Westside Elementary School

Q: Is Westside Elementary School a good school?

Westside Elementary School ranks 369 th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Westside Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Lake City, Florida, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 696. The school is part of the Columbia District, which is ranked 27th out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Westside Elementary consistently outperforms the Columbia District and the state of Florida in academic assessments, with significantly higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math for grades 3-5. For example, in 5th grade Math, Westside had a 79% proficiency rate compared to 63% for the district and 56% for the state. The school also has a more diverse student population, with a significant percentage of African American (14.37%) and Hispanic (8.05%) students, as well as smaller percentages of Asian and students of two or more races. However, Westside has experienced a notable increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 12.5% in 2018-2019 to 24.3% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the state average.

Westside Elementary consistently outperforms the nearby schools, such as Branford Elementary School, Fort White Elementary School, and Five Points Elementary School, in academic assessments, particularly in ELA and Math. The school also has a relatively high per-student spending of $9,126 in the 2022-2023 school year, which is higher than the state average and some of the nearby schools, suggesting it has access to more resources to support student learning. However, the school's high percentage of students (50.14%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch indicates a significant population of economically disadvantaged students, which is an important factor to consider when analyzing the school's performance.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1956 SW County Road 252b
Lake City, FL 32024

(386) 755-8280

District: Columbia

SchoolDigger Rank:
369^th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,126

Students who attend Westside Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Lake City Middle School
	Richardson Sixth Grade Academy
High:	Columbia High School

Student/teacher ratio: 18.3

Number of students: 696

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.8%

African American:

14.4%

Hispanic:

8.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 50.1%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Westside Elementary School ranks better than 83.6% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks first among 9 ranked elementary schools in the Columbia School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 81.42. (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 Westside Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Columbia School District. Racial makeup is: White (68.8%), African American (14.4%), Hispanic (8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 50.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Columbia School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Westside Elementary School is 18.3. 7 elementary schools in the Columbia School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Westside Elementary School employs 38 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Westside Elementary School is $9,126. 7 elementary schools in the Columbia School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Westside Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Columbia:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbia 27^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Westside Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	54.57	781^st	1688	53.7%
2007	61.16	722^nd	1786	59.6%
2008	69.44	547^th	1789	69.4%
2009	73.55	449^th	1847	75.7%
2010	73.45	479^th	1919	75.0%
2011	78.68	372^nd	1985	81.3%
2012	86.12	208^th	1984	89.5%
2013	78.77	375^th	2029	81.5%
2014	86.22	236^th	2064	88.6%
2016	82.96	319^th	2087	84.7%
2017	83.22	309^th	2112	85.4%
2018	73.77	513^th	2118	75.8%
2019	78.91	427^th	2182	80.4%
2021	89.02	217^th	2247	90.3%
2022	82.49	359^th	2219	83.8%
2023	79.82	411^th	2240	81.7%
2024	81.42	369^th	2256	83.6%

See the entire list of Florida Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Florida Department of Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Westside Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2001	504	48	7	22	1	n/a	n/a	0	582
2002	569	51	16	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	652
2003	569	51	16	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	652
2004	559	47	12	20	1	n/a	n/a	0	639
2005	637	52	11	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	719
2006	664	51	14	25	2	n/a	n/a	0	756
2007	627	62	10	30	1	n/a	n/a	42	772
2008	630	51	10	29	1	n/a	n/a	38	759
2009	613	53	8	33	2	n/a	n/a	27	736
2010	517	80	9	24	1	n/a	n/a	28	659
2011	486	90	9	31	2	0	26	0	644
2012	511	114	12	33	1	1	34	0	706
2013	487	119	15	36	1	2	26	0	686
2014	484	124	18	39	0	2	34	0	701
2015	535	128	25	40	0	1	40	0	769
2016	506	130	25	48	1	1	39	0	750
2017	507	121	19	60	0	1	40	0	748
2018	495	123	16	58	0	0	54	0	746
2019	526	128	15	53	1	0	44	0	767
2020	511	115	9	56	1	0	44	0	736
2021	469	111	5	58	2	0	46	0	691
2022	476	97	6	59	0	0	48	0	686
2023	479	100	12	56	0	0	49	0	696

