South Columbus Elementary School

Summary:

South Columbus Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Columbus, Georgia, with 359 students as part of the Muscogee County School District, which is ranked 155 out of 203 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South Columbus Elementary consistently performs below the Muscogee County and Georgia state averages on standardized tests, with only 29.3% of 3rd graders proficient in English Language Arts and 12.2% proficient in math, compared to state averages of 38.4% and 45.4%, respectively. The school has been ranked in the bottom 15% of Georgia elementary schools for the past 10 years and has an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 96.44% to 96.77%. While the school's spending per student is slightly higher than the state average, the student-teacher ratio has decreased from 15.4 in 2020-2021 to 12.3 in 2022-2023.

The challenges facing South Columbus Elementary School are not unique, as several nearby schools, such as Wynnton Elementary, Rigdon Road Elementary, and Dimon Elementary, also struggle with low academic achievement and high poverty rates. Addressing these issues will likely require a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach involving the school, district, and community stakeholders to provide the necessary resources and support to improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1964 Torch Hill Rd
Columbus, GA 31903

(706) 683-8833

District: Muscogee County

SchoolDigger Rank:
1057^th of 1,248 Georgia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,225

Students who attend South Columbus Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Eddy Middle School
High:	Spencer High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.2

Number of students: 324

Racial breakdown:

African American:

55.2%

Hispanic:

34.0%

Two or more races:

8.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Compare South Columbus Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details South Columbus Elementary School ranks worse than 84.7% of elementary schools in Georgia. It also ranks 18^th among 32 ranked elementary schools in the Muscogee County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.26. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (55.2%), Hispanic (34%), two or more races (8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South Columbus Elementary School is 13.2, which is the 8^th best among 32 elementary schools in the Muscogee County School District. (See more...)

Compare South Columbus Elementary School employs 24.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at South Columbus Elementary School is $10,225. 16 elementary schools in the Muscogee County School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Muscogee County:

SchoolDigger ranks Muscogee County 155^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for South Columbus Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	1.11	1099^th	1101	0.2%
2007	3.88	1109^th	1125	1.4%
2008	7.23	1095^th	1134	3.4%
2009	2.72	1121^st	1133	1.1%
2010	4.76	1154^th	1183	2.5%
2011	2.46	1199^th	1212	1.1%
2012	3.75	1174^th	1201	2.2%
2013	2.43	1205^th	1225	1.6%
2014	1.69	1225^th	1231	0.5%
2015	9.41	1179^th	1240	4.9%
2016	12.64	1116^th	1233	9.5%
2017	6.78	1183^rd	1205	1.8%
2018	11.19	1105^th	1209	8.6%
2019	13.84	1082^nd	1234	12.3%
2021	13.59	1072^nd	1214	11.7%
2022	13.34	1102^nd	1244	11.4%
2023	17.50	1056^th	1242	15.0%
2024	17.26	1057^th	1248	15.3%

See the entire list of Georgia Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for South Columbus Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	652	652
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	701	701
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	643	643
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	598	598
1994	144	478	5	27	3	n/a	n/a	0	657
1995	119	451	4	19	4	n/a	n/a	0	597
1996	119	451	4	19	4	n/a	n/a	0	597
1997	114	491	9	19	1	n/a	n/a	0	634
1998	90	520	11	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	631
1999	112	473	18	15	2	n/a	n/a	0	620
2000	73	456	17	28	2	n/a	n/a	0	576
2001	62	416	17	35	0	n/a	n/a	0	530
2002	68	437	10	31	3	n/a	n/a	0	549
2003	68	437	10	31	3	n/a	n/a	0	549
2004	50	507	13	29	0	n/a	n/a	0	599
2005	42	439	4	20	0	n/a	n/a	26	531
2006	37	475	8	24	0	n/a	n/a	25	569
2007	33	386	3	35	0	n/a	n/a	17	474
2008	28	367	6	41	1	n/a	n/a	24	467
2009	25	356	2	56	1	n/a	n/a	30	470
2010	32	360	1	0	2	0	85	0	480
2011	29	329	1	66	2	0	30	0	457
2012	25	331	3	73	2	0	19	0	453
2013	33	314	3	81	1	0	15	0	447
2014	18	293	1	76	2	0	13	0	403
2015	23	396	0	114	2	0	28	0	563
2016	22	395	1	114	0	2	24	0	558
2017	23	413	0	104	2	1	11	0	554
2018	15	390	0	109	2	1	17	0	534
2019	27	305	2	117	0	2	18	0	471
2020	23	276	0	105	0	1	20	0	425
2021	15	254	0	113	0	0	35	0	417
2022	15	265	0	113	1	0	28	0	422
2023	9	221	1	104	0	1	23	0	359
2024	8	179	0	110	0	1	26	0	324

