The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in English language arts. The lowest is 13% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Columbia Ms Taylor Campus
Columbia MS Taylor Campus is a small middle school in downtown Columbia, Pennsylvania, serving grades five and six in one of Lancaster County's smallest school districts. The school sits at the heart of a historic riverfront borough experiencing active revitalization, where compact neighborhoods of 19th-century rowhouses and a restored downtown give the community a distinct identity within the county.
The school's enrollment is modest, split nearly evenly between fifth and sixth grade. The student body reflects Lancaster County's demographic mix: students are roughly evenly divided among white, Hispanic, and multiracial backgrounds, with a smaller share of Black students. Detailed enrollment data on free-and-reduced-price lunch eligibility and special education or English learner populations were not available.
On state math and English language arts assessments, the school's proficiency results are substantially below county averages. In math, fewer than one in six students scored at the proficient level or above. In English language arts, about one in four students met proficiency. These outcomes place the school in the bottom quartile across all tested subjects and grades when compared to other districts in Lancaster County. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what supports are in place and what the trajectory has been, since this is a snapshot of one year.
The school is part of Columbia Borough School District, a very small district that has made several recent changes worth noting. The board has held the property tax millage rate flat for five consecutive years, a stability that may matter for families considering moving into the area. The district recently overhauled its science curriculum to align with next-generation standards, using online-accessible materials available in English, Spanish and Arabic. At the high school level, the district expanded its course offerings with eight new honors-level classes including Honors Calculus and additional honors Spanish options. For transportation, the district entered a two-year cost-sharing partnership with neighboring Donegal School District to reduce per-pupil costs.
Columbia itself is a compact, walkable borough of mixed-income residents on the Susquehanna River's east bank. Historic downtown anchors civic life around Locust Street, where the Columbia Market House, restaurants, breweries and shops sit within walking distance of residential blocks. The borough has moved from decades of stagnation into active redevelopment: downtown apartment conversions, the Clarion Hotel at an adaptive-reused historic factory, a 14-acre riverfront park with trail access, and plans for the former McGinness airport property are reshaping the townscape. Housing costs sit modestly below the state average, and rents have been rising. Public transit connects the borough to Lancaster and York counties via heavily used bus routes.
This is a small-school environment in a small, compact town with a historic character and active growth. It is not a high-performing school academically by county standards, and families prioritizing strong test scores may want to look elsewhere in the district's service area or nearby. Families drawn to walkable neighborhoods, historic downtowns, or affordability relative to the county may find Columbia's character and housing market appealing.
See more original research from School Decision →