Is Columbia Elementary School a good school?

Columbia Elementary School ranks 290 th of 1168 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Columbia Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 210 students attended Columbia Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Columbia Elementary School?

Students at Columbia Elementary School are 79% White, 12% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Columbia Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Columbia Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Shuksan Middle School High : Bellingham High School

Columbia Elementary School

Summary:

Columbia Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Bellingham, Washington, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 231. The school is part of the Bellingham School District, which is ranked 86 out of 247 districts in Washington and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Columbia Elementary School consistently outperforms the Bellingham School District and the state of Washington in academic assessments. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school had 69.9% of students proficient or better in SBAC/English Language Arts, compared to 56.23% for the district and 52.63% for the state. In SBAC/Math, the school had 48.54% proficiency, compared to 44.64% for the district and 41.68% for the state. The school also excelled in WCAS/Science, with 83.72% of students proficient or better, significantly higher than the district (56.72%) and state (49.73%). Columbia Elementary School has maintained a strong academic performance over the years, consistently ranking in the top 30% of Washington elementary schools and receiving a 4 or 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the past decade.

When compared to other nearby schools in the Bellingham School District, Columbia Elementary School stands out as a high-performing school. For example, Cordata Elementary School, which is 2.67 miles away, had significantly lower academic performance, with only 19.26% of students proficient or better in SBAC/English Language Arts and 14.18% in SBAC/Math. Similarly, Alderwood Elementary School, 1.9 miles away, had 33.9% proficiency in SBAC/English Language Arts and 27.35% in SBAC/Math. Columbia Elementary School's performance is particularly strong among its low socioeconomic status (SES) students, who ranked 189 out of 1,024 Washington elementary schools in the 2023-2024 school year, with a 4-star rating.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

2508 Utter St
Bellingham, WA 98225-2708

(360) 676-6413

District: Bellingham School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
290^th of 1,168 Washington Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $21,605

Students who attend Columbia Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Shuksan Middle School
High:	Bellingham High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.6

Number of students: 210

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.0%

Hispanic:

12.4%

Two or more races:

4.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 26.7%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Columbia Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Columbia Elementary School ranks better than 75.2% of elementary schools in Washington. It also ranks 2^nd among 14 ranked elementary schools in the Bellingham School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 72.72. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Columbia Elementary School has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Bellingham School District. Racial makeup is: White (79%), Hispanic (12.4%), two or more races (4.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 26.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Columbia Elementary School is 14.6, which is the 6^th best among 14 elementary schools in the Bellingham School District. (See more...)

Compare Columbia Elementary School employs 14.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Columbia Elementary School is $21,605, which is the 6^th highest among 14 elementary schools in the Bellingham School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Columbia Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbia Elementary School 290^th of 1168 Washington public elementary schools. (See Columbia Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Bellingham School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Bellingham School District 86^th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Columbia Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Columbia Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	37.33	676^th	1026	34.1%
2005	76.04	204^th	1031	80.2%
2006	85.79	92^nd	1051	91.2%
2007	93.99	28^th	1069	97.4%
2008	86.48	84^th	1067	92.1%
2009	86.24	89^th	1072	91.7%
2010	83.35	120^th	1088	89.0%
2011	88.98	72^nd	1092	93.4%
2012	86.12	90^th	1097	91.8%
2013	85.58	100^th	1106	91.0%
2015	91.71	61^st	1067	94.3%
2016	90.03	81^st	1053	92.3%
2017	90.58	80^th	1056	92.4%
2018	82.34	176^th	1054	83.3%
2019	85.30	141^st	1130	87.5%
2021	67.38	328^th	1107	70.4%
2022	69.98	327^th	1169	72.0%
2023	68.35	341^st	1169	70.8%
2024	72.72	290^th	1168	75.2%

See the entire list of Washington Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	67.38	247^th	979	74.8%
2022	76.11	133^rd	1019	86.9%
2023	67.71	263^rd	1013	74.0%
2024	73.59	189^th	1024	81.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Columbia Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	82.46	144^th	1004	85.7%
2019	77.95	220^th	1068	79.4%
2021	57.89	389^th	1008	61.4%
2022	69.77	309^th	1100	71.9%
2023	65.72	349^th	1094	68.1%
2024	66.77	326^th	1093	70.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Columbia Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	82.51	157^th	999	84.3%
2019	85.18	140^th	1075	87.0%
2021	71.31	272^nd	1025	73.5%
2022	69.85	312^th	1113	72.0%
2023	69.27	309^th	1099	71.9%
2024	64.78	365^th	1099	66.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Columbia Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	75.14	241^st	1027	76.5%
2021	50.39	453^rd	943	52.0%
2022	55.68	438^th	1031	57.5%
2023	62.95	366^th	1011	63.8%
2024	62.16	375^th	1009	62.8%

