Enrollment
448
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbia, MS
Columbia Primary School
Federal NCES profile for Columbia Primary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 280117000150
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia Primary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.4:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia Primary School has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Primary School ranks #1 of 3 schools in Columbia, MS.
School address
District: Columbia School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280117000150 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia Primary School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia Primary School
Columbia Primary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Columbia, Mississippi, enrolling 448 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.4:1 puts it in the smaller 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 448 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 259 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #60.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and African American (40%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 448 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.8% 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.
Among Columbia's public schools, it stands alongside East Marion Elementary School (298 students): Columbia Primary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.4:1 vs 9.6:1).
Columbia School District also operates Columbia High School (484 students) and Columbia Elementary School (378 students) alongside Columbia Primary 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 Primary School compares
Columbia Primary 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 | 12.4:1 | ▼ 7% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 448 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
448
Bigger than 55% 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
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 37% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
15.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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 448 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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 51.1%
African American 40.4%
Two or More 5.1%
Hispanic or Latino 2.7%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 51.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.2, Columbia Primary 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 Primary 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 Primary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbia Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbia Primary 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
- 378
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 329
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar other schools in Columbia
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~448 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia Primary School's federal record.
- Compare Columbia Primary 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 Primary School
How many students attend Columbia Primary School?
Columbia Primary School has 448 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbia, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia Primary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia Primary School is 12.4:1, which is 7% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 21% 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 Primary School?
100.0% of students at Columbia Primary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia Primary School?
The largest demographic group at Columbia Primary School is White at 51.1% of enrollment, in Columbia, MS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia Primary School?
Columbia Primary School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Primary School rank among schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Primary School ranks #1 of 3 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 schools in Columbia on the city page.
Is Columbia Primary School a good school?
Columbia Primary School earns 48/100 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 Primary School, Columbia School District also operates Columbia High School (484 students), Columbia Elementary School (378 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.