Enrollment
215
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Columbia, LA
Union Central Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Union Central Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 220036000283
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Union Central Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of Louisiana schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- small classes for Louisiana
- 78.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Union Central Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 71% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Union Central Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Columbia, LA.
School address
District: Caldwell Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220036000283 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.8%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Union Central Elementary School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Union Central Elementary School
Union Central Elementary School is a high-poverty, small elementary school in Columbia, Louisiana, enrolling 215 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 78.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 215 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Against 183 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #101.
Its student body is predominantly White (80% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
12.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 23.9% 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 Elementary School (191 students): Union Central Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.3:1 vs 11.9:1).
Caldwell Parish also operates Caldwell Parish High School (398 students) and Caldwell Parish Junior High School (294 students) alongside Union Central 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 Union Central Elementary School compares
Union Central Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Louisiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Louisiana | Louisiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▼ 15% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.8% | ▲ 26% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 215 | top 87% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
215
Bigger than 21% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% above the Louisiana average of 62.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 29% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
12.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$17,040
per pupil, district-wide
- above Louisiana avg of $16,376
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.3 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 80.0%
African American 15.8%
Two or More 3.3%
Hispanic or Latino 0.9%
Largest group: White at 80.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.4, Union Central Elementary School is less mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Caldwell Parish, which includes Union Central Elementary School.
$17,040
Per student
+4%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.0%
State 48.1%
Federal 23.9%
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 Union Central Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caldwell Parish High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Caldwell Parish Junior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Grayson Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Columbia Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Union Central Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 398
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 294
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 212
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 191
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
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 Louisiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~215 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Union Central Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Union Central Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Caldwell Parish'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 Union Central Elementary School
How many students attend Union Central Elementary School?
Union Central Elementary School has 215 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Columbia, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Union Central Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Union Central Elementary School is 14.3:1, which is 15% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 9% 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 Union Central Elementary School?
78.8% of students at Union Central Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Union Central Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Union Central Elementary School is White at 80.0% of enrollment, in Columbia, LA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Union Central Elementary School?
Union Central Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Union Central Elementary School rank among public schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Union Central Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Columbia, LA. 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 Union Central Elementary School a good school?
Union Central Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of Louisiana 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 Caldwell Parish?
Besides Union Central Elementary School, Caldwell Parish also operates Caldwell Parish High School (398 students), Caldwell Parish Junior High School (294 students), and Grayson Elementary School (212 students). See the Caldwell Parish 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.