Columbia Junior High School

Summary:

Columbia Junior High School is a public secondary school located in Tacoma, Washington, serving grades 8-9 with a total enrollment of 565 students. The school is part of the Fife School District, which is ranked 146 out of 247 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Compared to the nearby Curtis Junior High School, Columbia Junior High has a more diverse student population, with a higher percentage of non-white students. However, its academic performance, as measured by standardized test scores, is generally lower than the state and district averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Columbia's proficiency rates in SBAC/English Language Arts (43.11%), SBAC/Math (21.71%), and WCAS/Science (27.08%) were all below the Fife School District and Washington state averages. In contrast, Curtis Junior High School has significantly higher proficiency rates in these areas.

Additionally, Columbia Junior High School has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 43.75% to 49.3% over the past three school years, compared to 42.7% at Curtis Junior High School. This suggests that Columbia may serve a population with greater socioeconomic challenges, which could contribute to the lower academic performance. The school has also seen fluctuations in its per-student spending, ranging from $8,434 in the 2019-2020 school year to $15,593 in the 2021-2022 school year, which may impact its ability to provide consistent resources and support for its students.


Detail:

Public 8-9

 2901 54th Avenue E
       Tacoma, WA  98424-2110


(253) 517-1600

District: Fife School District

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,593 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  18.6 Help
Number of students:  565

Racial breakdown:

White:
41.1%
Hispanic:
25.5%
Asian:
11.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  47.4% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Columbia Junior High School ranks worse than 74.6% of middle schools in Washington. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 25.57. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (41.1%), Hispanic (25.5%), Asian (11.3%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 47.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Columbia Junior High School is 18.6. (See more...)
Help
Compare Columbia Junior High School employs 30.3 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Columbia Junior High School is $15,593.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Columbia Junior High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbia Junior High School 399th of 535 Washington public middle schools. (See Columbia Junior High School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Fife School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Fife School District 146th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Columbia Junior High School?

Rank History for Columbia Junior High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Columbia Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 32.93 330th 449 26.5%
2007 50.11 232nd 463 49.9%
2008 60.12 172nd 466 63.1%
2009 34.90 334th 476 29.8%
2010 48.00 258th 483 46.6%
2011 52.81 227th 492 53.9%
2012 28.11 383rd 497 22.9%
2013 41.68 307th 498 38.4%
2015 51.79 204th 445 54.2%
2016 61.72 167th 443 62.3%
2017 66.43 138th 435 68.3%
2018 56.73 179th 437 59.0%
2019 22.41 412th 512 19.5%
2022 32.80 364th 541 32.7%
2023 33.49 348th 539 35.4%
2024 25.57 399th 535 25.4%
See the entire list of Washington Secondary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Columbia Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.19 112th 166 32.5%
2019 29.65 185th 246 24.8%
2022 28.24 190th 257 26.1%
2023 47.18 121st 244 50.4%
2024 11.76 231st 243 4.9%
See the entire list of Best Washington Secondary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Columbia Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.22 176th 268 34.3%
See the entire list of Best Washington Secondary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Columbia Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 52.37 146th 349 58.2%
2019 19.69 388th 448 13.4%
2022 34.58 319th 475 32.8%
2023 19.55 396th 463 14.5%
2024 24.57 364th 455 20.0%
See the entire list of Best Washington Secondary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Columbia Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 58.56 151st 376 59.8%
2019 28.26 340th 452 24.8%
2022 25.22 364th 479 24.0%
2023 35.08 291st 464 37.3%
2024 25.83 360th 464 22.4%
See the entire list of Best Washington Secondary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Columbia Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 47.77 181st 371 51.2%
2019 14.49 408th 453 9.9%
2022 42.13 261st 480 45.6%
2023 30.01 333rd 470 29.1%
2024 25.47 351st 466 24.7%
See the entire list of Best Washington Secondary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Columbia Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.67 81st 123 34.1%
2019 21.67 127th 152 16.4%
2022 37.15 99th 161 38.5%
2023 31.41 97th 145 33.1%
2024 15.28 131st 148 11.5%
See the entire list of Best Washington Secondary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Columbia Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 88.39 4th 66 93.9%
2019 62.71 27th 111 75.7%
2022 43.43 54th 104 48.1%
2024 39.18 52nd 90 42.2%
See the entire list of Best Washington Secondary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Columbia Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 61.64 84th 259 67.6%
2019 12.19 332nd 344 3.5%
2022 37.78 213th 360 40.8%
2023 21.92 272nd 336 19.0%
2024 32.97 227th 344 34.0%
See the entire list of Best Washington Secondary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Columbia Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 53.77 139th 325 57.2%
2019 19.99 399th 470 15.1%
2022 31.07 351st 488 28.1%
2023 36.67 310th 488 36.5%
2024 32.59 337th 486 30.7%
See the entire list of Best Washington Secondary 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.

