The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Columbia Elementary School
Columbia Elementary School serves just two grade levels, second and third, as a regular public school within the Caldwell Parish school system. It is located in Columbia, Louisiana, a very small town that functions as the parish seat on the southwestern bank of the Ouachita River. Columbia was once a riverboat town for shipping cotton, and its population has been declining steadily for decades. The town has a preserved historic core, a Riverwalk, the Schepis Museum, and several sites on the National Historic Register, but it is not in a growth phase. Housing in the area is well below the national and state benchmarks in value, reflecting a low-cost rural market.
Because Columbia Elementary only serves grades two and three, state testing results are available for just one grade level—grade three. The school’s proficiency rates on Louisiana’s LEAP 2025 assessments are low across all four tested subjects. In English language arts, roughly a third of students scored at the proficient level or above. In math, the share was smaller. In science and social studies, the proportions were even lower, well under a fifth of students. These are single-year numbers from a single grade, so a longer-term trend cannot be examined; no prior data was provided. Every student in the tested grade participated, which is a positive indicator.
The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial minority of Black students and very small numbers of Hispanic and multiracial students. About seven in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a predominantly low-income population. Data on students with disabilities or English learners was not reported, so families should ask the school directly about those supports.
No information was available on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, staffing ratios, or course access. These are meaningful gaps for a parent trying to understand the daily environment. The school is not a charter or magnet, and its Title I status was not reported. Because Caldwell Parish is the only school district in the parish, there is no basis for comparing Columbia Elementary to neighboring districts; state-level comparisons are the only available frame.
The district itself reported no recent changes of the kind that typically matter to parents—no curriculum shifts, no property tax referenda, no bond measures—so that portion is a blank. The absence of information does not mean nothing happened, simply that it was not found in publicly available sources.
For a family considering this school, the central facts are its narrow grade span, its rural small-town setting in a slowly shrinking community, and its low state assessment results. The school may fit a family that values a very small, neighborhood-focused environment for the early elementary years and is already connected to Caldwell Parish. A parent concerned about academic performance, especially in math and science, will want to investigate further what instructional supports and interventions are in place. The lack of data on special education, discipline, and staffing makes it harder to get a full picture without a direct visit to the school.
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