West Lowndes Elementary

Q: Is West Lowndes Elementary a good school?

West Lowndes Elementary ranks 225 th of 390 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

West Lowndes Elementary is a public elementary school serving 234 students in grades PK-6 in the Lowndes County School District in Columbus, Mississippi. The school has a predominantly African American student population (94.87% in 2022-2023).

West Lowndes Elementary faces significant challenges in providing a high-quality education to its students. The school's test scores, as measured by the MAAP (Mississippi Academic Assessment Program), are consistently lower than the Lowndes County School District and the state of Mississippi averages across various grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics were below the district and state averages. Additionally, West Lowndes Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Mississippi elementary schools, with a ranking between 201 and 248 out of 377-397 schools over the past several years. The school is rated 2 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger.

Compared to nearby schools, such as New Hope Elementary and the schools in the West Point Consolidated School District, West Lowndes Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of African American students and a much higher rate of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (100% in 2022-2023), indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. While the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 8.6 to 9.6 students per teacher over the past three school years, this does not appear to be translating into higher academic achievement, suggesting that other factors, such as curriculum, teaching quality, or school leadership, may be contributing to the school's underperformance.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

1000 Gilmer Wilburn Road
Columbus, MS 39701

(662) 244-5050

District: Lowndes County School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
225^th of 390 Mississippi Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,513

Student/teacher ratio: 10.2

Number of students: 253

Racial breakdown:

African American:

94.9%

White:

2.4%

Hispanic:

2.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details West Lowndes Elementary ranks worse than 57.7% of elementary schools in Mississippi. It also ranks last among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Lowndes County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 43.45. (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 West Lowndes Elementary has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Lowndes County School District. Racial makeup is: African American (94.9%), White (2.4%), Hispanic (2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Lowndes County School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Lowndes Elementary is 10.2, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the Lowndes County School District! (See more...)

Compare West Lowndes Elementary employs 24.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Lowndes Elementary is $15,513, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the Lowndes County School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

West Lowndes Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Lowndes County School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Lowndes County School District 46^th of 130 Mississippi school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for West Lowndes Elementary

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MS State Percentile
2008	32.38	282^nd	394	28.4%
2009	27.85	302^nd	392	23.0%
2010	53.58	193^rd	403	52.1%
2011	72.98	92^nd	418	78.0%
2012	62.02	159^th	414	61.6%
2013	67.53	133^rd	408	67.4%
2014	65.93	131^st	394	66.8%
2015	51.77	172^nd	402	57.2%
2016	50.12	193^rd	394	51.0%
2017	41.18	235^th	406	42.1%
2018	45.22	222^nd	404	45.0%
2019	38.46	248^th	397	37.5%
2021	38.67	227^th	381	40.4%
2022	48.01	201^st	382	47.4%
2023	38.11	245^th	377	35.0%
2024	43.45	225^th	390	42.3%

See the entire list of Mississippi Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

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Enrollment information for West Lowndes Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1990	11	387	0	0	n/a	n/a	398
1991	11	426	0	0	n/a	n/a	437
1992	11	431	1	0	n/a	n/a	443
1993	9	409	0	0	n/a	n/a	418
1994	9	401	0	0	n/a	n/a	410
1995	12	379	0	1	n/a	n/a	392
1996	12	379	0	1	n/a	n/a	392
1997	10	384	1	0	n/a	n/a	395
1998	5	378	0	0	n/a	n/a	383
1999	7	376	0	1	n/a	n/a	384
2000	7	371	0	0	n/a	n/a	378
2001	6	371	0	0	n/a	n/a	377
2002	2	344	0	0	n/a	n/a	346
2003	2	344	0	0	n/a	n/a	346
2004	5	311	0	0	n/a	n/a	316
2005	3	287	1	0	n/a	n/a	291
2006	3	304	0	1	n/a	n/a	308
2007	2	241	0	1	n/a	n/a	244
2008	9	229	0	1	n/a	n/a	239
2009	6	214	0	0	0	0	220
2010	5	207	0	0	0	0	212
2011	6	200	0	0	0	1	207
2012	11	193	0	0	0	0	204
2013	6	235	0	0	0	1	242
2014	10	251	0	3	0	1	265
2015	8	291	0	2	0	0	301
2016	9	306	0	0	0	0	315
2017	6	283	1	1	0	0	291
2018	6	276	0	1	0	0	283
2019	3	274	0	1	0	0	278
2020	9	248	0	2	0	0	259
2021	8	222	1	1	0	0	232
2022	8	209	0	0	0	0	217
2023	8	222	2	2	0	0	234
2024	6	240	0	5	0	2	253

