Enrollment
875
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Moses Lake, WA
Columbia Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Columbia Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 530522000785
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia Middle School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #10 of 11
- public schools in Moses Lake · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.6:1
- students per teacher
- 51.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia Middle School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Middle School ranks #10 of 11 public schools in Moses Lake, WA.
School address
District: Moses Lake School District · Washington
NCES ID 530522000785 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.6:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.3%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia Middle School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia Middle School
Columbia Middle School is a higher-need, large middle school in Moses Lake, Washington, enrolling 875 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 51.3% lands close to the Washington typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Washington, bigger than 91% of state schools at 875 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Among 215 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #163, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (48%) and White (45%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 438 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Moses Lake School District spends $15,641 per pupil, 20% below the Washington average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 46 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Moses Lake's middle schools, it stands alongside Endeavor Middle School (270 students): Columbia Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.6:1 vs 18:1).
Moses Lake School District also operates Moses Lake High School (1,856 students) and Frontier Middle School (690 students) alongside Columbia Middle 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 Middle School compares
Columbia Middle 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 | 18.6:1 | ▲ 6% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.3% | ▲ 14% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 875 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.6:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
875
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
18.6:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 69% in Washington - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.7%
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
$15,641
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 438 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
48
in-school suspensions + 82 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 46 expulsions.
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
Hispanic or Latino 48.3%
White 45.4%
Two or More 3.5%
African American 1.5%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.9, Columbia Middle School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Moses Lake School District, which includes Columbia Middle School.
$15,641
Per student
-20%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 12.8%
State 76.8%
Federal 10.4%
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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moses Lake High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Frontier Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Park Orchard Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Vicki I. Groff Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Vanguard Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbia Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,856
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 690
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 454
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 413
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 387
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 9/100
Similar middle schools in Moses Lake
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~875 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Columbia Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Moses Lake 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 Middle School
How many students attend Columbia Middle School?
Columbia Middle School has 875 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Moses Lake, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia Middle School is 18.6:1, which is 6% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Columbia Middle School?
51.3% of students at Columbia Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Columbia Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 48.3% of enrollment, in Moses Lake, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia Middle School?
Columbia Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Middle School rank among public schools in Moses Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Middle School ranks #10 of 11 public schools in Moses Lake, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Moses Lake on the city page.
Is Columbia Middle School a good school?
Columbia Middle School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington 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 Moses Lake School District?
Besides Columbia Middle School, Moses Lake School District also operates Moses Lake High School (1,856 students), Frontier Middle School (690 students), and Park Orchard Elementary School (454 students). See the Moses Lake 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.