How many students attend Columbia Junior High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 602 students attended Columbia Junior High School.

What is the racial makeup of Columbia Junior High School?

Students at Columbia Junior High School are 38% White, 22% Hispanic, 13% Two or more races, 9% Asian, 7% African American, 7% Pacific Islander, 2% Not Specified.

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, Alternative 8-9

2901 54th Avenue E
Tacoma, WA 98424-2110

(253) 517-1600

District: Fife School District

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,593

Student/teacher ratio: 20.2

Number of students: 602

Racial breakdown:

White:

38.4%

Hispanic:

22.1%

Two or more races:

13.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 52.7%

See top rated Washington public schools

Compare Columbia Junior High School to nearby alternative schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Columbia Junior High School ranks worse than 74.6% of middle schools in Washington. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 25.57. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Columbia Junior High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (38.4%), Hispanic (22.1%), two or more races (13%). (See more...)

Compare Details 52.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Columbia Junior High School is 20.2. (See more...)

Compare Columbia Junior High School employs 29.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

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 399^th 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 146^th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Columbia Junior High School

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Rank History for all students at Columbia Junior High School

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

See the entire list of Washington Alternative 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
2018	37.19	112^th	166	32.5%
2019	29.65	185^th	246	24.8%
2022	28.24	190^th	257	26.1%
2023	47.18	121^st	244	50.4%
2024	11.76	231^st	243	4.9%

See the entire list of Best Washington Alternative 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	176^th	268	34.3%

See the entire list of Best Washington Alternative 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
2018	52.37	146^th	349	58.2%
2019	19.69	388^th	448	13.4%
2022	34.58	319^th	475	32.8%
2023	19.55	396^th	463	14.5%
2024	24.57	364^th	455	20.0%

See the entire list of Best Washington Alternative 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
2018	58.56	151^st	376	59.8%
2019	28.26	340^th	452	24.8%
2022	25.22	364^th	479	24.0%
2023	35.08	291^st	464	37.3%
2024	25.83	360^th	464	22.4%

See the entire list of Best Washington Alternative 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
2018	47.77	181^st	371	51.2%
2019	14.49	408^th	453	9.9%
2022	42.13	261^st	480	45.6%
2023	30.01	333^rd	470	29.1%
2024	25.47	351^st	466	24.7%

See the entire list of Best Washington Alternative 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
2018	37.67	81^st	123	34.1%
2019	21.67	127^th	152	16.4%
2022	37.15	99^th	161	38.5%
2023	31.41	97^th	145	33.1%
2024	15.28	131^st	148	11.5%

See the entire list of Best Washington Alternative 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
2018	88.39	4^th	66	93.9%
2019	62.71	27^th	111	75.7%
2022	43.43	54^th	104	48.1%
2024	39.18	52^nd	90	42.2%

See the entire list of Best Washington Alternative 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
2018	61.64	84^th	259	67.6%
2019	12.19	332^nd	344	3.5%
2022	37.78	213^th	360	40.8%
2023	21.92	272^nd	336	19.0%
2024	32.97	227^th	344	34.0%

See the entire list of Best Washington Alternative 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
2018	53.77	139^th	325	57.2%
2019	19.99	399^th	470	15.1%
2022	31.07	351^st	488	28.1%
2023	36.67	310^th	488	36.5%
2024	32.59	337^th	486	30.7%

See the entire list of Best Washington Alternative 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 Junior High School

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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
2024	231	45	54	133	3	43	78	15	602

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

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
2024	602	29.7	20.2	52.7

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 Junior High School

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
2024	602	29.7	20.2	52.7

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.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Columbia Junior High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total 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 412^th of 512 Middle schools	Ranks 348^th 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)	53	47.8	5.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Fife School District)	53	47.8	5.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Washington)	59.6	51.3	8.3%
8th Grade Math (Columbia Junior High School)	28.8	23.6	5.2%
8th Grade Math (Fife School District)	28.8	23.6	5.2%
8th Grade Math (Washington)	47.2	34.4	12.8%
8th Grade Science (Columbia Junior High School)	35	35.9	0.9%
8th Grade Science (Fife School District)	35	35.9	0.9%
8th Grade Science (Washington)	53.1	43.9	9.3%
All Grades English Language Arts (Columbia Junior High School)	53	47.8	5.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Fife School District)	57	45.3	11.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (Washington)	61	52.9	8.1%
All Grades Math (Columbia Junior High School)	28.8	23.6	5.2%
All Grades Math (Fife School District)	43.9	32	11.9%
All Grades Math (Washington)	50.1	41	9%
All Grades Science (Columbia Junior High School)	35	35.9	0.9%
All Grades Science (Fife School District)	43	45.2	2.2%
All Grades Science (Washington)	52.7	48.8	4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	558	565	1.3%
African American	30	44	46.7%
American Indian	7	5	28.6%
Asian	57	64	12.3%
Hispanic	115	144	25.2%
Pacific Islander	33	30	9.1%
White	253	232	8.3%
Two or More Races	63	45	28.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	42.7%	47.4%	4.8%

