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A

Columbia School District

Public school districtGrades PK–12

Serves Columbia.

Columbia’s School Grade A better than 94% of Mississippi school districts

Students
1,639
Schools
4
Spent per student
$12,450
MS $12,392
Students per teacher
13:1
Free or reduced lunch
72%
Debt
$18.9M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Columbia School District

  • Its letter, A: results better than 94% of Mississippi districts
  • Math proficiency 9 pts above the state
  • Reading proficiency 7 pts above the state
  • Graduation rate 8 pts above the state
  • 13 students per teacher
  • Debt of $18.9M, about $11,549 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

A: better than 94% of the 150 Mississippi school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math well above the state, 2021–22
A−
GraduationFour-year graduation well above the state, class of 2023
A
The town it serves, and its School Grade

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Columbia. Grade by grade →

PK–2Columbia Primary SchoolThis district
3–5Columbia Elementary SchoolThis district
6–8Jefferson Middle SchoolThis district
9–12Columbia High SchoolThis district

Test scores vs. MS

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency56%
State average 47% · 771 students tested
Reading / language arts49%
State average 41.7% · 767 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)95–100%
State average 89.4% · 104 in the class

100% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$12,450 per student · 0% above MS
Spending
Classroom instruction 61%Support & administration 32%Other 7%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 28%State 46%Federal 26%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
1,635’20
1,573’21
1,646’22
1,630’23
1,639’24

About steady since 2020–21.

Students
White 50%Black 43%Two or more races 4%Hispanic 2%Asian <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%

Schools in the district

4 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Mississippi’s other public schools.

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within Mississippi.