Enrollment
480
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ephrata, WA
Columbia Ridge Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Columbia Ridge Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 530261000384
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 4
📋 Attendance 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia Ridge Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Ephrata · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.6:1
- students per teacher
- 56.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia Ridge Elementary has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Ridge Elementary ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Ephrata, WA.
School address
District: Ephrata School District · Washington
NCES ID 530261000384 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.0%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia Ridge Elementary compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia Ridge Elementary
Columbia Ridge Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Ephrata, Washington, enrolling 480 students.
At 16.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Washington median, within a few percentage points of the 17.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 56.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 480 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 484 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #234.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (48%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 480 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Ephrata School District spends $13,870 per pupil, 29% below the Washington average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Ephrata School District also operates Ephrata High School (886 students) and Grant Elementary (466 students) alongside Columbia Ridge Elementary.
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 Ridge Elementary compares
Columbia Ridge Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.6:1 | ▼ 6% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.0% | ▲ 24% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 480 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
480
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% 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
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 52% in Washington - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
12.1%
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
$13,870
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 480 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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.
Student demographics
White 49.0%
Hispanic or Latino 47.9%
Two or More 1.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 49.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.0, Columbia Ridge Elementary is about as mixed as the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ephrata School District, which includes Columbia Ridge Elementary.
$13,870
Per student
-29%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 8.4%
State 82.6%
Federal 8.9%
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 Ridge Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ephrata High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Grant Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ephrata Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parkway School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tiger Cubs Eceap | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbia Ridge Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 886
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 461
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 407
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 83
- Students per teacher
- 83:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
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 (~480 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia Ridge Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Columbia Ridge Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Ephrata 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 Ridge Elementary
How many students attend Columbia Ridge Elementary?
Columbia Ridge Elementary has 480 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ephrata, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia Ridge Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia Ridge Elementary is 16.6:1, which is 6% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 6% higher 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 Ridge Elementary?
56.0% of students at Columbia Ridge Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia Ridge Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Columbia Ridge Elementary is White at 49.0% of enrollment, in Ephrata, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia Ridge Elementary?
Columbia Ridge Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Ridge Elementary rank among public schools in Ephrata?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Ridge Elementary ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Ephrata, 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 Ephrata on the city page.
Is Columbia Ridge Elementary a good school?
Columbia Ridge Elementary earns 44/100 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 Ephrata School District?
Besides Columbia Ridge Elementary, Ephrata School District also operates Ephrata High School (886 students), Grant Elementary (466 students), and Ephrata Middle School (461 students). See the Ephrata 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.