Schools Near Columbia Junior High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				WCAS Science (2024)			SBAC English Language Arts (2024)							SBAC Math (2024)						% Completely Immunized (2024)	% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Diphtheria (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% Pertussis (2024)	% Tetanus (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	WCAS Science 8th Grade	WCAS Science 11th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 10th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 3rd Grade	SBAC Math 6th Grade	SBAC Math 7th Grade	SBAC Math 8th Grade	SBAC Math 10th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Measles KG	% Mumps KG	% Rubella KG	% Diphtheria KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% Pertussis KG	% Tetanus KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Columbia Junior High School	Public, Alternative	8-9	2901 54th Avenue E	Tacoma	98424	Pierce County	Fife School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 517-1600	602	30	20.2	52.7%	231 (38.4%)	45 (7.5%)	133 (22.1%)	54 (9.0%)	3 (0.5%)	43 (7.1%)	78 (13.0%)								(n/a)	27.1		27.1					43.1		43.1				21.7		21.7											$15,593	$1,078	$14,515
Chief Leschi School	Public, Alternative	K-12	5625 52nd Street East	Puyallup	98371	Pierce County	Chief Leschi School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(253) 445-6000	648	91	7.1	99.5%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	648 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
PSD Special Services	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	Puyallup School District Speci	Puyallup	98371	Pierce County	Puyallup School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 841-8700	75	4	17.8	45.3%	26 (34.7%)	6 (8.0%)	24 (32.0%)	3 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.7%)	14 (18.7%)								(n/a)																											$6,442,418	$924,291	$5,518,129
Special Services	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	601 S. 8th Street	Tacoma	98405	Pierce County	Tacoma School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 571-1224	11	0		45.5%	6 (54.5%)	3 (27.3%)	1 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Support School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	33330 8th Ave S	Federal Way	98003	King County	Federal Way School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 945-2000	61	0		50.8%	20 (32.8%)	12 (19.7%)	17 (27.9%)	5 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (11.5%)								(n/a)																											$8,175	$1,294	$6,881
Puyallup Online Academy/POA	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	1501 39th Ave SW	Puyallup	98373	Pierce County	Puyallup School District	No	No	Yes	No	(253) 864-5700	180	13	14.1	51.7%	77 (42.8%)	11 (6.1%)	44 (24.4%)	9 (5.0%)	6 (3.3%)	5 (2.8%)	23 (12.8%)								(n/a)	39.1	41.7	40.0				41.7	53.3	54.8	52.1			36.4	18.5		12.3											$10,393	$654	$9,739
Internet Academy	Public, Virtual, Alternative	PK, KG-12	31455 28th Ave S	Federal Way	98003	King County	Federal Way School District	No	No	Yes	No	(253) 945-2230	391	21	18.3	54.7%	132 (33.8%)	63 (16.1%)	81 (20.7%)	42 (10.7%)	7 (1.8%)	12 (3.1%)	50 (12.8%)								(n/a)	27.8	64.3	44.7	23.1	66.7	39.1	44.4	33.3	65.7	47.3	23.1	22.7	18.5	26.3	15.6	22.7	90.9	90.9	90.9	90.9	90.9	90.9	90.9	90.9	90.9	90.9	$16,983	$5,459	$11,524
West Auburn Senior High School	Public, Alternative	K-12	401 W Main St	Auburn	98001	King County	Auburn School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(253) 931-4990	395	25	15.8	65.8%	116 (29.4%)	44 (11.1%)	134 (33.9%)	24 (6.1%)	5 (1.3%)	22 (5.6%)	50 (12.7%)								(n/a)		18.4	21.0	62.5				50.0	27.7	31.3						9.8
Special Educational School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	502 4th St NE	Auburn	98002	King County	Auburn School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 931-4927	29	4	7.2	27.6%	11 (37.9%)	4 (13.8%)	7 (24.1%)	3 (10.3%)	1 (3.4%)	1 (3.4%)	2 (6.9%)								(n/a)																											$2,316,217	$346,475	$1,969,742
Gravelly Lake K-12 Academy	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	5504 112th St SW	Lakewood	98499	Pierce County	Clover Park School District	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(253) 583-5545	181	0		75.1%	54 (29.8%)	14 (7.7%)	67 (37.0%)	2 (1.1%)	1 (0.6%)	12 (6.6%)	24 (13.3%)								(n/a)	15.0		22.2					25.0	51.9	35.8						7.6

Columbia Junior High School

Columbia Junior High School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Fife School District:

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Rank History for Columbia Junior High School

Rank History for all students at Columbia Junior High School

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Columbia Junior High School

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

Rank History for Female students at Columbia Junior High School

Rank History for Male students at Columbia Junior High School

Rank History for Asian students at Columbia Junior High School

Rank History for African American students at Columbia Junior High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Columbia Junior High School

Rank History for White students at Columbia Junior High School

Enrollment information for Columbia Junior High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Columbia Junior High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Columbia Junior High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Columbia Junior High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Columbia Junior High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Columbia Junior High School

Frequently Asked Questions about Columbia Junior High School

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