MELROSE PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

As a moderately sized elementary-level community in LAKE CITY, Florida, MELROSE PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL educates 635 students from grades pre-K through 5, overseen by COLUMBIA.

MELROSE PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one of 16 schools operated by COLUMBIA, a district that caters to 9,815 students overall.

In terms of who attends, MELROSE PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL records that 61% of the student body identifies as Black; the rest looks like 19% White, 11% Hispanic, 9% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 16% Black, putting the school's mix noticeably more Black than the area baseline.

Looking at school resources, The school lists 39 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 16.3:1. The state averages around 17.5:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. An estimated 82% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is noticeably above Columbia County's rate of about 55%.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, MELROSE PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 40.0%; this one delivers 41.5%.

Across the wider county, the surrounding county (Columbia County) records that median household income runs about $59,205, roughly 17% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Columbia County runs 19 public schools (combined enrollment of about 9,815 students), of which MELROSE PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one.

The closest other public school is RICHARDSON SIXTH GRADE ACADEMY, roughly 0.3 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), MELROSE PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ranks 6th on composite proficiency, beneath the local average of 51.8%.

The school occupies a town-based site.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count expanded 22%: 522 students in 2018 compared to 635 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share ticked down from 39% to 19%. The student-to-teacher ratio grew from 14.9:1 in 2018 to 16.3:1 today.

On the community side, members of the MELROSE PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL community share and discuss science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.