Columbia Junior High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 




Data source: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Columbia Junior High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2004 434 18 52 42 23 n/a n/a 0 569
2005 415 32 45 46 27 n/a n/a 0 565
2006 390 26 47 59 17 n/a n/a 13 552
2007 403 26 45 58 22 n/a n/a 13 567
2008 392 33 63 75 17 n/a n/a 18 598
2009 345 28 69 73 14 n/a n/a 23 552
2010 345 29 75 61 17 n/a n/a 1 528
2011 310 19 42 92 8 9 59 0 539
2012 289 26 42 101 11 11 68 0 548
2013 288 15 41 90 8 14 68 0 524
2014 313 17 45 94 8 21 58 0 556
2015 318 22 43 106 9 16 67 0 581
2016 294 18 53 99 5 16 67 0 552
2017 316 18 58 106 3 28 62 0 591
2018 283 28 50 131 3 29 71 0 595
2019 253 30 57 115 7 33 63 0 558
2020 271 28 64 123 8 45 71 1 611
2021 263 26 56 134 6 38 83 2 608
2022 230 36 58 134 8 29 73 0 568
2023 232 44 64 144 5 30 45 1 565

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 Junior High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2004 569 24.0 23.7 27.6
2005 565 25.0 22.6 29.6
2006 552 26.3 21.0 31.7
2007 567 25.8 22.0 30.7
2008 598 28.8 20.8 32.1
2009 552 28.8 19.2 33.8
2010 528 25.6 20.6 33.6
2011 539 25.6 21.0 39.1
2012 548 26.0 21.0 43.4
2013 524 25.6 20.4 47.1
2014 556 n/a n/a 44.2
2015 581 27.0 21.5 46.1
2016 552 27.0 20.4 43.5
2017 591 28.0 21.0 42
2018 595 28.4 20.9 42
2019 558 28.2 19.7 42.7
2020 611 28.6 21.3 48.1
2021 608 28.9 21.0 43.8
2022 568 29.8 19.0 49.3
2023 565 30.3 18.6 47.4

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 Junior High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2004 569 24.0 23.7 27.6
2005 565 25.0 22.6 29.6
2006 552 26.3 21.0 31.7
2007 567 25.8 22.0 30.7
2008 598 28.8 20.8 32.1
2009 552 28.8 19.2 33.8
2010 528 25.6 20.6 33.6
2011 539 25.6 21.0 39.1
2012 548 26.0 21.0 43.4
2013 524 25.6 20.4 47.1
2014 556 n/a n/a 44.2
2015 581 27.0 21.5 46.1
2016 552 27.0 20.4 43.5
2017 591 28.0 21.0 42
2018 595 28.4 20.9 42
2019 558 28.2 19.7 42.7
2020 611 28.6 21.3 48.1
2021 608 28.9 21.0 43.8
2022 568 29.8 19.0 49.3
2023 565 30.3 18.6 47.4

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 Junior High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $272 (2.0%) $13,546 (98.0%) $13,817
2020 $108 (1.3%) $8,326 (98.7%) $8,434
2021 $406 (3.0%) $13,030 (97.0%) $13,436
2022 $1,078 (6.9%) $14,515 (93.1%) $15,593

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Columbia Junior High 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 412th of 512 Middle schoolsRanks 348th of 539 Middle schools
 15.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
8th Grade English Language Arts (Columbia Junior High School)5347.8
 5.2%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Fife School District)5347.8
 5.2%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Washington)59.651.3
 8.3%
8th Grade Math (Columbia Junior High School)28.823.6
 5.2%
   8th Grade Math (Fife School District)28.823.6
 5.2%
   8th Grade Math (Washington)47.234.4
 12.8%
8th Grade Science (Columbia Junior High School)3535.9
 0.9%
   8th Grade Science (Fife School District)3535.9
 0.9%
   8th Grade Science (Washington)53.143.9
 9.3%
All Grades English Language Arts (Columbia Junior High School)5347.8
 5.2%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Fife School District)5745.3
 11.7%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Washington)6152.9
 8.1%
All Grades Math (Columbia Junior High School)28.823.6
 5.2%
   All Grades Math (Fife School District)43.932
 11.9%
   All Grades Math (Washington)50.141
 9%
All Grades Science (Columbia Junior High School)3535.9
 0.9%
   All Grades Science (Fife School District)4345.2
 2.2%
   All Grades Science (Washington)52.748.8
 4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students558565
 1.3%
African American3044
 46.7%
American Indian75
 28.6%
Asian5764
 12.3%
Hispanic115144
 25.2%
Pacific Islander3330
 9.1%
White253232
 8.3%
Two or More Races6345
 28.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients42.7%47.4%
 4.8%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Columbia Junior High School

Students at Columbia Junior High School are 41% White, 25% Hispanic, 11% Asian, 8% Two or more races, 8% African American, 5% Pacific Islander.

In the 2022-23 school year, 565 students attended Columbia Junior High School.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

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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