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 South Columbus Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	652	36.0	18.1	64.1
1991	701	39.0	17.9	62.9
1992	643	37.0	17.3	70.9
1993	598	37.0	16.2	76.9
1994	657	39.9	16.5	82.8
1995	597	38.0	15.7	82.6
1996	597	38.0	15.7	82.6
1997	634	37.9	16.7	93.5
1998	631	39.6	15.9	94.9
1999	620	40.7	15.2	88.9
2000	576	37.7	15.3	92.5
2001	530	34.7	15.3	92.1
2002	549	33.6	16.3	92.5
2003	549	33.6	16.3	92.5
2004	599	36.1	16.6	91.7
2005	531	37.9	14.0	93.5
2006	569	35.6	16.0	89.9
2007	474	35.4	13.4	99.8
2008	467	35.3	13.2	102.5
2009	470	33.8	13.9	97.3
2010	480	34.9	13.7	96.3
2011	457	34.5	13.2	89.9
2012	453	33.5	13.5	90.9
2013	447	29.3	15.2	91.1
2014	403	24.2	16.6	99.3
2015	563	29.0	19.4	100
2016	558	29.0	19.2	99.5
2017	554	31.5	17.5	100
2018	534	31.5	16.9	94.4
2019	471	29.5	15.9	94.5
2020	425	30.5	13.9	92
2021	417	27.0	15.4	96.6
2022	422	29.0	14.5	n/a
2023	359	29.0	12.3	96.7
2024	324	24.5	13.2	100

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 South Columbus Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	652	36.0	18.1	64.1
1991	701	39.0	17.9	62.9
1992	643	37.0	17.3	70.9
1993	598	37.0	16.2	76.9
1994	657	39.9	16.5	82.8
1995	597	38.0	15.7	82.6
1996	597	38.0	15.7	82.6
1997	634	37.9	16.7	93.5
1998	631	39.6	15.9	94.9
1999	620	40.7	15.2	88.9
2000	576	37.7	15.3	92.5
2001	530	34.7	15.3	92.1
2002	549	33.6	16.3	92.5
2003	549	33.6	16.3	92.5
2004	599	36.1	16.6	91.7
2005	531	37.9	14.0	93.5
2006	569	35.6	16.0	89.9
2007	474	35.4	13.4	99.8
2008	467	35.3	13.2	102.5
2009	470	33.8	13.9	97.3
2010	480	34.9	13.7	96.3
2011	457	34.5	13.2	89.9
2012	453	33.5	13.5	90.9
2013	447	29.3	15.2	91.1
2014	403	24.2	16.6	99.3
2015	563	29.0	19.4	100
2016	558	29.0	19.2	99.5
2017	554	31.5	17.5	100
2018	534	31.5	16.9	94.4
2019	471	29.5	15.9	94.5
2020	425	30.5	13.9	92
2021	417	27.0	15.4	96.6
2022	422	29.0	14.5	n/a
2023	359	29.0	12.3	96.7
2024	324	24.5	13.2	100

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 South Columbus Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$619 (7.0%)	$8,286 (93.0%)	$8,905
2018	$575 (6.2%)	$8,747 (93.8%)	$9,323
2019	$682 (6.7%)	$9,544 (93.3%)	$10,225

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on South Columbus 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 1082^nd of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 1056^th of 1242 Elementary schools	2.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Columbus Elementary School)	20	22.6	2.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Muscogee County)	34	26.6	7.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	38.6	3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (South Columbus Elementary School)	24.1	22.6	1.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Muscogee County)	37.6	28.7	8.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	52	45.6	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (South Columbus Elementary School)	28.8	8.7	20.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Muscogee County)	30	27.3	2.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	36.1	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (South Columbus Elementary School)	30.8	15.2	15.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Muscogee County)	32.2	29.5	2.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	49	45.7	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (South Columbus Elementary School)	18.3	18.4	0.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Muscogee County)	38.7	31.4	7.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	45	41.6	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (South Columbus Elementary School)	19	16.3	2.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Muscogee County)	29.2	21.2	8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (South Columbus Elementary School)	8.3	26.5	18.2%
5th Grade Science (Muscogee County)	35.1	29.2	5.9%
5th Grade Science (Georgia)	43	40	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	471	359	23.8%
African American	305	221	27.5%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	2	1	50%
Hispanic	117	104	11.1%
Pacific Islander	2	1	50%
White	27	9	66.7%
Two or More Races	18	23	27.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	94.5%	96.7%	2.2%

