Enrollment
215
Elementary
DISTRICT 206 · STATE 453
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·CALDWELL PARISH·NCES 220036000283
Union Central Elementary School
649 Highway 849, Columbia, LA 71418 · (318) 649-2569 · Caldwell Parish
GRADES 04–05ELEMENTARY42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL215 STUDENTS
C
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 31% of Louisiana public elementary schools
- CTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- DBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- AThree-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Louisiana public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
10.8:1
20 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 10.9:1 · STATE 14.0:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
71%
152 students
DISTRICT 73% · STATE 70%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 4 | 98 | 46% |
| Grade 5 | 117 | 54% |
Student demographics
33%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 35% · STATE 65% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within Caldwell Parish. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
QUIET COMMUNITY
Be the first to start a discussion at Union Central Elementary School.
START A DISCUSSIONTest scores
LEAP 2025 2025-26 . % Mastery+English Language Arts
27.0%
LA avg 41.8% . +6.0pp since 2022
Math
28.0%
LA avg 34.2% . +14.0pp since 2022
What this means: On the LEAP 2025, Louisiana's statewide test, about 27 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 28 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Louisiana schools, those numbers are about 42 and 34. Reading and writing scores are up about 6 points since 2022, while math scores are up about 14 points.
LEAP 2025 results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 27.0% | 28.0% |
| 2024-25 | 30.0% | 26.0% |
| 2023-24 | 28.0% | 23.0% |
| 2022-23 | 21.0% | 14.0% |
% Mastery+, all students and all tested grades.
Source: LEAP 2025. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
24.3%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
33.4%
based on LA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-9.1pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 24% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 33% typical for Louisiana schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Louisiana's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Union Central Elementary School
Union Central Elementary School's state test result (24.3% proficient) is higher than 0 of the 3 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union Central Elementary School this school | 215 | 70.7% | 24.3% |
| Estherwood Elementary School Estherwood | 203 | 69.0% | 52.5% |
| DeQuincy Primary School DeQuincy | 239 | 65.7% | N/A |
| Holly Ridge Elementary School Rayville | 232 | 75.0% | 34.8% |
| Krotz Springs Elementary School Krotz Springs | 211 | 68.7% | 37.2% |
| Grayson Elementary School Grayson | 212 | 76.9% | N/A |
Matched among Louisiana elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Union Central Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Louisiana |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 24.3% | #382 of 583 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 28.0% | #338 of 582 ▲ 17 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 27.0% | #455 of 587 ▼ 42 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +10.0pp | #48 of 540 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 215 | #638 of 714 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 10.8:1 | #72 of 655 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 33.4% | #483 of 655 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 70.7% | #402 of 705 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -3.6% | #385 of 436 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
215
+34 (+19%) vs 2020
-11% since 1990-91, when it was 241
Student : Teacher
10.8:1
was 12.1:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 215 | 20 | 10.8:1 | 71% (152) |
| 2023-24 | 224 | 18.2 | 12.3:1 | 70% (157) |
| 2022-23 | 160 | 15.5 | 10.3:1 | 83% (132) |
| 2020-21 | 181 | 15 | 12.1:1 | 67% (121) |
| 2017-18 | 223 | 15 | 14.9:1 | 63% (141) |
| 2015-16 | 212 | 18 | 11.8:1 | 74% (156) |
| 2010-11 | 223 | 19 | 11.7:1 | 79% (177) |
| 2000-01 | 205 | 16 | 12.8:1 | 78% (160) |
| 1990-91 | 241 | 18 | 13.4:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Union Central Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students down 4% (223 to 215); teachers up 33% (15 to 20).
About Union Central Elementary School
Union Central Elementary School is a small elementary school in Columbia, Louisiana. The student body numbers 215 students, from grades 4 through 5. An average school in this group (elementary schools in Louisiana) has about 453 students.
Within Caldwell Parish, Union Central Elementary School is one of 5 schools. The district enrolls 1,310 students.
White students make up 80% of enrollment at Union Central Elementary School. Other students are 16% Black and 3% multiracial. Pick two students at random and there is a 33% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.
Staffing totals 20 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the student-to-teacher ratio is 10.8:1. On average, elementary schools in Louisiana have 14.0:1, compared with 10.8:1 here. The free or reduced-price lunch rate at Union Central Elementary School is 71%. That tracks the 72% average for public schools in Caldwell Parish.
Measured against Louisiana public elementary schools, Union Central Elementary School receives a C. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
The model predicts 33.4% for a school in Louisiana with Union Central Elementary School's free or reduced-price lunch share. Union Central Elementary School posts 24.3%.
Recent Census Bureau figures for Caldwell Parish show that the median household income is $47,028, about 11% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and the poverty rate is about 22%. Besides Union Central Elementary School, Caldwell Parish has 4 other public schools.
Of nearby public schools, Caldwell Parish High School is the closest, at about 1.5 miles. In all, 4 other public schools sit within five miles of Union Central Elementary School. On proficiency, Union Central Elementary School is behind the 28.9% nearby average, ranking 3rd of 6.
The NCES locale for Union Central Elementary School is Rural: Distant, which covers schools in rural territory some distance from an urban area.
Union Central Elementary School's enrollment climbed from 181 in 2020-21 to 215 in 2024-25. Over the same period, the student-to-teacher ratio fell to 10.8:1, from 12.1:1.
Conversations here can range across enrollment questions, class placement, and PTA news. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Caldwell Parish at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
9,500
Census ACS
Median income
$47,028
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
11%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
22%
Below federal line
Schools in county
5
1,310 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Caldwell Parish
- Caldwell Parish High SchoolHigh · 398 students
- Caldwell Parish Junior High SchoolMiddle · 294 students
- Grayson Elementary SchoolElementary · 212 students
- Columbia Elementary SchoolElementary · 191 students
Other schools in Columbia
- Caldwell Parish High SchoolHigh · 398 students
- Caldwell Parish Junior High SchoolMiddle · 294 students
- Columbia Elementary SchoolElementary · 191 students
Nearby schools
- Caldwell Parish High School1.5 mi · 398
- Caldwell Parish Junior High School1.6 mi · 294
- Columbia Elementary School1.9 mi · 191
- Grayson Elementary School2.6 mi · 212
- Olla-Standard Elementary School14.6 mi · 398
- LaSalle High School15.6 mi · 196
Frequently asked questions
About Union Central Elementary SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Union Central Elementary School?
Union Central Elementary School enrolls approximately 215 students in grades 04-05.
What grades does Union Central Elementary School serve?
Union Central Elementary School serves grades 04-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Union Central Elementary School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Union Central Elementary School is approximately 10.8:1 (20 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at Union Central Elementary School?
Student demographics at Union Central Elementary School are roughly 80% White, 1% Hispanic, 16% Black, 3% Two or more.
What district is Union Central Elementary School in?
Union Central Elementary School is part of Caldwell Parish.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.