Columbia Elementary

Q: Is Columbia Elementary a good school?

Columbia Elementary ranks 297 th of 433 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Columbia Elementary is a public elementary school located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 225. The school is part of the Las Cruces school district, which is ranked 63 out of 119 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Columbia Elementary's academic performance, as measured by proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science, is consistently lower than the district and state averages. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 30% in ELA, 17% in Mathematics, and 29% in Science, compared to the Las Cruces district averages of 39%, 23%, and 38%, respectively. Nearby schools, such as Highland Elementary and Sonoma Elementary, have significantly higher proficiency rates. Columbia Elementary also has a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 100% of its students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the past three school years.

Despite its consistent low performance, with the school's statewide ranking ranging from 192 to 339 out of 412 to 442 schools over the past 10 school years, Columbia Elementary has not shown significant improvement over time. The performance disparities among different student subgroups at the school suggest that targeted interventions and support may be necessary to address the unique challenges faced by the school and its student population.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

4555 Elks Dr
Las Cruces, NM 88005

(575) 527-1561

District: Las Cruces

SchoolDigger Rank:
297^th of 433 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,474

Students who attend Columbia Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Vista Middle
High:	Arrowhead Park Early College High School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.4

Number of students: 225

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

86.7%

White:

7.6%

African American:

4.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare Columbia Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Columbia Elementary ranks worse than 68.6% of elementary schools in New Mexico. It also ranks 17^th among 24 ranked elementary schools in the Las Cruces School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 30.79. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (86.7%), White (7.6%), African American (4%). (See more...)

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

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Columbia Elementary is 10.4, which is the 2^nd best among 24 elementary schools in the Las Cruces School District. (See more...)

Compare Columbia Elementary employs 21.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Columbia Elementary is $10,474. 12 elementary schools in the Las Cruces School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Columbia Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbia Elementary 297^th of 433 New Mexico public elementary schools. (See Columbia Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Las Cruces:

SchoolDigger ranks Las Cruces 63^rd of 119 New Mexico school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Columbia Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Columbia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2005	40.91	239^th	389	38.6%
2006	47.31	204^th	390	47.7%
2007	43.63	225^th	398	43.5%
2008	36.09	273^rd	405	32.6%
2009	30.44	314^th	411	23.6%
2010	24.92	337^th	419	19.6%
2011	38.22	259^th	402	35.6%
2012	26.50	315^th	398	20.9%
2013	23.70	339^th	412	17.7%
2014	38.50	279^th	442	36.9%
2015	45.91	192^nd	421	54.4%
2016	35.82	261^st	410	36.3%
2017	24.58	293^rd	374	21.7%
2018	42.92	197^th	383	48.6%
2019	25.47	302^nd	396	23.7%
2022	26.02	302^nd	420	28.1%
2023	26.13	330^th	435	24.1%
2024	30.79	297^th	433	31.4%

See the entire list of New Mexico Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Columbia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	57.28	64^th	203	68.5%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Columbia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	53.17	143^rd	356	59.8%
2019	31.63	260^th	361	28.0%
2022	30.31	258^th	410	37.1%
2023	29.37	313^th	426	26.5%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Columbia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	30.67	235^th	339	30.7%
2019	28.87	254^th	343	25.9%
2022	22.38	293^rd	395	25.8%
2023	17.30	359^th	390	7.9%
2024	35.84	240^th	393	38.9%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Columbia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	49.41	139^th	333	58.3%
2019	23.10	280^th	337	16.9%
2022	31.62	232^nd	392	40.8%
2023	29.72	293^rd	414	29.2%
2024	24.14	317^th	410	22.7%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Columbia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	41.21	190^th	329	42.2%
2019	23.40	258^th	320	19.4%
2022	27.28	266^th	389	31.6%
2023	20.34	339^th	395	14.2%
2024	33.88	259^th	390	33.6%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Columbia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	37.27	217^th	325	33.2%
2023	22.33	333^rd	413	19.4%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: New Mexico Public Education Department, 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.