Schools Near South Columbus Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Milestones Assessment English Language Arts (2024)			Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2024)			Milestones Assessment Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South Columbus Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1964 Torch Hill Rd	Columbus	31903	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 683-8833	324	25	13.2	100.0%	8 (2.5%)	179 (55.2%)	110 (34.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	26 (8.0%)	17.3	1057^th of 1248 public elementary schools	15.3%		17.5	1056^th of 1242 public elementary schools	15.0%	1	29.3	16.3	26.8	12.2	14.3	19.5	24.4	$10,225	$682	$9,544
Dorothy Height Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1458 Benning Dr	Columbus	31903	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 683-8871	432	37	11.8	100.0%	6 (1.4%)	360 (83.3%)	34 (7.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.9%)	9.3	1202^nd of 1248 public elementary schools	3.7%		12	1142^nd of 1242 public elementary schools	8.1%	60	9.6	6.2	20.3	13.5	20.0	9.4	17.2	$11,031	$1,344	$9,686
Key Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2520 Broadmoor Dr	Columbus	31903	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 683-8797	304	22	14.1	100.0%	6 (2.0%)	220 (72.4%)	63 (20.7%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.9%)	8.3	1219^th of 1248 public elementary schools	2.3%		6.6	1225^th of 1242 public elementary schools	1.4%	6	5.9	4.5	25.0	17.6	4.5	13.9	13.9	$11,731	$942	$10,790
Martin Luther King- Junior Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	350 30th Ave	Columbus	31903	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 683-8815	503	36	13.9	100.0%	11 (2.2%)	362 (72.0%)	118 (23.5%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.8%)	7.9	1224^th of 1248 public elementary schools	1.9%		8.4	1207^th of 1242 public elementary schools	2.8%	17	5.6	13.2	14.7	12.5	13.2	9.3	14.7	$9,952	$896	$9,056
St. Marys Video and Communication Technology	Public, Magnet	K-5	4408 Saint Marys Rd	Columbus	31907	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(706) 683-8841	418	23	18.1	100.0%	4 (1.0%)	361 (86.4%)	26 (6.2%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.5%)	10.4	1179^th of 1248 public elementary schools	5.5%		12.4	1136^th of 1242 public elementary schools	8.5%	43	25.4	9.6	16.7	18.3	10.8	5.1	12.8	$8,012	$653	$7,359
Brewer Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2951 Martin Luther King	Columbus	31906	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 748-2479	532	37	14.4	100.0%	29 (5.5%)	383 (72.0%)	95 (17.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.7%)	4.1	1248^th of 1248 public elementary schools	0.0%		5.5	1237^th of 1242 public elementary schools	0.4%	11	4.9	2.6	6.4	0.0	5.1	3.9	11.8	$9,826	$886	$8,941
Davis Elementary School	Public	K-5	1822 Shepherd Dr	Columbus	31906	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 748-2638	292	24	12.1	100.0%	13 (4.5%)	249 (85.3%)	6 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (8.2%)	9.8	1192^nd of 1248 public elementary schools	4.5%		7.3	1219^th of 1242 public elementary schools	1.9%	27	16.1	4.4	19.4	17.9	2.2	13.9	19.4	$10,967	$915	$10,051
Dimon Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	480 Dogwood Dr	Columbus	31907	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(706) 683-8772	331	25	13.5	92.1%	8 (2.4%)	267 (80.7%)	23 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (10.0%)	19.2	1016^th of 1248 public elementary schools	18.6%		23.6	942^nd of 1242 public elementary schools	24.2%	74	21.2	28.3	20.3	21.2	26.7	14.9	24.7	$9,168	$715	$8,453
Dawson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	180 Northstar Dr	Columbus	31907	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 683-8732	311	22	14.1	100.0%	10 (3.2%)	259 (83.3%)	25 (8.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.8%)	9	1208^th of 1248 public elementary schools	3.2%		9.8	1192^nd of 1242 public elementary schools	4.0%	16	22.0	10.9	14.6	7.3	15.2	10.2	8.2	$10,417	$961	$9,456
Wynnton Elementary School	Public	K-5	2303 Wynnton Rd	Columbus	31906	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 748-3147	359	28	13.0	100.0%	51 (14.2%)	236 (65.7%)	38 (10.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (8.9%)	30.9	835^th of 1248 public elementary schools	33.1%		28.2	868^th of 1242 public elementary schools	30.1%	33	32.7	31.1	39.0	20.4	23.0	30.5	28.8	$11,144	$925	$10,219

Frequently Asked Questions about South Columbus Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of South Columbus Elementary School?

Students at South Columbus Elementary School are 55% African American, 34% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 2% White.

Is South Columbus Elementary School a good school?

South Columbus Elementary School ranks in the bottom 15.3% of Georgia elementary schools.

How many students attend South Columbus Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 324 students attended South Columbus Elementary School.

What district is South Columbus Elementary School in?

Muscogee County

What schools do graduates of South Columbus Elementary School attend?

Students who attend South Columbus Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Eddy Middle School
High : Spencer High 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 Georgia 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.