Northern Heights Elementary School

Q: Is Northern Heights Elementary School a good school?

Northern Heights Elementary School ranks 237 th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Northern Heights Elementary School is a public elementary school in Columbia City, Indiana, serving 510 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Whitley County Con Schools district, which is ranked 168 out of 381 districts in the state.

Northern Heights Elementary consistently outperforms the district and state in academic performance. In 2023-2024, the school had 49.06% of 3rd-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the district's 37.31% and the state's 38.6%. In math, 57.89% of 3rd-graders were proficient or better, compared to the district's 38.15% and the state's 52.4%. The school's 5th-grade Social Studies proficiency rate of 49.44% was also significantly higher than the district's 35.96% and the state's 38.1%. Northern Heights has ranked in the top 30-35% of Indiana elementary schools, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While the student population at Northern Heights Elementary is predominantly White, the school has lower chronic absenteeism and free/reduced lunch rates compared to some nearby schools like Little Turtle Elementary and Mary Raber Elementary. However, other nearby schools, such as South Whitley Elementary and North Webster Elementary, have also shown strong academic performance and are competitive with Northern Heights in certain areas.

Detail:

Public K-5

5209 N Sr 109
Columbia City, IN 46725

(260) 691-2371

District: Whitley County Con Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
237^th of 1,010 Indiana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,661

Students who attend Northern Heights Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Indian Springs Middle School
High:	Columbia City High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.6

Number of students: 519

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.3%

Two or more races:

3.7%

Hispanic:

3.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 31%

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Compare Northern Heights Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Northern Heights Elementary School ranks better than 76.5% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks first among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Whitley County Con Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 74.86. (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: White (91.3%), two or more races (3.7%), Hispanic (3.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 31% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Whitley County Con Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Northern Heights Elementary School is 15.6, which is the highest among 4 elementary schools in the Whitley County Con Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Northern Heights Elementary School employs 33.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Northern Heights Elementary School is $7,661, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the Whitley County Con Schools District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Whitley County Con Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Whitley County Con Schools 170^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Northern Heights Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	65.86	316^th	959	67.0%
2006	58.23	432^nd	961	55.0%
2007	60.31	422^nd	985	57.2%
2008	59.11	456^th	996	54.2%
2009	57.86	484^th	1003	51.7%
2010	64.39	386^th	1009	61.7%
2011	52.43	592^nd	1025	42.2%
2012	49.66	616^th	1015	39.3%
2013	60.51	471^st	1035	54.5%
2014	65.98	379^th	1036	63.4%
2015	69.44	302^nd	1040	71.0%
2016	74.37	232^nd	1046	77.8%
2017	69.51	309^th	1033	70.1%
2018	62.27	424^th	1027	58.7%
2019	71.67	274^th	1031	73.4%
2021	68.10	321^st	1016	68.4%
2022	70.71	299^th	1020	70.7%
2023	69.69	308^th	1016	69.7%
2024	74.86	237^th	1010	76.5%

See the entire list of Indiana Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, March 21, 2019

The office staff is not people friendly. The office women are very rude. The principal Mr Mullet is robotic and says things on repeat but does not listen or care. The school has went down hill after the previous principal left. The older treacher’s were great but a lot of them are retiring. I would never recommend this school. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Northern Heights Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1999	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	0
2000	469	2	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	472
2001	471	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	472
2002	423	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	424
2003	423	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	424
2004	448	0	1	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	451
2005	499	0	1	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	503
2006	502	0	1	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	510
2007	469	0	3	2	1	n/a	n/a	20	495
2008	478	1	3	3	2	n/a	n/a	17	504
2009	468	3	5	4	3	n/a	n/a	12	495
2010	467	5	6	5	0	n/a	n/a	17	500
2011	466	5	2	11	3	0	8	0	495
2012	465	4	2	16	3	0	12	0	502
2013	459	2	1	20	3	0	13	0	498
2014	450	2	6	20	3	0	16	0	497
2015	441	1	4	31	1	0	17	0	495
2016	436	1	3	20	0	0	17	0	477
2017	464	2	3	18	0	0	18	0	505
2018	465	3	2	25	1	0	19	0	515
2019	456	3	3	15	1	0	20	0	498
2020	467	3	3	16	1	1	18	0	509
2021	452	1	2	14	0	1	18	0	488
2022	471	3	3	17	0	1	16	0	511
2023	472	5	2	14	0	1	16	0	510
2024	474	6	2	17	0	1	19	0	519

