Enrollment
525
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbus, OH
Starling Pk-8
Federal NCES profile for Starling Pk-8, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 390438000617
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Starling Pk-8 earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Ohio median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Ohio schools.
- #72 of 88
- schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.1:1
- students per teacher
- 525
- students enrolled
Starling Pk-8 has class sizes near the Ohio median. Computed live against every Ohio school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Starling Pk-8 ranks #72 of 88 schools in Columbus, OH.
School address
District: Columbus City Schools District · Ohio
NCES ID 390438000617 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 18.2:1 Ohio avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Starling Pk-8 compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
What stands out at Starling Pk-8
Starling Pk-8 is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Columbus, Ohio, enrolling 525 students.
At 18.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Ohio median, within a few percentage points of the 18.2:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Enrollment of 525 puts it in the larger third of Ohio schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,574 scored Ohio schools.
Its student body is led by African American (49%) and White (33%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 525 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 87.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Columbus City Schools District spends $20,324 per pupil, 39% above the Ohio average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 262 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 525 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 10 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Columbus's public schools, it stands alongside Kipp Columbus (1,945 students): Starling Pk-8 is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.1:1 vs 17.4:1).
Columbus City Schools District also operates Northland High School (1,029 students) and Whetstone High School (1,017 students) alongside Starling Pk-8.
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 Starling Pk-8 compares
Starling Pk-8 on the metrics families compare, against Ohio and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Ohio | Ohio avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.1:1 | ▼ 1% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 525 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.1:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
525
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
18.1:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 58% in Ohio - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
87.4%
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
$20,324
per pupil, district-wide
- above Ohio avg of $14,655
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 525 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
101
in-school suspensions + 161 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 49.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 10 expulsions.
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 49.1%
White 32.6%
Two or More 9.9%
Hispanic or Latino 7.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: African American at 49.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.7, Starling Pk-8 is more mixed than the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbus City Schools District, which includes Starling Pk-8.
$20,324
Per student
+39%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
+22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.4%
State 19.7%
Federal 18.9%
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 Starling Pk-8 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northland High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Whetstone High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Briggs High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| South High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Independence High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Starling Pk-8's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,029
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,017
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 956
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 873
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 852
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools in Columbus
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Kipp Columbus
Standard public school
1,945 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Great River Connections Academy
Standard public school
1,608 students 26.4:1 students per teacher
South High School
Standard public school
873 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Metro Early College High School
Standard public school
869 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Columbus Preparatory Academy
Standard public school
797 students 17:1 students per teacher
Linden-Mckinley Stem Academy
Standard public school
795 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Ohio, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~525 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Starling Pk-8's federal record.
- Compare Starling Pk-8 against another school. Compare schools
- Columbus City Schools 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 Starling Pk-8
How many students attend Starling Pk-8?
Starling Pk-8 has 525 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbus, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Starling Pk-8?
The student-teacher ratio at Starling Pk-8 is 18.1:1, which is 1% lower than the Ohio average of 18.2:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Starling Pk-8?
The largest demographic group at Starling Pk-8 is African American at 49.1% of enrollment, in Columbus, OH. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Starling Pk-8?
Starling Pk-8 has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (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 Starling Pk-8 rank among schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, Starling Pk-8 ranks #72 of 88 schools in Columbus, OH. 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 Starling Pk-8 a good school?
Starling Pk-8 earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Ohio median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Ohio 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 Columbus City Schools District?
Besides Starling Pk-8, Columbus City Schools District also operates Northland High School (1,029 students), Whetstone High School (1,017 students), and Briggs High School (956 students). See the Columbus City Schools 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.