Union Central Elementary School

Summary:

Union Central Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Columbia, Louisiana, serving grades 4-5 with a total enrollment of 160 students. The school is part of the Caldwell Parish School District, which is ranked 73 out of 122 districts in Louisiana and is rated 2 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Union Central Elementary School faces several challenges, including lower academic performance compared to nearby schools. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Louisiana elementary schools, with a ranking between 399-636 out of 675-792 schools over the past 10 years. Its test scores in Mathematics, English Language Arts, and Social Studies are generally lower than the Caldwell Parish and Louisiana state averages. For example, in 2022-2023, the school's proficiency rates in Mathematics (49%) and Social Studies (20%) were significantly below the state averages (59% and 49%, respectively). Additionally, the school's performance on test scores for specific student subgroups, such as African American students and students with disabilities, is also lower compared to the state averages for those subgroups.

Interestingly, the nearby Grayson Elementary School and Columbia Elementary School both perform better than Union Central Elementary School on various metrics, including test scores, school rankings, and student demographics. For example, Columbia Elementary School has consistently ranked in the top half of Louisiana elementary schools and has higher proficiency rates in Mathematics, English Language Arts, and Social Studies compared to Union Central. The high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Union Central Elementary School, ranging from 58.06% to 82.5% over the past three school years, indicates that the school serves a community with significant economic challenges, which may contribute to the school's overall performance.


Detail:

Public 4-5

 649 Highway 849
       Columbia, LA  71418


(318) 649-2569

District: Caldwell Parish

SchoolDigger Rank:
399th of 675 Louisiana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $16,464 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  10.3 Help
Number of students:  160

Racial breakdown:

White:
53.1%
African American:
40.6%
Hispanic:
4.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  82.5% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Union Central Elementary School ranks worse than 59.1% of elementary schools in Louisiana. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 44.9. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Union Central Elementary School has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Caldwell Parish School District. Racial makeup is: White (53.1%), African American (40.6%), Hispanic (4.4%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 82.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Caldwell Parish School District. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Union Central Elementary School is 10.3, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the Caldwell Parish School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Union Central Elementary School employs 15.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Union Central Elementary School is $16,464, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the Caldwell Parish School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Union Central Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Union Central Elementary School 399th of 675 Louisiana public elementary schools. (See Union Central Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
White students:


Caldwell Parish:

SchoolDigger ranks Caldwell Parish 73rd of 122 Louisiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Union Central Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Union Central Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools LA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2007 49.60 401st 725 44.7%
2008 47.02 432nd 743 41.9%
2009 64.08 298th 738 59.6%
2010 58.61 356th 736 51.6%
2011 55.72 387th 766 49.5%
2012 50.67 413th 764 45.9%
2013 66.27 267th 772 65.4%
2014 55.22 382nd 777 50.8%
2015 43.38 488th 792 38.4%
2016 46.61 435th 742 41.4%
2017 24.57 598th 739 19.1%
2018 14.94 636th 728 12.6%
2019 23.98 598th 731 18.2%
2021 27.22 532nd 729 27.0%
2022 25.81 561st 727 22.8%
2023 22.91 588th 730 19.5%
2024 44.90 399th 675 40.9%
See the entire list of Louisiana Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Union Central Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools LA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 21.94 278th 333 16.5%
2024 28.60 158th 208 24.0%
See the entire list of Best Louisiana Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Union Central Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools LA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 26.74 567th 682 16.9%
2019 16.27 636th 697 8.8%
2021 22.39 572nd 719 20.4%
2022 27.46 555th 724 23.3%
2023 26.06 568th 723 21.4%
2024 40.52 434th 674 35.6%
See the entire list of Best Louisiana Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Union Central Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools LA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 16.91 618th 684 9.6%
2021 31.04 501st 705 28.9%
2022 38.13 460th 701 34.4%
2023 25.19 563rd 705 20.1%
2024 45.75 374th 635 41.1%
See the entire list of Best Louisiana Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Union Central Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools LA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.70 207th 281 26.3%
See the entire list of Best Louisiana Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Union Central Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools LA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 37.23 485th 696 30.3%
2021 32.14 483rd 704 31.4%
2022 34.02 479th 712 32.7%
2023 28.88 527th 713 26.1%
2024 45.17 377th 651 42.1%
See the entire list of Best Louisiana Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Union Central Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools LA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.84 408th 547 25.4%
2019 9.30 546th 559 2.3%
2022 35.35 384th 562 31.7%
2023 27.91 446th 570 21.8%
2024 35.58 335th 509 34.2%
See the entire list of Best Louisiana Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Union Central Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools LA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 24.02 442nd 516 14.3%
2019 24.17 449th 517 13.2%
2021 21.94 448th 522 14.2%
2022 18.69 470th 517 9.1%
2023 18.28 463rd 518 10.6%
2024 22.77 386th 434 11.1%
See the entire list of Best Louisiana Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Louisiana Dept 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.

