Enrollment
353
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Trenton, NJ
Columbus Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Columbus Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 341629003216
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 6
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbus Elementary School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of New Jersey schools.
- #17 of 17
- elementary schools in Trenton · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.6:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 69.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbus Elementary School has class sizes larger than 98% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus Elementary School ranks #17 of 17 elementary schools in Trenton, NJ.
School address
District: Trenton Public School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341629003216 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+66% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.9%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+136% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbus Elementary School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbus Elementary School
Columbus Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Trenton, New Jersey, enrolling 353 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.6:1 is larger than about 98% of New Jersey schools and 66% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 69.9% of students qualify for free meals, 136% above the New Jersey average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 353 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Jersey median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 2,501 New Jersey schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 161 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #157, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (41%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 353 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Trenton's elementary schools, it stands alongside Clara Parker Elementary School (583 students): Columbus Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.6:1 vs 14.6:1).
Trenton Public School District also operates Trenton Central High School - Main Campus (2,097 students) and Trenton Central High School-9th Grade Academy (890 students) alongside Columbus 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 Columbus Elementary School compares
Columbus Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against New Jersey and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New Jersey | New Jersey avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.6:1 | ▲ 66% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.9% | ▲ 136% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 353 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
353
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 136% above the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 66% above state mean
Top 98% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
37.7%
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
$22,017
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Jersey avg of $24,984
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 353 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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
African American 54.1%
Hispanic or Latino 41.1%
Two or More 3.7%
White 0.6%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: African American at 54.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.7, Columbus Elementary School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Trenton Public School District, which includes Columbus Elementary School.
$22,017
Per student
-12%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 5.9%
State 82.1%
Federal 12.0%
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 Columbus Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton Central High School - Main Campus | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Trenton Central High School-9th Grade Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Daylight/Twilight High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dunn Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hedgepeth Williams Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbus Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,097
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 890
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 756
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 703
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 668
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Trenton
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Clara Parker Elementary School
Standard public school
583 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Joyce Kilmer Elementary School
Standard public school
546 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Luis Munoz-Rivera Elementary School
Standard public school
468 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Stokes Elementary School
Standard public school
347 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Jefferson Elementary
Standard public school
329 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New Jersey, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~353 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbus Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Columbus Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Trenton Public 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 Columbus Elementary School
How many students attend Columbus Elementary School?
Columbus Elementary School has 353 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Trenton, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbus Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbus Elementary School is 19.6:1, which is 66% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Columbus Elementary School?
69.9% of students at Columbus Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbus Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Columbus Elementary School is African American at 54.1% of enrollment, in Trenton, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbus Elementary School?
Columbus Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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 Columbus Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Trenton?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus Elementary School ranks #17 of 17 elementary schools in Trenton, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Trenton on the city page.
Is Columbus Elementary School a good school?
Columbus Elementary School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of New Jersey 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 Trenton Public School District?
Besides Columbus Elementary School, Trenton Public School District also operates Trenton Central High School - Main Campus (2,097 students), Trenton Central High School-9th Grade Academy (890 students), and Daylight/Twilight High School (756 students). See the Trenton Public 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.