The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in English language arts. The lowest is 28% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Cedar Ridge Elem.
Cedar Ridge Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in the Columbia 93 district. It enrolls a moderately sized student body for an elementary school in this part of Missouri. The student population is predominantly white, with significant shares of students who are Black, identify as two or more races, or are Hispanic, and a smaller presence of Asian students. About half of the students come from households with incomes low enough to qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a substantial share that places the school in a middle range for economic diversity within the district.
Columbia itself is a fast-growing college town anchored by the University of Missouri, several other colleges, healthcare systems, and major private employers including Shelter Insurance and Veterans United Home Loans. The city blends university neighborhoods, established residential areas, and commercial corridors, with downtown adjacent to campus. The school is located in a residential area of Columbia; the specific street address places it in the southern part of the city, not far from the university and the MKT Trail corridor. The surrounding housing market shows home values well above the statewide average but close to the national typical, and rents have been rising noticeably. For a family looking at this area, the cost of buying a home is meaningful, and renting is also expensive relative to many parts of the state.
Cedar Ridge’s academic performance on state assessments places it below the midpoint when compared with other elementary schools across Boone County. In math, the share of students meeting proficiency standards varied by grade, with grade four showing a notably lower rate than grade three or grade five. In English language arts, proficiency rates across grades three through five were somewhat higher than math but still below what many families may expect from a typical district school in the region. Science results for grade five fell in a similar range. The school does not have multi-year trend data beyond a single year, so it is not possible to see whether performance is improving or declining. A parent choosing between elementary schools in Columbia may want to investigate further with the school about instructional approaches and how the school supports students who are not yet at grade level.
The district recently adopted a new elementary literacy curriculum grounded in the science of reading, replacing an earlier balanced literacy model, and began phasing it in during the 2023-2024 school year. Teacher training is ongoing. This change is intended to strengthen early reading instruction and may eventually influence proficiency outcomes. The district also approved a no-tax-increase bond issue in 2024 that funds facility upgrades, including safety improvements, HVAC, and classroom renovations at various schools through 2028. A 1:1 technology initiative was completed by January 2024, giving students in grades three through five iPads for school use. Boundary changes approved in 2023, affecting several other elementary schools, did not include Cedar Ridge, so families zoned here are not impacted by that shift.
Because this is an elementary school, there are no graduation rates, advanced placement or career-technical programs to consider. The school’s website was not reviewed for the current report, so specific after-school offerings, parent involvement details, or special education services are not available in the data provided. The share of students receiving special education services and English learner support is not reported. Those are gaps a prospective parent would want to fill by contacting the school directly.
For a family whose priorities include a traditional elementary program within a growing city that has university amenities and a mix of older and newer neighborhoods, Cedar Ridge is a neighborhood option to weigh. The overall academic picture points to a school that serves a diverse student body and where proficiency rates trail those of many other elementary schools in the same county. The district’s recent curriculum change and technology rollout may shift outcomes over time, but the current results give a family reason to ask specific questions about classroom instruction and student support before making a decision.
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