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 West Lowndes Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	398	21.6	18.4	n/a
1991	437	22.2	19.6	n/a
1992	443	21.2	20.8	39.5
1993	418	21.8	19.2	40
1994	410	22.6	18.1	38.3
1995	392	23.0	17.0	40.1
1996	392	23.0	17.0	40.1
1997	395	22.8	17.3	39
1998	383	22.8	16.8	41.8
1999	384	22.2	17.3	47.4
2000	378	24.8	15.2	50
2001	377	24.7	15.3	50.4
2002	346	21.4	16.2	49.4
2003	346	21.4	16.2	49.4
2004	316	21.7	14.6	88
2005	291	21.0	13.9	99
2006	308	22.0	14.0	86.4
2007	244	23.7	10.3	98.8
2008	239	20.7	11.5	98.7
2009	220	21.1	10.4	98.6
2010	212	21.1	10.0	84.4
2011	207	23.9	8.6	81.6
2012	204	17.5	11.6	76
2013	242	19.3	12.5	70.2
2014	265	20.5	12.8	76.2
2015	301	26.0	11.5	99
2016	315	26.0	12.1	99
2017	291	26.0	11.1	99
2018	283	21.9	12.8	98.9
2019	278	22.3	12.4	93.2
2020	259	23.2	11.1	98.8
2021	232	23.9	9.6	98.7
2022	217	23.4	9.2	98.6
2023	234	27.0	8.6	100
2024	253	24.8	10.2	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 West Lowndes Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	398	21.6	18.4	n/a
1991	437	22.2	19.6	n/a
1992	443	21.2	20.8	39.5
1993	418	21.8	19.2	40
1994	410	22.6	18.1	38.3
1995	392	23.0	17.0	40.1
1996	392	23.0	17.0	40.1
1997	395	22.8	17.3	39
1998	383	22.8	16.8	41.8
1999	384	22.2	17.3	47.4
2000	378	24.8	15.2	50
2001	377	24.7	15.3	50.4
2002	346	21.4	16.2	49.4
2003	346	21.4	16.2	49.4
2004	316	21.7	14.6	88
2005	291	21.0	13.9	99
2006	308	22.0	14.0	86.4
2007	244	23.7	10.3	98.8
2008	239	20.7	11.5	98.7
2009	220	21.1	10.4	98.6
2010	212	21.1	10.0	84.4
2011	207	23.9	8.6	81.6
2012	204	17.5	11.6	76
2013	242	19.3	12.5	70.2
2014	265	20.5	12.8	76.2
2015	301	26.0	11.5	99
2016	315	26.0	12.1	99
2017	291	26.0	11.1	99
2018	283	21.9	12.8	98.9
2019	278	22.3	12.4	93.2
2020	259	23.2	11.1	98.8
2021	232	23.9	9.6	98.7
2022	217	23.4	9.2	98.6
2023	234	27.0	8.6	100
2024	253	24.8	10.2	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 West Lowndes Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2017	$11,200
2018	$11,088
2019	$11,978
2020	$15,359
2021	$15,111
2022	$15,513

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West Lowndes Elementary

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 248^th of 397 Elementary schools	Ranks 245^th of 377 Elementary schools	2.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (West Lowndes Elementary)	42.5	43.5	1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Lowndes County School District)	54.9	60	5.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	48.3	51.6	3.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (West Lowndes Elementary)	39.4	34.8	4.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Lowndes County School District)	57.7	63.7	6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	51.4	54.8	3.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (West Lowndes Elementary)	33.3	37.6	4.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Lowndes County School District)	60.9	58.6	2.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	48.5	53.4	4.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (West Lowndes Elementary)	39.4	46.9	7.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Lowndes County School District)	63.8	63.5	0.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	48.8	56.7	7.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (West Lowndes Elementary)	23	33.3	10.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Lowndes County School District)	56.5	65	8.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	43	51.9	8.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (West Lowndes Elementary)	39.6	48.1	8.5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Lowndes County School District)	55.7	65.3	9.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	38.9	44.3	5.4%
5th Grade Science (West Lowndes Elementary)	27.1	48.1	21%
5th Grade Science (Lowndes County School District)	55.5	67.9	12.4%
5th Grade Science (Mississippi)	55.9	64.3	8.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (West Lowndes Elementary)	23.8	32	8.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Lowndes County School District)	44.4	49.4	5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	33.6	40.3	6.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (West Lowndes Elementary)	69.1	60	9.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Lowndes County School District)	68	63.2	4.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	47.6	45.5	2.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	278	234	15.8%
African American	274	222	19%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	2
Hispanic	1	2	100%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	3	8	166.7%
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	93.2%	100%	6.8%

