Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Columbia, Mississippi, enrolling 378 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14:1 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the Mississippi typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 378 students, its enrollment sits close to the Mississippi median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 312 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #49.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and African American (40%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 378 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
11.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 28.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 81 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 378 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Columbia School District also operates Columbia High School (484 students) and Columbia Primary School (448 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 Mississippi and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14:1 | ▲ 5% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 378 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
378
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% above the Mississippi average of 80.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 65% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
11.6%
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
$11,995
per pupil, district-wide
- above Mississippi avg of $11,990
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 378 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
26
in-school suspensions + 55 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.4 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
White 53.4%
African American 40.2%
Two or More 4.2%
Hispanic or Latino 1.6%
Asian 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 53.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.1, Columbia Elementary School is more mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbia School District, which includes Columbia Elementary School.
$11,995
Per student
+0%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.3%
State 41.7%
Federal 28.1%
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 High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbia Primary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower 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
- 484
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 448
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 329
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Mississippi, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~378 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
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 378 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Columbia, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia Elementary School is 14:1, which is 5% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
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 Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Columbia Elementary School is White at 53.4% of enrollment, in Columbia, MS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia Elementary School?
Columbia Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher 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 Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Elementary School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Columbia, MS. 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 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median. 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 High School (484 students), Columbia Primary School (448 students), and Jefferson Middle School (329 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.