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Does Columbia High School have enough mental health and stress support?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,985
High
DISTRICT 673 · STATE 929
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SOUTH ORANGE-MAPLEWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 341533002422
Columbia High School
17 PARKER AVE, MAPLEWOOD, NJ 07040 · (973) 762-5600 · Essex County
GRADES 09–12HIGH21-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL1,985 STUDENTS
A-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 76% of New Jersey public high schools
- A-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- B+Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded New Jersey public high schools
Student : Teacher
14.2:1
140 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 11.1:1 · STATE 12.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
18%
362 students
DISTRICT 14% · STATE 41%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 557 | 28% |
| Grade 10 | 492 | 25% |
| Grade 11 | 468 | 24% |
| Grade 12 | 468 | 24% |
Student demographics
63%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 64% · STATE 71% · 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
Based on grade levels within South Orange-Maplewood School District. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
NJSLA 2024-25 . % Meeting or Exceeding ExpectationsEnglish Language Arts
68.8%
NJ avg 53.1% . -7.1pp since 2023
Math
38.8%
NJ avg 41.6% . +12.1pp since 2023
What this means: On the NJSLA, New Jersey's statewide test, about 69 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 39 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all New Jersey schools, those numbers are about 53 and 42. Reading and writing scores are down about 7 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 12 points.
NJSLA results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 68.8% | 38.8% |
| 2023-24 | 75.9% | 26.7% |
% Meeting or Exceeding Expectations, all students and all tested grades.
Source: NJSLA. 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
54.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
56.2%
based on NJ schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-2.2pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 54% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 56% typical for New Jersey 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 New Jersey'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 Columbia High School
Columbia High School's state test result (54.0% proficient) is higher than 5 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia High School this school | 1,985 | 18.2% | 54.0% |
| Montclair High School MONTCLAIR | 1,925 | 17.9% | 49.4% |
| Lenape High School MEDFORD | 1,912 | 22.5% | 46.8% |
| Kingsway Regional High School WOOLWICH TWP | 1,822 | 21.8% | 41.5% |
| Eastern Camden County Regional High School VOORHEES | 1,847 | 16.3% | 52.5% |
| Washington Township High School SEWELL | 2,105 | 28.2% | 32.0% |
Matched among New Jersey high 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 Columbia High School ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In New Jersey | In Essex County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 54.0% | #94 of 397 | #10 of 39 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 38.8% | #136 of 400 ▲ 71 | #13 of 39 ▲ 2 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 68.8% | #87 of 395 ▲ 11 | #8 of 39 ▲ 2 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,985 | #34 of 442 | #5 of 42 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.2:1 | #329 of 388 | #26 of 37 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 63.5% | #110 of 389 | #4 of 37 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 18.2% | #290 of 405 | #29 of 40 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -1.1% | #186 of 200 | #14 of 14 |
Ranked against other public high 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
1,985
+36 (+2%) vs 2020
+37% since 1990-91, when it was 1,450
Student : Teacher
14.2:1
was 13.1:1
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 | 1,985 | 139.5 | 14.2:1 | 18% (362) |
| 2023-24 | 1,933 | 149.4 | 12.9:1 | 17% (323) |
| 2022-23 | 1,930 | 150.4 | 12.8:1 | 15% (293) |
| 2020-21 | 1,949 | 149 | 13.1:1 | 18% (343) |
| 2017-18 | 2,007 | 141.4 | 14.2:1 | 20% (400) |
| 2015-16 | 1,894 | 147 | 12.9:1 | 24% (463) |
| 2010-11 | 1,797 | 141 | 12.7:1 | 22% (404) |
| 2000-01 | 1,816 | 134 | 13.6:1 | 15% (264) |
| 1990-91 | 1,450 | 108 | 13.4:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Columbia High School.
Since 2017-18: students down 1% (2,007 to 1,985); teachers down 1% (141.4 to 139.5).
About Columbia High School
Columbia High School is a large high school in MAPLEWOOD, New Jersey, administered by South Orange-Maplewood School District. The school counted 1,985 students in 2024-25, covering grades 9 through 12. The school is 114% larger than the average for high schools in New Jersey.