Data source: New Mexico Public Education Department

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Enrollment information for Columbia Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2004	70	12	0	391	1	n/a	n/a	474
2005	79	12	0	435	1	n/a	n/a	527
2006	65	11	0	424	1	n/a	n/a	501
2007	68	6	0	401	1	n/a	n/a	476
2008	81	10	1	436	2	n/a	n/a	530
2009	63	6	0	407	4	n/a	n/a	480
2010	62	9	1	415	3	0	0	490
2011	85	6	2	403	2	0	0	498
2012	80	4	3	411	2	0	0	500
2013	63	1	2	422	2	0	0	490
2014	63	2	1	413	2	0	0	481
2015	62	2	0	422	3	0	0	489
2016	55	0	2	440	2	0	0	499
2017	44	0	3	413	1	0	0	461
2018	53	1	2	406	5	0	0	467
2019	48	2	2	398	4	0	0	454
2020	38	1	2	363	4	0	1	409
2021	33	4	2	266	2	0	0	307
2022	23	7	0	213	2	0	1	246
2023	17	9	0	195	2	0	2	225

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 Columbia Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2004	474	34.4	13.8	80.2
2005	527	34.3	15.4	77.6
2006	501	38.2	13.1	79.6
2007	476	38.0	12.5	72.5
2008	530	34.1	15.5	78.5
2009	480	36.1	13.3	82.3
2010	490	34.0	14.3	80.6
2011	498	37.6	13.2	78.5
2012	500	34.6	14.4	99.4
2013	490	33.5	14.5	80.6
2014	481	29.9	16.0	73.6
2015	489	31.0	15.7	73.4
2016	499	32.0	15.5	63.9
2017	461	28.3	16.2	100
2018	467	27.0	17.2	100
2019	454	27.3	16.5	100
2020	409	28.9	14.1	100
2021	307	25.0	12.2	100
2022	246	20.5	12.0	100
2023	225	21.5	10.4	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 Columbia Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2004	474	34.4	13.8	80.2
2005	527	34.3	15.4	77.6
2006	501	38.2	13.1	79.6
2007	476	38.0	12.5	72.5
2008	530	34.1	15.5	78.5
2009	480	36.1	13.3	82.3
2010	490	34.0	14.3	80.6
2011	498	37.6	13.2	78.5
2012	500	34.6	14.4	99.4
2013	490	33.5	14.5	80.6
2014	481	29.9	16.0	73.6
2015	489	31.0	15.7	73.4
2016	499	32.0	15.5	63.9
2017	461	28.3	16.2	100
2018	467	27.0	17.2	100
2019	454	27.3	16.5	100
2020	409	28.9	14.1	100
2021	307	25.0	12.2	100
2022	246	20.5	12.0	100
2023	225	21.5	10.4	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 Columbia Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$10,474