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

Data source: test scores: Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction, 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: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Columbia Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	256	4	3	7	16	n/a	n/a	0	286
1989	268	2	3	9	17	n/a	n/a	0	299
1990	260	4	3	12	9	n/a	n/a	0	288
1991	272	2	3	6	14	n/a	n/a	0	297
1992	253	3	7	6	14	n/a	n/a	0	283
1993	220	0	8	13	14	n/a	n/a	0	255
1994	206	1	7	8	14	n/a	n/a	0	236
1995	199	1	7	5	4	n/a	n/a	0	216
1996	199	1	7	5	4	n/a	n/a	0	216
1997	196	0	7	10	5	n/a	n/a	0	218
1998	200	3	4	12	4	n/a	n/a	0	223
1999	199	2	8	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	220
2000	211	2	6	10	3	n/a	n/a	0	232
2001	198	3	9	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	218
2002	188	2	9	10	5	n/a	n/a	0	214
2003	188	2	9	10	5	n/a	n/a	0	214
2004	186	2	6	7	7	n/a	n/a	0	208
2005	193	2	5	6	5	n/a	n/a	0	211
2006	177	2	7	3	5	n/a	n/a	6	200
2007	186	2	4	4	8	n/a	n/a	12	216
2008	208	2	3	7	5	n/a	n/a	11	236
2009	195	3	3	5	4	n/a	n/a	11	221
2010	203	4	2	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	225
2011	220	5	3	19	1	0	0	0	248
2012	242	5	3	21	2	0	0	0	273
2013	245	2	2	18	2	0	11	0	280
2014	239	3	5	22	1	0	12	0	282
2015	235	2	4	22	0	0	13	0	276
2016	239	5	5	22	0	0	15	0	286
2017	232	5	10	18	2	0	20	0	287
2018	248	1	10	20	2	0	13	0	294
2019	251	4	10	28	2	0	17	0	312
2020	237	4	6	31	3	0	19	0	300
2021	213	3	6	24	2	0	13	0	261
2022	208	2	7	20	2	0	12	0	251
2023	190	2	4	23	1	0	11	0	231
2024	166	2	4	26	2	0	10	0	210

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 School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	286	15.0	19.0	0
1989	299	16.0	18.6	n/a
1990	288	15.5	18.5	0
1991	297	16.5	18.0	n/a
1992	283	15.5	18.2	n/a
1993	255	14.0	18.2	n/a
1994	236	12.9	18.3	n/a
1995	216	9.9	21.8	n/a
1996	216	9.9	21.8	n/a
1997	218	9.9	22.0	n/a
1998	223	9.0	24.8	n/a
1999	220	9.0	24.4	n/a
2000	232	10.0	23.2	n/a
2001	218	11.0	19.8	n/a
2002	214	12.0	17.8	29.9
2003	214	12.0	17.8	29.9
2004	208	11.0	18.9	30.8
2005	211	11.0	19.2	28
2006	200	11.4	17.5	25.8
2007	216	11.0	19.6	21.6
2008	236	10.0	23.6	22.7
2009	221	10.0	22.1	27.1
2010	225	9.8	22.8	22.2
2011	248	10.1	24.5	16.1
2012	273	11.7	23.3	24.9
2013	280	13.0	21.4	21.4
2014	282	n/a	n/a	19.1
2015	276	17.0	16.2	21.7
2016	286	15.0	19.0	19.9
2017	287	14.7	19.5	19.5
2018	294	16.8	17.4	19
2019	312	18.7	16.6	21.5
2020	300	20.0	14.9	19.3
2021	261	18.8	13.8	22.2
2022	251	17.1	14.6	17.5
2023	231	16.2	14.2	25.5
2024	210	14.3	14.6	26.7

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 School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	286	15.0	19.0	0
1989	299	16.0	18.6	n/a
1990	288	15.5	18.5	0
1991	297	16.5	18.0	n/a
1992	283	15.5	18.2	n/a
1993	255	14.0	18.2	n/a
1994	236	12.9	18.3	n/a
1995	216	9.9	21.8	n/a
1996	216	9.9	21.8	n/a
1997	218	9.9	22.0	n/a
1998	223	9.0	24.8	n/a
1999	220	9.0	24.4	n/a
2000	232	10.0	23.2	n/a
2001	218	11.0	19.8	n/a
2002	214	12.0	17.8	29.9
2003	214	12.0	17.8	29.9
2004	208	11.0	18.9	30.8
2005	211	11.0	19.2	28
2006	200	11.4	17.5	25.8
2007	216	11.0	19.6	21.6
2008	236	10.0	23.6	22.7
2009	221	10.0	22.1	27.1
2010	225	9.8	22.8	22.2
2011	248	10.1	24.5	16.1
2012	273	11.7	23.3	24.9
2013	280	13.0	21.4	21.4
2014	282	n/a	n/a	19.1
2015	276	17.0	16.2	21.7
2016	286	15.0	19.0	19.9
2017	287	14.7	19.5	19.5
2018	294	16.8	17.4	19
2019	312	18.7	16.6	21.5
2020	300	20.0	14.9	19.3
2021	261	18.8	13.8	22.2
2022	251	17.1	14.6	17.5
2023	231	16.2	14.2	25.5
2024	210	14.3	14.6	26.7

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.

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