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 Northern Heights Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	0	n/a	0.0	n/a
2000	472	26.6	17.7	10.6
2001	472	25.5	18.5	11.7
2002	424	27.3	15.5	13.2
2003	424	27.3	15.5	13.2
2004	451	27.4	16.5	15.7
2005	503	27.5	18.3	17.1
2006	510	27.9	18.3	15.9
2007	495	n/a	n/a	17.3
2008	504	27.7	18.2	19.3
2009	495	27.7	17.9	24.2
2010	500	25.9	19.2	26.7
2011	495	28.2	17.5	32.3
2012	502	29.0	17.3	34.9
2013	498	28.0	17.7	32.7
2014	497	27.0	18.4	34
2015	495	27.0	18.3	33.3
2016	477	26.0	18.3	31
2017	505	25.0	20.2	26.1
2018	515	27.0	19.0	36.3
2019	498	30.0	16.6	31.9
2020	509	29.0	17.5	32
2021	488	33.0	14.7	27.5
2022	511	28.0	18.2	24.5
2023	510	28.0	18.2	33.5
2024	519	33.1	15.6	31

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 Northern Heights Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	0	n/a	0.0	n/a
2000	472	26.6	17.7	10.6
2001	472	25.5	18.5	11.7
2002	424	27.3	15.5	13.2
2003	424	27.3	15.5	13.2
2004	451	27.4	16.5	15.7
2005	503	27.5	18.3	17.1
2006	510	27.9	18.3	15.9
2007	495	n/a	n/a	17.3
2008	504	27.7	18.2	19.3
2009	495	27.7	17.9	24.2
2010	500	25.9	19.2	26.7
2011	495	28.2	17.5	32.3
2012	502	29.0	17.3	34.9
2013	498	28.0	17.7	32.7
2014	497	27.0	18.4	34
2015	495	27.0	18.3	33.3
2016	477	26.0	18.3	31
2017	505	25.0	20.2	26.1
2018	515	27.0	19.0	36.3
2019	498	30.0	16.6	31.9
2020	509	29.0	17.5	32
2021	488	33.0	14.7	27.5
2022	511	28.0	18.2	24.5
2023	510	28.0	18.2	33.5
2024	519	33.1	15.6	31

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 Northern Heights Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$462 (6.1%)	$7,096 (93.9%)	$7,558
2020	$409 (5.2%)	$7,488 (94.8%)	$7,897
2021	$605 (7.0%)	$8,091 (93.0%)	$8,696
2022	$552 (7.2%)	$7,109 (92.8%)	$7,661

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Northern Heights 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 274^th of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 308^th of 1016 Elementary schools	3.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Northern Heights Elementary School)	53.1	39.8	13.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Whitley County Con Schools)	50.6	39	11.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (Northern Heights Elementary School)	65.4	60.2	5.2%
3rd Grade Math (Whitley County Con Schools)	55	54	1%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Northern Heights Elementary School)	57	44.7	12.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Whitley County Con Schools)	44.5	35.2	9.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (Northern Heights Elementary School)	68.6	56.5	12.1%
4th Grade Math (Whitley County Con Schools)	56.3	39.6	16.7%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Northern Heights Elementary School)	62.8	60	2.8%
4th Grade Science (Whitley County Con Schools)	53.6	44.8	8.8%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Northern Heights Elementary School)	49.5	40.9	8.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Whitley County Con Schools)	42.4	36.6	5.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (Northern Heights Elementary School)	54.6	57.8	3.2%
5th Grade Math (Whitley County Con Schools)	42.8	42.2	0.6%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (Northern Heights Elementary School)	54.6	43.7	10.9%
5th Grade Social Studies (Whitley County Con Schools)	47.1	33.6	13.5%
5th Grade Social Studies (Indiana)	46	39.1	6.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	498	510	2.4%
African American	3	5	66.7%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	3	2	33.3%
Hispanic	15	14	6.7%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	456	472	3.5%
Two or More Races	20	16	20%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	31.9%	33.5%	1.6%