Data source: New Mexico Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Columbia 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 302^nd of 396 Elementary schools	Ranks 330^th of 435 Elementary schools	0.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Language Arts (Columbia Elementary)	23	30.6	7.6%
3rd Grade Language Arts (Las Cruces)	29	31.3	2.3%
3rd Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	30	31.8	1.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Columbia Elementary)	23	20.4	2.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Las Cruces)	28	21.3	6.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	32	22.5	9.5%
4th Grade Language Arts (Columbia Elementary)	22	19.6	2.4%
4th Grade Language Arts (Las Cruces)	28	37	9%
4th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	30	35.2	5.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Columbia Elementary)	11	5.9	5.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Las Cruces)	27	24.6	2.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	27	24.5	2.5%
5th Grade Language Arts (Columbia Elementary)	31	29	2%
5th Grade Language Arts (Las Cruces)	33	39.4	6.4%
5th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	33	35.7	2.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Columbia Elementary)	12	16.1	4.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Las Cruces)	24	31.7	7.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	24	30.7	6.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	454	225	50.4%
African American	2	9	350%
American Indian	4	2	50%
Asian	2	0	100%
Hispanic	398	195	51%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	48	17	64.6%
Two or More Races	0	2
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Columbia Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NM-ASR Science (2024)	NM-MSSA English Language Arts (2024)	NM-MSSA Mathematics (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	NM-ASR Science All Grades	NM-MSSA English Language Arts All Grades	NM-MSSA Mathematics All Grades	Total
Columbia Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4555 Elks Dr	Las Cruces	88005	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-1561	225	22	10.4	100.0%	17 (7.6%)	9 (4.0%)	195 (86.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	30.8	297^th of 433 public elementary schools	31.4%		26.1	330^th of 435 public elementary schools	24.1%	33	29.0	30.0	17.0	$10,474
Dona Ana Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5551 Camino De Flores	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9506	399	30	13.3	100.0%	37 (9.3%)	0 (0.0%)	362 (90.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50.4	194^th of 433 public elementary schools	55.2%		53.7	187^th of 435 public elementary schools	57.0%	7	27.0	41.0	25.0	$11,823
East Picacho Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4450 North Valley Dr	Las Cruces	88007	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9516	495	32	15.7	100.0%	111 (22.4%)	2 (0.4%)	378 (76.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	57.5	155^th of 433 public elementary schools	64.2%		58.6	168^th of 435 public elementary schools	61.4%	13	44.0	36.0	32.0	$9,519
Jornada Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3400 Elks Dr	Las Cruces	88005	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9536	490	33	14.9	100.0%	58 (11.8%)	5 (1.0%)	416 (84.9%)	3 (0.6%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	57.3	158^th of 433 public elementary schools	63.5%		51.3	199^th of 435 public elementary schools	54.3%	41	46.0	40.0	27.0	$8,912
Highland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4201 Emerald St	Las Cruces	88012	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9636	744	45	16.5	100.0%	167 (22.4%)	16 (2.2%)	536 (72.0%)	9 (1.2%)	7 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.2%)	73.8	100^th of 433 public elementary schools	76.9%		72	112^th of 435 public elementary schools	74.3%	12	55.0	47.0	34.0	$8,078
Raices Del Saber Xinachtli Community	Public, Charter	K-5	2211 North Valley Drive	Las Cruces	88007	Do�a Ana County	Raices Del Saber Xinachtli Community	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 571-2177	114	9	12.6	88.6%	5 (4.4%)	1 (0.9%)	105 (92.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23.8	336^th of 433 public elementary schools	22.4%		38.1	267^th of 435 public elementary schools	38.6%	69		30.0	11.0
Loma Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1600 East Madrid	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9546	505	33	15.1	100.0%	48 (9.5%)	8 (1.6%)	444 (87.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	28.5	310^th of 433 public elementary schools	28.4%		39.7	259^th of 435 public elementary schools	40.5%	51	20.0	28.0	19.0	$10,870
Sonoma Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4201 Northrise Dr	Las Cruces	88011	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 541-7320	748	47	15.9	100.0%	154 (20.6%)	12 (1.6%)	554 (74.1%)	11 (1.5%)	5 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	10 (1.3%)	74.5	97^th of 433 public elementary schools	77.6%		77.3	90^th of 435 public elementary schools	79.3%	7	44.0	47.0	38.0	$8,200
Alameda Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1325 N. Alameda Blvd	Las Cruces	88005	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9486	355	27	13.1	100.0%	44 (12.4%)	5 (1.4%)	300 (84.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	14.9	391^st of 433 public elementary schools	9.7%		36.5	276^th of 435 public elementary schools	36.6%	115	17.0	20.0	11.0	$9,652
Booker T. Washington	Public	PK, KG-5	755 East Chestnut Ave	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9595	395	28	14.0	100.0%	29 (7.3%)	6 (1.5%)	357 (90.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	13.7	398^th of 433 public elementary schools	8.1%		15.5	395^th of 435 public elementary schools	9.2%	3	15.0	23.0	7.0	$13,990

Frequently Asked Questions about Columbia Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Columbia Elementary?

Students at Columbia Elementary are 87% Hispanic, 8% White, 4% African American.

How many students attend Columbia Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 225 students attended Columbia Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Columbia Elementary attend?

Students who attend Columbia Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Vista Middle
High : Arrowhead Park Early College High School

Is Columbia Elementary a good school?

Columbia Elementary ranks 297^th of 433 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Columbia Elementary in?

Las Cruces

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

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.