Schools Near West Lowndes Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAAP English Language Arts (2024)				MAAP Mathematics (2024)				MAAP Science (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	MAAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAAP Science 5th Grade	Total
West Lowndes Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1000 Gilmer Wilburn Road	Columbus	39701	Lowndes County	Lowndes County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 244-5050	253	25	10.2	100.0%	6 (2.4%)	240 (94.9%)	5 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	43.4	225^th of 390 public elementary schools	42.3%		38.1	245^th of 377 public elementary schools	35.0%	20	67.6	41.6	30.3	32.0	35.1	29.2	51.6	56.0	75.8	$15,513
Franklin Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	501 N Third Avenue	Columbus	39701	Lowndes County	Columbus Municipal School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 241-7150	268	20	13.6	100.0%	18 (6.7%)	227 (84.7%)	2 (0.7%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.3%)	19.7	335^th of 390 public elementary schools	14.1%		30.6	278^th of 377 public elementary schools	26.3%	57	34.2	30.6	26.2		29.0	47.2	31.0		57.2	$12,811
Stokes Beard Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	311 Martin Luther King Dr.	Columbus	39701	Lowndes County	Columbus Municipal School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 241-7270	353	27	13.0	100.0%	6 (1.7%)	339 (96.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.0%)	21.3	320^th of 390 public elementary schools	17.9%		13.6	343^rd of 377 public elementary schools	9.0%	23	29.3	51.3	38.9		13.8	32.5	33.4		61.1	$12,353
Cook Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2217 N Seventh Street	Columbus	39705	Lowndes County	Columbus Municipal School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 241-7180	423	31	13.8	100.0%	20 (4.7%)	365 (86.3%)	18 (4.3%)	8 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.8%)	27.6	294^th of 390 public elementary schools	24.6%		29	285^th of 377 public elementary schools	24.4%	9	49.1	36.9	27.6		50.8	43.9	25.8		55.2	$14,058
Fairview Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	225 Airline Road	Columbus	39702	Lowndes County	Columbus Municipal School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 241-7140	229	16	14.6	100.0%	6 (2.6%)	221 (96.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	35.2	262^nd of 390 public elementary schools	32.8%		15.9	334^th of 377 public elementary schools	11.4%	72	48.8	45.9	41.7		40.9	29.7	41.6		69.4	$11,708
Sale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	520 Warpath Road	Columbus	39702	Lowndes County	Columbus Municipal School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 241-7260	275	19	14.4	100.0%	8 (2.9%)	260 (94.5%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	26.9	297^th of 390 public elementary schools	23.8%		21.7	314^th of 377 public elementary schools	16.7%	17	34.8	34.2	41.3		26.1	21.1	45.6		69.5	$12,240
New Hope Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	199 Enlow Road	Columbus	39702	Lowndes County	Lowndes County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 244-4760	1,199	92	13.0	72.7%	606 (50.5%)	553 (46.1%)	6 (0.5%)	5 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (2.4%)	52.7	187^th of 390 public elementary schools	52.1%		59.5	147^th of 377 public elementary schools	61.0%	40	63.6	63.3	47.0		40.6	55.9	49.5		62.7	$10,045
South Side Elementary School	Public	3-4	237 Louis Odneal Road	West Point	39773	Clay County	West Point Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 495-6216	309	25	12.3	100.0%	48 (15.5%)	250 (80.9%)	5 (1.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	41	244^th of 390 public elementary schools	37.4%		33.9	264^th of 377 public elementary schools	30.0%	20	48.5	52.9			40.5	49.2				$13,947
Church Hill Elementary School	Public	1-2	2050 W Church Hill Road	West Point	39773	Clay County	West Point Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 494-5900	380	26	14.6	100.0%	49 (12.9%)	318 (83.7%)	4 (1.1%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.8%)								(n/a)										$11,740
East Side Elementary School	Public	PK-K	1039 E Broad Street	West Point	39773	Clay County	West Point Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 494-4691	254	23	11.1	100.0%	30 (11.8%)	212 (83.5%)	4 (1.6%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (2.0%)								(n/a)										$12,413

Frequently Asked Questions about West Lowndes Elementary

What is the racial makeup of West Lowndes Elementary?

Students at West Lowndes Elementary are 95% African American, 2% White, 2% Hispanic.

How many students attend West Lowndes Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 253 students attended West Lowndes Elementary.

Is West Lowndes Elementary a good school?

West Lowndes Elementary ranks 225^th of 390 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is West Lowndes Elementary in?

Lowndes County School District

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