Park Elementary School

Summary:

Park Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Columbia, Pennsylvania, serving grades K-4 with a total enrollment of 478 students. The school is part of the Columbia Borough School District, which is ranked 548 out of 610 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Park Elementary School consistently ranks in the bottom 25% of Pennsylvania elementary schools, with a ranking between 1,138 and 1,386 out of 1,526 schools in the state over the past 10 years. The school's performance on PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) tests is significantly below the state averages across all subjects and grade levels, with proficiency rates in Math (17.5%), Science (45.2%), and English Language Arts (21.7%) well below the state averages of 40.4%, 65.8%, and 53%, respectively. The school also has a high percentage of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, with 71.13% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2022-2023 school year.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Landisville Pri Center, Hambright Elementary School, and Centerville Elementary School, Park Elementary School performs significantly worse on PSSA tests, with proficiency rates that are often 30-40 percentage points lower. These nearby schools also have lower percentages of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and are generally ranked higher in the state. Despite the higher per-student spending at Park Elementary School, the school's academic performance remains significantly lower than the state and district averages, as well as the nearby schools.


Detail:

Public K-4

 50 S 6th St
       Columbia, PA  17512


(717) 684-9780

District: Columbia Borough School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1386th of 1,526 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $16,585 Help


Students who attend Park Elementary School usually attend:

High:    Columbia High School

Student/teacher ratio:  12.2 Help
Number of students:  478

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
44.4%
White:
38.9%
Two or more races:
9.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  71.1% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Park Elementary School ranks worse than 90.8% of elementary schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.31. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (44.4%), White (38.9%), two or more races (9.8%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 71.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Park Elementary School is 12.2. (See more...)
Help
Compare Park Elementary School employs 38.9 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Park Elementary School is $16,585.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Park Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Park Elementary School 1386th of 1526 Pennsylvania public elementary schools. (See Park Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Columbia Borough School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbia Borough School District 548th of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Park Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Park Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 33.51 959th 1302 26.3%
2004 24.81 1052nd 1308 19.6%
2005 50.62 793rd 1299 39.0%
2006 40.66 1126th 1545 27.1%
2007 44.53 1056th 1555 32.1%
2008 38.38 1167th 1551 24.8%
2009 33.75 1239th 1549 20.0%
2010 30.97 1290th 1579 18.3%
2011 35.37 1248th 1597 21.9%
2012 36.92 1225th 1599 23.4%
2013 22.70 1259th 1519 17.1%
2014 17.10 1254th 1467 14.5%
2015 24.76 1148th 1474 22.1%
2016 24.16 1226th 1554 21.1%
2017 33.05 1137th 1547 26.5%
2018 31.22 1141st 1530 25.4%
2019 31.34 1138th 1544 26.3%
2021 20.41 1145th 1433 20.1%
2022 20.27 1207th 1534 21.3%
2023 9.14 1371st 1534 10.6%
2024 8.31 1386th 1526 9.2%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Park Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 12.92 1261st 1414 10.8%
2024 9.73 1331st 1432 7.1%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Park Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 7.57 1373rd 1488 7.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Park Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 12.88 998th 1043 4.3%
2024 14.17 1004th 1084 7.4%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Park Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 9.72 1350th 1495 9.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Park Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 23.78 361st 432 16.4%
2024 11.32 434th 454 4.4%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Park Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 4.97 1200th 1236 2.9%
2024 9.55 1162nd 1229 5.5%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania 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.

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





Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

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Enrollment information for Park Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 556 40 1 11 0 n/a n/a 0 608
1989 529 46 0 15 0 n/a n/a 0 590
1990 524 43 3 31 1 n/a n/a 0 602
1991 508 39 3 29 0 n/a n/a 0 579
1992 509 46 2 27 0 n/a n/a 0 584
1993 514 46 5 40 0 n/a n/a 0 605
1994 495 54 4 36 0 n/a n/a 0 589
1995 514 55 3 47 0 n/a n/a 0 619
1996 514 55 3 47 0 n/a n/a 0 619
1997 521 58 2 47 0 n/a n/a 0 628
1998 531 60 1 47 0 n/a n/a 0 639
1999 474 75 1 31 0 n/a n/a 0 581
2000 449 76 2 42 0 n/a n/a 0 569
2001 401 74 4 51 2 n/a n/a 0 532
2002 347 75 7 76 1 n/a n/a 0 506
2003 347 75 7 76 1 n/a n/a 0 506
2004 315 69 3 77 1 n/a n/a 0 465
2005 288 74 8 80 1 n/a n/a 0 451
2006 326 54 3 82 0 n/a n/a 0 465
2007 303 55 2 90 0 n/a n/a 0 450
2008 322 58 3 102 0 n/a n/a 0 485
2009 316 63 4 89 0 n/a n/a 0 472
2010 304 60 5 79 0 n/a n/a 0 448
2011 283 62 5 95 0 0 1 0 446
2012 262 58 5 124 0 0 15 0 464
2013 250 53 4 121 0 0 34 0 462
2014 233 49 5 124 0 2 36 0 449
2015 336 39 4 136 0 0 42 0 557
2016 309 40 3 149 0 0 46 0 547
2017 311 31 1 152 0 1 50 0 546
2018 297 26 1 151 0 1 51 0 527
2019 278 30 0 180 0 0 52 0 540
2020 265 31 2 183 0 0 61 0 542
2021 206 31 2 190 0 0 48 0 477
2022 197 30 2 197 0 0 41 0 467
2023 186 31 2 212 0 0 47 0 478

