Enrollment
382
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbus, GA
Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy
Federal NCES profile for Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130387001388
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Georgia schools.
- #8 of 17
- schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.4:1
- large classes for Georgia
- 96.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy has class sizes larger than 87% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy ranks #8 of 17 schools in Columbus, GA.
School address
District: Muscogee County · Georgia
NCES ID 130387001388 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
96.6%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy
Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Columbus, Georgia, enrolling 382 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.4:1 is larger than about 87% of Georgia schools and 21% above the 14.4:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 96.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 382 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 340 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #184.
Its student body is led by African American (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (9%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 382 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 18.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Columbus's public schools, it stands alongside North Columbus Elementary (737 students): Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.4:1 vs 15.7:1).
Muscogee County also operates Northside High School (1,405 students) and Shaw High School (1,162 students) alongside Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy.
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 Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy compares
Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy on the metrics families compare, against Georgia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Georgia | Georgia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.4:1 | ▲ 21% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.6% | ▲ 59% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 382 | top 83% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
382
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
96.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% above the Georgia average of 60.7%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 87% in Georgia - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.9%
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
$12,762
per pupil, district-wide
- below Georgia avg of $13,863
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 382 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 37 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.7 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 79.1%
Hispanic or Latino 8.9%
Two or More 6.8%
White 4.5%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 79.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.0, Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy is less mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Muscogee County, which includes Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy.
$12,762
Per student
-8%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.8%
State 43.0%
Federal 18.2%
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 Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northside High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Shaw High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Columbus High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hardaway High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jordan Vocational High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,405
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,162
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,161
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 1,067
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,040
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other schools in Columbus
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
North Columbus Elementary
Standard public school
737 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Eagle Ridge Academy
Standard public school
658 students 14:1 students per teacher
Clubview Elementary School
Standard public school
566 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Double Churches Elementary School
Standard public school
472 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
River Road Elementary School
Standard public school
454 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Rigdon Road Elementary School
Standard public school
437 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Georgia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~382 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy's federal record.
- Compare Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Muscogee County'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 Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy
How many students attend Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy?
Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy has 382 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbus, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy is 17.4:1, which is 21% higher than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy?
96.6% of students at Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy?
The largest demographic group at Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy is African American at 79.1% of enrollment, in Columbus, GA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy?
Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy rank among schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy ranks #8 of 17 schools in Columbus, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Columbus on the city page.
Is Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy a good school?
Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Georgia 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 Muscogee County?
Besides Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy, Muscogee County also operates Northside High School (1,405 students), Shaw High School (1,162 students), and Columbus High School (1,161 students). See the Muscogee County 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.