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 Westside Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	582	35.0	16.6	43.5
2002	652	39.0	16.7	46.3
2003	652	39.0	16.7	46.3
2004	639	41.0	15.6	47.4
2005	719	44.0	16.3	47.4
2006	756	46.0	16.4	41.8
2007	772	47.0	16.4	46.6
2008	759	52.5	14.5	44.7
2009	736	56.9	13.8	45.8
2010	659	46.5	14.1	52.8
2011	644	46.0	14.0	50.5
2012	706	46.0	15.3	50
2013	686	47.0	14.5	55
2014	701	44.0	15.9	54.9
2015	769	46.0	16.7	52.9
2016	750	48.0	15.6	46.9
2017	748	48.0	15.5	46.5
2018	746	46.0	16.2	49.3
2019	767	45.0	17.0	45
2020	736	44.0	16.7	44.8
2021	691	41.0	16.8	46.3
2022	686	38.0	18.0	46.2
2023	696	38.0	18.3	50.1

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 Westside Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	582	35.0	16.6	43.5
2002	652	39.0	16.7	46.3
2003	652	39.0	16.7	46.3
2004	639	41.0	15.6	47.4
2005	719	44.0	16.3	47.4
2006	756	46.0	16.4	41.8
2007	772	47.0	16.4	46.6
2008	759	52.5	14.5	44.7
2009	736	56.9	13.8	45.8
2010	659	46.5	14.1	52.8
2011	644	46.0	14.0	50.5
2012	706	46.0	15.3	50
2013	686	47.0	14.5	55
2014	701	44.0	15.9	54.9
2015	769	46.0	16.7	52.9
2016	750	48.0	15.6	46.9
2017	748	48.0	15.5	46.5
2018	746	46.0	16.2	49.3
2019	767	45.0	17.0	45
2020	736	44.0	16.7	44.8
2021	691	41.0	16.8	46.3
2022	686	38.0	18.0	46.2
2023	696	38.0	18.3	50.1

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.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Westside Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$629 (8.5%)	$6,730 (91.5%)	$7,359
2019	$582 (7.6%)	$7,067 (92.4%)	$7,648
2020	$614 (7.5%)	$7,611 (92.5%)	$8,224
2021	$1,195 (14.2%)	$7,228 (85.8%)	$8,424
2022	$1,700 (19.6%)	$6,963 (80.4%)	$8,664
2023	$1,725 (18.9%)	$7,401 (81.1%)	$9,126

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Westside Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 427^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 411^th of 2240 Elementary schools	1.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Westside Elementary School)	81	62	19%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Columbia)	68	56	12%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Westside Elementary School)	83	66	17%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Columbia)	70	66	4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Westside Elementary School)	69	74	5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Columbia)	62	60	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Westside Elementary School)	66	83	17%
4th Grade Mathematics (Columbia)	64	71	7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Westside Elementary School)	68	79	11%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Columbia)	59	59
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Westside Elementary School)	80	82	2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Columbia)	65	60	5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Westside Elementary School)	62	64	2%
5th Grade Science (Columbia)	59	50	9%
5th Grade Science (Florida)	53	51	2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	767	696	9.3%
African American	128	100	21.9%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	15	12	20%
Hispanic	53	56	5.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	526	479	8.9%
Two or More Races	44	49	11.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	45%	50.1%	5.2%