Union Central Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Louisiana Dept of Education

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Enrollment information for Union Central Elementary School

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Compare
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 263 263
1990 157 85 0 2 0 n/a n/a 0 244
1991 150 89 0 2 0 n/a n/a 0 241
1992 135 98 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 233
1993 158 87 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 245
1994 165 82 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 247
1995 152 92 1 3 0 n/a n/a 0 248
1996 152 92 1 3 0 n/a n/a 0 248
1997 143 89 1 3 0 n/a n/a 0 236
1998 105 82 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 187
1999 131 85 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 216
2000 115 87 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 205
2001 127 78 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 205
2002 144 82 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 227
2003 144 82 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 227
2004 133 80 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 214
2005 130 91 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 222
2006 132 100 0 3 1 n/a n/a 0 236
2007 128 85 0 2 0 n/a n/a 0 215
2008 137 81 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 221
2009 135 69 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 207
2010 133 71 0 12 0 n/a n/a 0 216
2011 145 73 0 5 0 0 0 0 223
2012 127 80 0 6 0 0 3 0 216
2013 116 69 0 3 0 0 2 0 190
2014 129 66 0 6 0 0 7 0 208
2015 111 70 0 8 0 0 3 0 192
2016 125 75 0 9 0 0 3 0 212
2017 134 73 0 7 0 0 6 0 220
2018 128 81 0 7 0 0 7 0 223
2019 126 88 0 2 0 0 5 0 221
2020 108 81 0 1 0 0 1 0 191
2021 106 70 0 0 0 0 5 0 181
2022 102 76 0 2 0 0 6 0 186
2023 85 65 0 7 0 0 3 0 160

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 Union Central Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 263 14.0 18.7 68.4
1990 244 19.0 12.8 69.3
1991 241 18.0 13.3 70.5
1992 233 17.0 13.7 71.2
1993 245 18.0 13.6 73.1
1994 247 19.0 13.0 69.2
1995 248 15.0 16.5 71
1996 248 15.0 16.5 71
1997 236 15.0 15.7 72
1998 187 16.0 11.7 70.1
1999 216 16.0 13.5 80.6
2000 205 15.0 13.7 80
2001 205 16.0 12.8 78
2002 227 15.0 15.1 76.7
2003 227 15.0 15.1 76.7
2004 214 15.0 14.3 72.9
2005 222 15.5 14.3 65.3
2006 236 15.6 15.1 78.8
2007 215 16.4 13.1 76.7
2008 221 16.7 13.2 72.9
2009 207 17.1 12.1 71
2010 216 17.4 12.3 75
2011 223 19.5 11.4 79.4
2012 216 20.8 10.3 76.9
2013 190 19.0 10.0 72.1
2014 208 17.0 12.2 71.6
2015 192 18.0 10.6 67.2
2016 212 18.0 11.7 73.6
2017 220 15.0 14.6 62.3
2018 223 15.0 14.8 63.2
2019 221 13.0 17.0 30.3
2020 191 14.0 13.6 31.4
2021 181 15.0 12.0 66.9
2022 186 15.6 11.8 58.1
2023 160 15.5 10.3 82.5

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 Union Central Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 263 14.0 18.7 68.4
1990 244 19.0 12.8 69.3
1991 241 18.0 13.3 70.5
1992 233 17.0 13.7 71.2
1993 245 18.0 13.6 73.1
1994 247 19.0 13.0 69.2
1995 248 15.0 16.5 71
1996 248 15.0 16.5 71
1997 236 15.0 15.7 72
1998 187 16.0 11.7 70.1
1999 216 16.0 13.5 80.6
2000 205 15.0 13.7 80
2001 205 16.0 12.8 78
2002 227 15.0 15.1 76.7
2003 227 15.0 15.1 76.7
2004 214 15.0 14.3 72.9
2005 222 15.5 14.3 65.3
2006 236 15.6 15.1 78.8
2007 215 16.4 13.1 76.7
2008 221 16.7 13.2 72.9
2009 207 17.1 12.1 71
2010 216 17.4 12.3 75
2011 223 19.5 11.4 79.4
2012 216 20.8 10.3 76.9
2013 190 19.0 10.0 72.1
2014 208 17.0 12.2 71.6
2015 192 18.0 10.6 67.2
2016 212 18.0 11.7 73.6
2017 220 15.0 14.6 62.3
2018 223 15.0 14.8 63.2
2019 221 13.0 17.0 30.3
2020 191 14.0 13.6 31.4
2021 181 15.0 12.0 66.9
2022 186 15.6 11.8 58.1
2023 160 15.5 10.3 82.5

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 Union Central Elementary School

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2017 $10,437
2018 $11,220
2019 $11,422
2020 $13,850
2021 $15,466
2022 $16,464

Data source: Louisiana Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Union Central 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 598th of 731 Elementary schoolsRanks 588th of 730 Elementary schools
 1.3%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Union Central Elementary School)6247
 15%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Caldwell Parish)7257
 15%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Louisiana)6964
 5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Union Central Elementary School)6335
 28%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Caldwell Parish)7259
 13%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Louisiana)7062
 8%
3rd Grade Social Studies (Union Central Elementary School)3512
 23%
   3rd Grade Social Studies (Caldwell Parish)4926
 23%
   3rd Grade Social Studies (Louisiana)4744
 3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Union Central Elementary School)3960
 21%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Caldwell Parish)6168
 7%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Louisiana)6965
 4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Union Central Elementary School)4950
 1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Caldwell Parish)6867
 1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Louisiana)7268
 4%
4th Grade Social Studies (Union Central Elementary School)4315
 28%
   4th Grade Social Studies (Caldwell Parish)5551
 4%
   4th Grade Social Studies (Louisiana)5153
 2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Union Central Elementary School)4743
 4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Louisiana)6361
 2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Union Central Elementary School)4669
 23%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Louisiana)7170
 1%
5th Grade Social Studies (Union Central Elementary School)3830
 8%
   5th Grade Social Studies (Caldwell Parish)5832
 26%
   5th Grade Social Studies (Louisiana)5448
 6%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students221160
 27.6%
African American8865
 26.1%
American Indian00
Asian00
Hispanic27
 250%
Pacific Islander00
White12685
 32.5%
Two or More Races53
 40%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients30.3%82.5%
 52.2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Union Central Elementary School

Students at Union Central Elementary School are 53% White, 41% African American, 4% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Union Central Elementary School ranks 399th of 675 Louisiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 160 students attended Union Central 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 Louisiana Dept 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.





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