Is Columbia Elementary a good school?

Columbia Elementary ranks in the bottom 9.7% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Columbia Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 543 students attended Columbia Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Columbia Elementary?

Students at Columbia Elementary are 75% Hispanic, 13% African American, 8% Asian, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Columbia Elementary attend?

Students who attend Columbia Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Rutherford B. Gaston Senior Middle High : Edison High

Columbia Elementary

Summary:

Columbia Elementary is a public elementary school in Fresno, California, serving 543 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the Fresno Unified School District, which has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Columbia Elementary faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates that have risen from 16.4% in 2017-2018 to 58.2% in 2021-2022, well above the district and state averages. Academically, the school consistently performs below the Fresno Unified and California state averages in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics across all grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, only 17.22% of Columbia Elementary students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 34.72% for Fresno Unified and 47.04% for California. The school's performance for specific student subgroups, such as African American, Hispanic, and English Language Learner students, is also significantly lower than the state averages for those subgroups.

Interestingly, the nearby Muir Elementary, Kirk Elementary, and Lincoln Elementary schools within the Fresno Unified District also perform below the state averages, but generally outperform Columbia Elementary. Additionally, two nearby charter schools, Edison-Bethune Charter Academy and Kepler Neighborhood, serve the same geographic area and tend to outperform Columbia Elementary in academic assessments.

Detail:

Public K-6

1025 South Trinity St.
Fresno, CA 93706-2608

(559) 457-2630

District: Fresno Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
5293^rd of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,723

Students who attend Columbia Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Rutherford B. Gaston Senior Middle
High:	Edison High

Student/teacher ratio: 23.2

Number of students: 543

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

75.1%

African American:

13.3%

Asian:

8.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 98.2%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Columbia Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Columbia Elementary ranks worse than 90.3% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 63^rd among 67 ranked elementary schools in the Fresno Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 15.07. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (75.1%), African American (13.3%), Asian (8.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 98.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Columbia Elementary is 23.2. 66 elementary schools in the Fresno Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Columbia Elementary employs 23.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Columbia Elementary is $8,723, which is the 33^rd highest among 67 elementary schools in the Fresno Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Columbia Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbia Elementary 5293^rd of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Columbia Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Fresno Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Fresno Unified 1082^nd of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Columbia Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Columbia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	7.02	4769^th	4809	0.8%
2005	8.22	4729^th	4822	1.9%
2006	6.71	4755^th	4818	1.3%
2007	9.27	4952^nd	5113	3.1%
2008	4.58	5087^th	5113	0.5%
2009	7.66	5090^th	5193	2.0%
2010	8.83	5198^th	5314	2.2%
2011	6.89	5307^th	5377	1.3%
2012	8.26	5258^th	5390	2.4%
2013	12.38	5185^th	5530	6.2%
2015	10.16	5459^th	5611	2.7%
2016	6.68	5562^nd	5614	0.9%
2017	9.69	5511^th	5692	3.2%
2018	11.07	5382^nd	5662	4.9%
2019	16.14	5149^th	5789	11.1%
2022	18.76	4979^th	5883	15.4%
2023	14.99	5323^rd	5874	9.4%
2024	15.07	5293^rd	5862	9.7%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Columbia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	27.50	2564^th	3246	21.0%
2019	34.92	2133^rd	3275	34.9%
2022	33.54	2318^th	3311	30.0%
2023	31.40	2434^th	3250	25.1%
2024	44.19	1538^th	3160	51.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Columbia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	15.67	4719^th	5084	7.2%
2019	23.64	4324^th	5173	16.4%
2022	28.23	3980^th	5264	24.4%
2023	19.23	4768^th	5374	11.3%
2024	19.64	4803^rd	5511	12.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Columbia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	11.79	5144^th	5413	5.0%
2019	13.98	5088^th	5492	7.4%
2022	18.48	4850^th	5635	13.9%
2023	14.01	5235^th	5617	6.8%
2024	16.73	4984^th	5605	11.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Columbia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	27.71	1546^th	2128	27.3%
2019	18.13	2441^st	2585	5.6%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Columbia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	11.76	5174^th	5431	4.7%
2019	20.17	4647^th	5510	15.7%
2022	21.49	4566^th	5663	19.4%
2023	18.27	4885^th	5650	13.5%
2024	14.73	5176^th	5636	8.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Columbia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	32.95	513^th	747	31.3%
2023	16.86	630^th	662	4.8%
2024	23.09	501^st	593	15.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Columbia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	15.08	4505^th	4830	6.7%
2019	22.44	4221^st	4963	15.0%
2022	30.71	3644^th	5084	28.3%
2023	26.52	3998^th	5098	21.6%
2024	25.57	4061^st	5102	20.4%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Columbia Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	4	220	71	141	2	n/a	n/a	438
1989	0	221	106	155	4	n/a	n/a	486
1990	6	184	115	190	4	n/a	n/a	499
1991	7	202	121	171	2	n/a	n/a	503
1992	8	171	120	187	6	n/a	n/a	492
1993	14	167	145	211	5	n/a	n/a	542
1994	16	162	159	220	6	n/a	n/a	563
1995	16	128	136	260	13	n/a	n/a	553
1996	16	128	136	260	13	n/a	n/a	553
1997	10	148	141	274	2	n/a	n/a	575
1998	16	134	95	278	2	n/a	n/a	525
1999	14	152	118	280	1	n/a	n/a	565
2000	14	138	104	309	1	n/a	n/a	566
2001	11	139	91	307	1	n/a	n/a	549
2002	12	164	75	305	1	n/a	n/a	557
2003	12	164	75	305	1	n/a	n/a	557
2004	9	153	67	352	1	n/a	n/a	582
2005	10	136	63	330	0	n/a	n/a	539
2006	11	126	61	312	0	n/a	n/a	510
2007	15	124	60	322	1	n/a	n/a	522
2008	19	136	49	374	3	n/a	n/a	581
2009	29	120	54	363	4	0	2	572
2010	32	84	46	392	3	0	0	557
2011	18	82	39	429	1	1	0	570
2012	14	86	37	448	2	1	3	591
2013	11	80	36	459	3	0	5	594
2014	8	72	32	491	2	1	3	609
2015	8	83	40	465	3	0	7	606
2016	9	84	49	477	2	1	9	631
2017	4	77	45	487	1	0	9	623
2018	6	84	41	476	2	1	10	620
2019	7	68	43	430	1	0	11	560
2020	5	80	45	437	2	0	9	578
2021	6	72	39	396	3	0	8	524
2022	3	70	35	400	1	0	7	516
2023	3	72	45	408	2	0	13	543

