Is Columbia Elementary a good school?

Columbia Elementary ranks 2752 nd of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Columbia Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 594 students attended Columbia Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Columbia Elementary?

Students at Columbia Elementary are 49% Hispanic, 34% White, 6% Asian, 5% Two or more races, 3% African American, 2% Pacific Islander.

What schools do graduates of Columbia Elementary attend?

Students who attend Columbia Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Fruitvale Junior High High : Liberty High

Columbia Elementary

Summary:

Columbia Elementary is a public elementary school in Bakersfield, California, serving 607 students in grades K-6 as part of the Fruitvale Elementary School District. The school faces several challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates, lower-than-average test scores, and a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

Columbia Elementary's chronic absenteeism rates have risen significantly, from 8.1% in 2017-2018 to 19.2% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than nearby Endeavour Elementary (11.0%) and Quailwood Elementary (16.3%). In terms of academic performance, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts/Literacy, Mathematics, and Science are generally lower than the district and state averages, with the exception of 6th-grade English Language Arts/Literacy where they perform better.

Compared to nearby schools, Endeavour Elementary and Quailwood Elementary, both part of the Fruitvale Elementary District, as well as American Elementary, which is part of the Rosedale Union Elementary District, consistently outperform Columbia Elementary across various subject areas and grade levels. Addressing these challenges and improving student outcomes should be a priority for the school and the district.

Detail:

Public K-6

703 Mondavi Way
Bakersfield, CA 93312-4356

(661) 588-3540

District: Fruitvale Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
2752^nd of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,167

Students who attend Columbia Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Fruitvale Junior High
High:	Liberty High

Student/teacher ratio: 20.8

Number of students: 594

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

49.5%

White:

33.7%

Asian:

6.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 68.5%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Columbia Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Columbia Elementary ranks better than 53.1% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks last among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Fruitvale Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 46.6. (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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (49.5%), White (33.7%), Asian (6.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 68.5% 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 is 20.8, which is the 2^nd best among 4 elementary schools in the Fruitvale Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Columbia Elementary employs 28.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Columbia Elementary is $6,167. 2 elementary schools in the Fruitvale Elementary School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Columbia Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbia Elementary 2752^nd of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Columbia Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Fruitvale Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Fruitvale Elementary 534^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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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	CA State Percentile
2004	66.96	1404^th	4809	70.8%
2005	70.18	1324^th	4822	72.5%
2006	63.88	1593^rd	4818	66.9%
2007	73.78	1214^th	5113	76.3%
2008	73.25	1269^th	5113	75.2%
2009	77.37	1118^th	5193	78.5%
2010	80.76	972^nd	5314	81.7%
2011	79.28	1047^th	5377	80.5%
2012	65.83	1743^rd	5390	67.7%
2013	66.11	1767^th	5530	68.0%
2015	52.79	2298^th	5611	59.0%
2016	57.53	2105^th	5614	62.5%
2017	50.84	2500^th	5692	56.1%
2018	54.09	2332^nd	5662	58.8%
2019	58.06	2174^th	5789	62.4%
2022	61.45	1963^rd	5883	66.6%
2023	48.16	2632^nd	5874	55.2%
2024	46.60	2752^nd	5862	53.1%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Columbia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	55.03	2034^th	5084	60.0%
2019	59.43	1810^th	5173	65.0%
2022	70.78	1138^th	5264	78.4%
2023	51.76	2245^th	5374	58.2%
2024	49.25	2437^th	5511	55.8%

See the entire list of Best California 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	CA State Percentile
2018	50.04	2493^rd	5413	53.9%
2019	60.36	1953^rd	5492	64.4%
2022	68.76	1575^th	5635	72.0%
2023	47.13	2568^th	5617	54.3%
2024	48.63	2473^rd	5605	55.9%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Columbia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	44.70	907^th	2128	57.4%
2019	39.29	1337^th	2585	48.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Columbia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	56.70	2085^th	5431	61.6%
2019	54.11	2250^th	5510	59.2%
2022	53.16	2278^th	5663	59.8%
2023	48.54	2540^th	5650	55.0%
2024	44.45	2784^th	5636	50.6%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Columbia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	53.86	1979^th	4830	59.0%
2019	64.79	1420^th	4963	71.4%
2022	71.05	1103^rd	5084	78.3%
2023	42.96	2684^th	5098	47.4%
2024	44.44	2649^th	5102	48.1%

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

Rank History for White students at Columbia Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	36.84	1902^nd	2737	30.5%
2019	38.19	1904^th	2834	32.8%
2022	31.92	1960^th	2726	28.1%
2023	27.73	2040^th	2662	23.4%
2024	26.99	2046^th	2647	22.7%

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

Data source: test scores: California Department 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.

Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Sunday, February 28, 2010

Columbia Elementary School is a top notch school. The teachers are great. The principle is an example of what a true leader should be. On any given day, you can see parents, grandparents and even older siblings on campus volunteering their time to our wonderful school. Rising test scores and outstanding achievments at Oral Language, Science fair and multiple California Distinguished School honors prove how well this school is run. It has been my pleasure to be associated with Columbia for over 7 years! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Columbia Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1995	291	8	18	43	1	n/a	n/a	0	361
1996	291	8	18	43	1	n/a	n/a	0	361
1997	315	10	22	66	2	n/a	n/a	0	415
1998	351	15	36	73	0	n/a	n/a	0	475
1999	364	18	26	74	2	n/a	n/a	0	484
2000	369	21	37	86	4	n/a	n/a	1	518
2001	423	21	37	88	3	n/a	n/a	0	572
2002	427	34	37	115	5	n/a	n/a	0	618
2003	427	34	37	115	5	n/a	n/a	0	618
2004	388	36	36	129	12	n/a	n/a	3	604
2005	347	44	43	138	16	n/a	n/a	8	596
2006	346	23	38	162	14	n/a	n/a	16	599
2007	304	27	38	146	11	n/a	n/a	14	540
2008	282	16	34	160	11	n/a	n/a	0	503
2009	304	18	29	186	9	2	12	0	560
2010	54	6	9	47	1	0	422	0	539
2011	282	14	27	195	2	0	17	0	537
2012	293	13	33	192	3	0	18	0	552
2013	293	10	34	176	4	0	23	0	540
2014	278	11	47	197	2	0	20	0	555
2015	262	13	36	193	3	0	24	0	531
2016	256	8	29	211	1	1	18	0	524
2017	267	11	26	210	0	1	22	0	537
2018	275	19	29	211	2	1	22	0	559
2019	264	21	38	221	6	4	17	0	571
2020	263	18	35	232	6	6	17	0	577
2021	242	16	36	238	9	6	14	0	561
2022	204	16	36	276	8	9	29	0	578
2023	213	18	37	297	4	11	27	0	607
2024	200	19	37	294	5	10	29	0	594

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

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	361	16.0	22.6	18
1996	361	16.0	22.6	18
1997	415	18.0	23.1	18.6
1998	475	25.6	18.6	18.9
1999	484	27.1	17.9	18.2
2000	518	26.0	19.9	22.2
2001	572	31.0	18.5	19.8
2002	618	31.0	19.9	26.1
2003	618	31.0	19.9	26.1
2004	604	31.0	19.5	25
2005	596	30.0	19.9	25.7
2006	599	31.4	19.1	28.1
2007	540	28.4	19.0	n/a
2008	503	29.4	17.1	38.4
2009	560	29.4	17.8	30.5
2010	539	24.0	22.4	35.8
2011	537	n/a	n/a	38.2
2012	552	24.2	22.7	n/a
2013	540	25.2	21.3	9.6
2014	555	22.0	25.2	40.5
2015	531	24.0	22.1	40.7
2016	524	19.0	27.5	45.4
2017	537	19.5	27.4	45.4
2018	559	n/a	n/a	47.4
2019	571	27.2	20.9	49.4
2020	577	n/a	n/a	54.4
2021	561	26.0	21.5	60.6
2022	578	27.4	21.0	62.5
2023	607	31.0	19.5	54.4
2024	594	28.5	20.8	68.5

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
1995	361	16.0	22.6	18
1996	361	16.0	22.6	18
1997	415	18.0	23.1	18.6
1998	475	25.6	18.6	18.9
1999	484	27.1	17.9	18.2
2000	518	26.0	19.9	22.2
2001	572	31.0	18.5	19.8
2002	618	31.0	19.9	26.1
2003	618	31.0	19.9	26.1
2004	604	31.0	19.5	25
2005	596	30.0	19.9	25.7
2006	599	31.4	19.1	28.1
2007	540	28.4	19.0	n/a
2008	503	29.4	17.1	38.4
2009	560	29.4	17.8	30.5
2010	539	24.0	22.4	35.8
2011	537	n/a	n/a	38.2
2012	552	24.2	22.7	n/a
2013	540	25.2	21.3	9.6
2014	555	22.0	25.2	40.5
2015	531	24.0	22.1	40.7
2016	524	19.0	27.5	45.4
2017	537	19.5	27.4	45.4
2018	559	n/a	n/a	47.4
2019	571	27.2	20.9	49.4
2020	577	n/a	n/a	54.4
2021	561	26.0	21.5	60.6
2022	578	27.4	21.0	62.5
2023	607	31.0	19.5	54.4
2024	594	28.5	20.8	68.5

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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