Enrollment
406
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Brooklyn, MI
Columbia Upper Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Columbia Upper Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 260699004297
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia Upper Elementary School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Brooklyn · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.9:1
- students per teacher
- 44.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia Upper Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Upper Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Brooklyn, MI.
School address
District: Columbia School District · Michigan
NCES ID 260699004297 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia Upper Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia Upper Elementary School
Columbia Upper Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Brooklyn, Michigan, enrolling 406 students.
At 16.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Michigan median, within a few percentage points of the 17.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 44.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 406 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 742 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #427.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 406 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Columbia School District also operates Columbia Central High School (637 students) and Columbia Elementary School (307 students) alongside Columbia Upper 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 Upper Elementary School compares
Columbia Upper Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.9:1 | ▼ 3% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.0% | ▼ 19% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 406 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
406
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 52% in Michigan - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.8%
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
$11,762
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
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 406 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
21
in-school suspensions + 35 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.8 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 88.2%
Two or More 7.4%
Hispanic or Latino 3.4%
African American 0.5%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 88.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.5, Columbia Upper Elementary School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbia School District, which includes Columbia Upper Elementary School.
$11,762
Per student
-13%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.7%
State 49.6%
Federal 9.8%
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 Upper Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbia Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Columbia Alternative Education | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbia Upper Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 637
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 307
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 78
- Students per teacher
- 26:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~406 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia Upper Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Columbia Upper 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 Upper Elementary School
How many students attend Columbia Upper Elementary School?
Columbia Upper Elementary School has 406 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Brooklyn, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia Upper Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia Upper Elementary School is 16.9:1, which is 3% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 8% 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 Upper Elementary School?
44.0% of students at Columbia Upper Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia Upper Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Columbia Upper Elementary School is White at 88.2% of enrollment, in Brooklyn, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia Upper Elementary School?
Columbia Upper Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower 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 Upper Elementary School rank among public schools in Brooklyn?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Upper Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Brooklyn, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Brooklyn on the city page.
Is Columbia Upper Elementary School a good school?
Columbia Upper Elementary School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan 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 Upper Elementary School, Columbia School District also operates Columbia Central High School (637 students), Columbia Elementary School (307 students), and Columbia Alternative Education (78 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.