Schools Near Northern Heights Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2024)					ILEARN Math (2024)					ILEARN Social Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	ILEARN English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 4th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 5th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Northern Heights Elementary School	Public	K-5	5209 N Sr 109	Columbia City	46725	Whitley County	Whitley County Con Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 691-2371	519	33	15.6	31.0%	474 (91.3%)	6 (1.2%)	17 (3.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (3.7%)	74.9	237^th of 1010 public elementary schools	76.5%		69.7	308^th of 1016 public elementary schools	69.7%	71	50.6	46.3	50.6		49.1	68.7	54.3	51.7		57.9	49.4	$7,661	$552	$7,109
Mary Raber Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	700 E Jackson St	Columbia City	46725	Whitley County	Whitley County Con Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 244-5857	290	19	15.1	47.9%	260 (89.7%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.8%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (3.4%)	29.2	737^th of 1010 public elementary schools	27.0%		30.9	723^rd of 1016 public elementary schools	28.8%	14	13.8	21.9	36.8		25.3	41.4	25.0	34.2		33.3	21.1	$9,563	$1,198	$8,365
Central Noble Primary School	Public	K-2	1283 S Main St	Wolflake	46796	Noble County	Central Noble Com School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 635-2432	228	15	15.0	42.1%	222 (97.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)								(n/a)												$11,673	$1,719	$9,954
Little Turtle Elementary School	Public	K-5	1710 S State Rd 9	Columbia City	46725	Whitley County	Whitley County Con Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 244-3343	597	39	15.2	37.4%	543 (91.0%)	4 (0.7%)	15 (2.5%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.0%)	48.3	544^th of 1010 public elementary schools	46.1%		49	548^th of 1016 public elementary schools	46.1%	4	31.3	38.2	35.1		35.0	45.5	49.1	38.1		44.4	35.1	$7,789	$799	$6,990
Churubusco Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3 Eagle Dr	Churubusco	46723	Whitley County	Smith-Green Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 693-2188	490	28	17.5	36.3%	451 (92.0%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.1%)	61.8	391^st of 1010 public elementary schools	61.3%		56.8	465^th of 1016 public elementary schools	54.2%	74	44.3	30.3	44.3		39.5	70.5	39.3	43.0		51.2	55.7	$9,004	$282	$8,722
Coesse School	Public	K-5	2250 S 500 E	Columbia City	46725	Whitley County	Whitley County Con Schools	No	No	No	No	(260) 244-3351	301	23	12.9	50.5%	277 (92.0%)	1 (0.3%)	15 (5.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.3%)	47.9	549^th of 1010 public elementary schools	45.6%		45.5	584^th of 1016 public elementary schools	42.5%	35	48.8	38.8	27.9		38.4	68.3	46.9	18.6		44.4	23.3	$9,407	$385	$9,022
Pierceton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	434 S First St	Pierceton	46562	Kosciusko County	Whitko Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 594-2210	354	26	13.7	59.9%	325 (91.8%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.5%)	20	814^th of 1010 public elementary schools	19.4%		28.9	739^th of 1016 public elementary schools	27.3%	75	24.0	21.7	10.2	20.5	19.1	42.0	19.6	10.2	18.2	22.8	24.5	$10,194	$1,665	$8,530
Central Noble Elementary School	Public	3-5	202 Cougar Ct	Albion	46701	Noble County	Central Noble Com School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 636-7538	229	18	12.9	38.4%	218 (95.2%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42	603^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	40.3%		46.2	575^th of 1016 public elementary schools	43.4%	28	25.0	27.2	29.9		27.3	42.9	45.0	49.4		45.6	33.8	$12,027	$1,883	$10,144
North Webster Elementary School	Public	K-5	5745 N 750 E	North Webster	46555	Kosciusko County	Wawasee Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 834-7644	449	30	15.1	57.5%	398 (88.6%)	3 (0.7%)	40 (8.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.3%)	56.9	450^th of 1010 public elementary schools	55.4%		58.5	440^th of 1016 public elementary schools	56.7%	10	45.9	39.2	44.8		43.1	62.3	43.2	28.4		44.1	40.3	$11,594	$960	$10,634
South Whitley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	406 W Wayne St	South Whitley	46787	Whitley County	Whitko Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 723-6342	295	19	15.2	51.5%	277 (93.9%)	2 (0.7%)	9 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	52.7	499^th of 1010 public elementary schools	50.6%		71.9	277^th of 1016 public elementary schools	72.7%	222	34.0	33.3	41.0	37.0	36.2	53.2	38.1	46.2	30.4	42.0	48.7	$10,789	$1,365	$9,424

Frequently Asked Questions about Northern Heights Elementary School

How many students attend Northern Heights Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 519 students attended Northern Heights Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Northern Heights Elementary School?

Students at Northern Heights Elementary School are 91% White, 4% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic, 1% African American.

Is Northern Heights Elementary School a good school?

Northern Heights Elementary School ranks 237^th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Northern Heights Elementary School in?

Whitley County Con Schools

What schools do graduates of Northern Heights Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Northern Heights Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Indian Springs Middle School
High : Columbia City 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 Indiana 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.