Enrollment
511
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Columbia, PA
Park El Sch
Federal NCES profile for Park El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 420636006998
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Park El Sch earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Pennsylvania schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.4:1
- students per teacher
- 71.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Park El Sch has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Park El Sch ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Columbia, PA.
School address
District: Columbia Borough Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420636006998 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.1%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Park El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Park El Sch
Park El Sch is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Columbia, Pennsylvania, enrolling 511 students.
At 13.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Pennsylvania median, within a few percentage points of the 13.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 71.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 511 students, its enrollment sits close to the Pennsylvania median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 2,889 Pennsylvania schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 134 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #120, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (44%) and White (34%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 511 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Columbia's elementary schools, it stands alongside Columbia Ms Taylor Campus (202 students): Park El Sch is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.4:1 vs 14.4:1).
Columbia Borough Sd also operates Columbia Hs (397 students) and Columbia Ms Taylor Campus (202 students) alongside Park El Sch.
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 Park El Sch compares
Park El Sch on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.4:1 | ▼ 1% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.1% | ▲ 22% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 511 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
511
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% above the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 51% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.6%
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
$17,384
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 511 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.2 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
Hispanic or Latino 44.4%
White 34.1%
Two or More 11.9%
African American 8.0%
Asian 1.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.6, Park El Sch is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbia Borough Sd, which includes Park El Sch.
$17,384
Per student
-3%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.9%
State 44.5%
Federal 17.6%
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 Park El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Hs | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Columbia Ms Taylor Campus | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Columbia Ms Hill Campus | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Park El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 397
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 202
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 202
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar elementary schools in Columbia
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Pennsylvania, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~511 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Park El Sch's federal record.
- Compare Park El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Columbia Borough Sd'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 Park El Sch
How many students attend Park El Sch?
Park El Sch has 511 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Columbia, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Park El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Park El Sch is 13.4:1, which is 1% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 15% 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 Park El Sch?
71.1% of students at Park El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Park El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Park El Sch is Hispanic or Latino at 44.4% of enrollment, in Columbia, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Park El Sch?
Park El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (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 Park El Sch rank among public schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Park El Sch ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Columbia, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Columbia on the city page.
Is Park El Sch a good school?
Park El Sch earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Pennsylvania 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 Columbia Borough Sd?
Besides Park El Sch, Columbia Borough Sd also operates Columbia Hs (397 students), Columbia Ms Taylor Campus (202 students), and Columbia Ms Hill Campus (202 students). See the Columbia Borough Sd 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.