Enrollment
335
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Wenatchee, WA
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 530966001630
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 50
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 smaller than 91% of Washington schools.
- #2 of 7
- elementary schools in Wenatchee · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.6:1
- small classes for Washington
- 62.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 91% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Elementary School ranks #2 of 7 elementary schools in Wenatchee, WA.
School address
District: Wenatchee School District · Washington
NCES ID 530966001630 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.6:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.7%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia Elementary School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia Elementary School
Columbia Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Wenatchee, Washington, enrolling 335 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.6:1, Columbia Elementary School is leaner than roughly 91% of Washington schools and 34% under the state's 17.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 62.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 335 students, its enrollment sits close to the Washington median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 352 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #92.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 335 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 17.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Wenatchee's elementary schools, it stands alongside Valley Academy of Learning K-8 (188 students): Columbia Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.6:1 vs 31.3:1).
Wenatchee School District also operates Wenatchee High School (2,066 students) and Abraham Lincoln Elementary (604 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 Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.6:1 | ▼ 34% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.7% | ▲ 39% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 335 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.6:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
335
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.6:1
students per teacher
- 34% below state mean
Top 9% in Washington - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
20.0%
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
$16,612
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 335 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.3 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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wenatchee School District, which includes Columbia Elementary School.
$16,612
Per student
-15%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.7%
State 67.7%
Federal 17.6%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wenatchee High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Abraham Lincoln Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Foothills Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pioneer 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
- 2,066
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 604
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 567
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 554
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 488
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar elementary schools in Wenatchee
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 Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~335 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Columbia Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Wenatchee 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 335 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Wenatchee, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia Elementary School is 11.6:1, which is 34% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 26% 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?
62.7% of students at Columbia Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
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 elementary schools in Wenatchee?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Elementary School ranks #2 of 7 elementary schools in Wenatchee, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Wenatchee 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 smaller than 91% of Washington 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 Wenatchee School District?
Besides Columbia Elementary School, Wenatchee School District also operates Wenatchee High School (2,066 students), Abraham Lincoln Elementary (604 students), and Foothills Middle School (567 students). See the Wenatchee 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.