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 Park Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 608 35.0 17.3 n/a
1989 590 36.0 16.3 n/a
1990 602 34.0 17.7 0
1991 579 36.0 16.0 n/a
1992 584 36.0 16.2 n/a
1993 605 31.0 19.5 n/a
1994 589 31.0 19.0 n/a
1995 619 32.0 19.3 n/a
1996 619 32.0 19.3 n/a
1997 628 32.0 19.6 n/a
1998 639 33.0 19.4 n/a
1999 581 32.0 18.2 n/a
2000 569 35.0 16.3 41.1
2001 532 35.0 15.2 46.8
2002 506 30.6 16.5 50
2003 506 30.6 16.5 50
2004 465 33.5 13.9 52.7
2005 451 35.9 12.6 56.1
2006 465 36.1 12.9 61.7
2007 450 36.5 12.3 65.6
2008 485 39.9 12.2 76.3
2009 472 39.7 11.9 76.1
2010 448 38.4 11.6 77.9
2011 446 35.8 12.4 78.7
2012 464 34.5 13.4 81.7
2013 462 33.4 13.8 76.4
2014 449 33.4 13.4 80.6
2015 557 38.0 14.6 73.4
2016 547 40.0 13.6 59.8
2017 546 36.2 15.0 100
2018 527 35.5 14.8 100
2019 540 36.8 14.6 100
2020 542 36.9 14.6 100
2021 477 33.8 14.0 74.8
2022 467 38.5 12.1 75.6
2023 478 38.9 12.2 71.1

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 Park Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 608 35.0 17.3 n/a
1989 590 36.0 16.3 n/a
1990 602 34.0 17.7 0
1991 579 36.0 16.0 n/a
1992 584 36.0 16.2 n/a
1993 605 31.0 19.5 n/a
1994 589 31.0 19.0 n/a
1995 619 32.0 19.3 n/a
1996 619 32.0 19.3 n/a
1997 628 32.0 19.6 n/a
1998 639 33.0 19.4 n/a
1999 581 32.0 18.2 n/a
2000 569 35.0 16.3 41.1
2001 532 35.0 15.2 46.8
2002 506 30.6 16.5 50
2003 506 30.6 16.5 50
2004 465 33.5 13.9 52.7
2005 451 35.9 12.6 56.1
2006 465 36.1 12.9 61.7
2007 450 36.5 12.3 65.6
2008 485 39.9 12.2 76.3
2009 472 39.7 11.9 76.1
2010 448 38.4 11.6 77.9
2011 446 35.8 12.4 78.7
2012 464 34.5 13.4 81.7
2013 462 33.4 13.8 76.4
2014 449 33.4 13.4 80.6
2015 557 38.0 14.6 73.4
2016 547 40.0 13.6 59.8
2017 546 36.2 15.0 100
2018 527 35.5 14.8 100
2019 540 36.8 14.6 100
2020 542 36.9 14.6 100
2021 477 33.8 14.0 74.8
2022 467 38.5 12.1 75.6
2023 478 38.9 12.2 71.1

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 Park Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $706 (5.7%) $11,679 (94.3%) $12,385
2020 $686 (5.4%) $11,919 (94.6%) $12,604
2021 $1,397 (10.0%) $12,614 (90.0%) $14,012
2022 $5,430 (32.7%) $11,155 (67.3%) $16,584

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Park 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 1138th of 1544 Elementary schoolsRanks 1371st of 1534 Elementary schools
 15.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Park Elementary School)41.628.3
 13.3%
   3rd Grade Math (Pennsylvania)5651.7
 4.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Park Elementary School)52.523.5
 29%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)61.954
 7.9%
4th Grade Math (Park Elementary School)33.78.8
 24.9%
   4th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)46.246.5
 0.3%
4th Grade Science (Park Elementary School)72.846.1
 26.7%
   4th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)77.874.1
 3.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Park Elementary School)50.615.7
 34.9%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)63.651.8
 11.8%
All Grades Math (Park Elementary School)37.818
 19.8%
   All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)42.439.3
 3.1%
All Grades Science (Park Elementary School)72.846.1
 26.7%
   All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)6865.6
 2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Park Elementary School)51.519.4
 32.1%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)60.953.8
 7.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students540478
 11.5%
African American3031
 3.3%
American Indian00
Asian02
Hispanic180212
 17.8%
Pacific Islander00
White278186
 33.1%
Two or More Races5247
 9.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients100%71.1%
 28.9%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Park Elementary School

Park Elementary School ranks in the bottom 9.2% of Pennsylvania elementary schools.

Students who attend Park Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Columbia High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 478 students attended Park Elementary School.

Students at Park Elementary School are 44% Hispanic, 39% White, 10% Two or more races, 6% African American.


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





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