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Columbia Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	438	18.1	24.1	n/a
1989	486	21.6	22.5	n/a
1990	499	21.6	23.1	n/a
1991	503	21.2	23.7	n/a
1992	492	21.5	22.8	94.9
1993	542	20.3	26.7	91.5
1994	563	22.3	25.2	94.8
1995	553	20.3	27.2	94.9
1996	553	20.3	27.2	94.9
1997	575	25.9	22.2	95
1998	525	25.9	20.3	94.9
1999	565	26.8	21.1	94.9
2000	566	26.8	21.1	50
2001	549	25.9	21.2	99.5
2002	557	27.0	20.6	99.5
2003	557	27.0	20.6	99.5
2004	582	28.0	20.8	99.5
2005	539	27.0	20.0	99.4
2006	510	23.0	22.2	99.4
2007	522	29.0	18.0	99.4
2008	581	29.0	20.0	97.9
2009	572	29.0	17.7	97.6
2010	557	29.0	19.2	97.1
2011	570	n/a	n/a	98.1
2012	591	29.0	20.3	n/a
2013	594	32.0	18.5	99.5
2014	609	32.0	19.0	92.3
2015	606	30.0	20.2	96.9
2016	631	24.0	26.2	96.5
2017	623	27.0	23.0	97.9
2018	620	27.0	22.9	98.2
2019	560	23.0	24.3	97.5
2020	578	n/a	n/a	99.3
2021	524	11.8	44.2	97.5
2022	516	25.2	20.4	96.7
2023	543	23.3	23.2	98.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Columbia Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	438	18.1	24.1	n/a
1989	486	21.6	22.5	n/a
1990	499	21.6	23.1	n/a
1991	503	21.2	23.7	n/a
1992	492	21.5	22.8	94.9
1993	542	20.3	26.7	91.5
1994	563	22.3	25.2	94.8
1995	553	20.3	27.2	94.9
1996	553	20.3	27.2	94.9
1997	575	25.9	22.2	95
1998	525	25.9	20.3	94.9
1999	565	26.8	21.1	94.9
2000	566	26.8	21.1	50
2001	549	25.9	21.2	99.5
2002	557	27.0	20.6	99.5
2003	557	27.0	20.6	99.5
2004	582	28.0	20.8	99.5
2005	539	27.0	20.0	99.4
2006	510	23.0	22.2	99.4
2007	522	29.0	18.0	99.4
2008	581	29.0	20.0	97.9
2009	572	29.0	17.7	97.6
2010	557	29.0	19.2	97.1
2011	570	n/a	n/a	98.1
2012	591	29.0	20.3	n/a
2013	594	32.0	18.5	99.5
2014	609	32.0	19.0	92.3
2015	606	30.0	20.2	96.9
2016	631	24.0	26.2	96.5
2017	623	27.0	23.0	97.9
2018	620	27.0	22.9	98.2
2019	560	23.0	24.3	97.5
2020	578	n/a	n/a	99.3
2021	524	11.8	44.2	97.5
2022	516	25.2	20.4	96.7
2023	543	23.3	23.2	98.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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