Schools Near Westside Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)			FAST Math (2024)			Statewide Science Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Westside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1956 SW County Road 252b	Lake City	32024	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 755-8280	696	38	18.3	50.1%	479 (68.8%)	100 (14.4%)	56 (8.0%)	12 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (7.0%)	81.4	369^th of 2256 public elementary schools	83.6%		79.8	411^th of 2240 public elementary schools	81.7%	42	70.0	61.0	68.0	76.0	71.0	79.0	69.0	$9,126	$1,725	$7,401
Pinemount Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	324 SW Gabriel Pl	Lake City	32024	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 755-8172	486	32	15.1	65.6%	346 (71.2%)	52 (10.7%)	49 (10.1%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	35 (7.2%)	75.8	509^th of 2256 public elementary schools	77.4%		73.4	546^th of 2240 public elementary schools	75.6%	37	68.0	46.0	68.0	82.0	67.0	72.0	69.0	$10,621	$1,858	$8,763
Summers Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1388 SW McFarlane Ave	Lake City	32025	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 755-8250	517	31	16.6	76.4%	199 (38.5%)	186 (36.0%)	69 (13.3%)	10 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (10.3%)	31.2	1588^th of 2256 public elementary schools	29.6%		43.1	1248^th of 2240 public elementary schools	44.3%	340	47.0	41.0	43.0	62.0	44.0	40.0	35.0	$10,076	$1,975	$8,102
Melrose Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	820 SE Putnam St	Lake City	32025	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 755-8260	398	25	15.9	84.2%	130 (32.7%)	176 (44.2%)	43 (10.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (11.8%)	24	1797^th of 2256 public elementary schools	20.3%		33.7	1502^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	32.9%	295	27.0	45.0	37.0	34.0	59.0	49.0	19.0	$11,249	$2,569	$8,679
Columbia City Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7438 SW State Road 47	Lake City	32024	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 758-4850	615	36	17.0	61.6%	470 (76.4%)	29 (4.7%)	75 (12.2%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.0%)	76.5	492^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	78.2%		69.4	640^th of 2240 public elementary schools	71.4%	148	61.0	60.0	67.0	82.0	73.0	73.0	58.0	$10,407	$1,859	$8,548
Niblack Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	837 NE Broadway Ave	Lake City	32055	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 755-8200	282	17	16.5	87.6%	17 (6.0%)	235 (83.3%)	10 (3.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.7%)	48.4	1127^th of 2256 public elementary schools	50.0%		44.6	1218^th of 2240 public elementary schools	45.6%	91	55.0	35.0	46.0	51.0	71.0	68.0	49.0	$13,666	$2,656	$11,010
Five Points Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	303 NW Johnson St	Lake City	32055	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 755-8230	400	26	15.3	83.3%	242 (60.5%)	99 (24.8%)	22 (5.5%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (8.3%)	24.9	1771^st of 2256 public elementary schools	21.5%		20.7	1884^th of 2240 public elementary schools	15.9%	113	36.0	43.0	31.0	59.0	43.0	41.0	31.0	$11,497	$2,657	$8,840
Eastside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	256 SE Beech St	Lake City	32025	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 755-8220	631	33	19.1	62.0%	419 (66.4%)	114 (18.1%)	42 (6.7%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (7.8%)	73.5	562^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	75.1%		71.8	590^th of 2240 public elementary schools	73.7%	28	59.0	58.0	66.0	63.0	74.0	76.0	66.0	$8,790	$1,583	$7,207
Fort White Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	18119 SW State Road 47	Fort White	32038	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 344-6301	681	40	17.0	66.2%	476 (69.9%)	55 (8.1%)	102 (15.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	46 (6.8%)	37.9	1403^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	37.8%		50.5	1084^th of 2240 public elementary schools	51.6%	319	57.0	44.0	43.0	62.0	58.0	40.0	30.0	$9,570	$1,753	$7,817
Branford Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	26801 State Road 247	Branford	32008	Suwannee County	Suwannee	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 935-5700	710	36	19.4	67.6%	531 (74.8%)	20 (2.8%)	121 (17.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (5.4%)	50.6	1080^th of 2256 public elementary schools	52.1%		64.4	748^th of 2240 public elementary schools	66.6%	332	48.0	57.0	50.0	63.0	60.0	53.0	47.0	$9,102	$1,807	$7,295

Frequently Asked Questions about Westside Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Westside Elementary School?

Students at Westside Elementary School are 69% White, 14% African American, 8% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Westside Elementary School in?

Columbia

What schools do graduates of Westside Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Westside Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lake City Middle School
Middle : Richardson Sixth Grade Academy
High : Columbia High School

Is Westside Elementary School a good school?

Westside Elementary School ranks 369^th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Westside Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 696 students attended Westside Elementary School.

Rate Westside Elementary School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.