South Orange-Maplewood School District is made up of 10 schools with 6,728 students in all.
White students are 51% of those enrolled at Columbia High School. Beyond that, enrollment is 29% Black, 9% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, and 4% Asian. In Essex County overall, about 30% of residents are White. A diversity index of 63% means there is a 63% chance two randomly chosen students at Columbia High School are from different groups.
On staff are 139.5 full-time-equivalent teachers; the student-to-teacher ratio is 14.2:1. Statewide, high schools in New Jersey average 12.7:1. Columbia High School has a free or reduced-price lunch rate of 18%. Across public schools in Essex County, the average is 54%.
Columbia High School earns an A- on the allk12 Grade, which blends test scores, results against poverty-based expectations, and the three-year trend. It scored higher than 76% of New Jersey public high schools.
The model predicts 56.2% for a school in New Jersey with Columbia High School's free or reduced-price lunch share. Columbia High School posts 54.0%.
American Community Survey estimates for Essex County show that median household income comes to about $80,789, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 39% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 11%. Essex County counts 249 public schools with about 145,473 students.
Clinton Elementary School is about 0.6 miles away, making it the nearest public school. Columbia High School is one of several public schools in the area, with at least 8 others within five miles. Local comparison: Columbia High School ranks 5th of 9 nearby schools, at 54.0% versus a 53.8% average.
NCES lists the school's locale as Suburb: Large. That means it sits in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.
Enrollment went from 1,949 in 2020-21 to 1,985 in 2024-25, a change of 36 students. From 2020-21 to 2024-25, the ratio increased from 13.1:1 to 14.2:1.
Anyone can start a thread about fundraisers, report cards, and school supplies at Columbia High School. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
Essex County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
863,002
Census ACS
Median income
$80,789
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
39%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
249
145,473 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in South Orange-Maplewood School District
- Maplewood Middle SchoolMiddle · 762 students
- South Orange Middle SchoolMiddle · 752 students
- South Mountain Elementary SchoolElementary · 613 students
- Clinton Elementary SchoolElementary · 542 students
- Tuscan Elementary SchoolElementary · 531 students
- Delia Bolden Elementary SchoolElementary · 518 students
Other schools in MAPLEWOOD
- Maplewood Middle SchoolMiddle · 762 students
- Clinton Elementary SchoolElementary · 542 students
- Tuscan Elementary SchoolElementary · 531 students
- Delia Bolden Elementary SchoolElementary · 518 students
- Seth Boyden Elementary Demonstration SchoolElementary · 423 students
Other Columbia High schools
14 other US public schools in 14 states are named Columbia High. Columbia High School is the largest of the 15.
- COLUMBIA HIGH SCHOOLLAKE CITY, FL · 1,711 students
- COLUMBIA HIGH SCHOOLEAST GREENBUSH, NY · 1,272 students
- COLUMBIA HIGH SCHOOLNAMPA, ID · 1,165 students
- Columbia High SchoolHuntsville, AL · 916 students
- Columbia High SchoolWEST COLUMBIA, TX · 885 students
Nearby schools
- Clinton Elementary School0.6 mi · 542
- Delia Bolden Elementary School0.6 mi · 518
- Maplewood Middle School0.7 mi · 762
- Tuscan Elementary School0.8 mi · 531
- South Mountain Elementary School0.9 mi · 613
- South Orange Middle School0.9 mi · 752
Frequently asked questions
About Columbia High SchoolHow large is Columbia High School?
Columbia High School enrolls approximately 1,985 students in grades 09-12.
What age range does Columbia High School serve?
Columbia High School serves students from grade 09 through grade 12.
How many students per teacher at Columbia High School?
Approximately 14.2:1 students per teacher at Columbia High School.
What is the student diversity at Columbia High School?
Student demographics at Columbia High School are roughly 51% White, 9% Hispanic, 29% Black, 4% Asian, 7% Two or more.
Who oversees Columbia High School?
Columbia High School is overseen by South Orange-Maplewood School District in Essex County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.