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L F Smith Elementary

Q: Is L F Smith Elementary a good school?

L F Smith Elementary ranks 613 th of 1005 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

613^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,005 Indiana Elementary Schools

Better than 39% of Indiana elementary schools

Summary

L F Smith Elementary is a public elementary school in Columbus, Indiana, serving 431 students in grades PK-6 as part of the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation district. While the school has seen an increase in per-student spending, it faces several challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates and lower academic performance compared to the district and state averages.

L F Smith Elementary's proficiency rates on ILEARN assessments are generally lower than the district and state, with only 34.62% of students proficient in English Language Arts and 31.62% proficient in Math in the 2024-2025 school year. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 49.68% to 62.41% in recent years, which may contribute to the lower academic achievement. When compared to nearby schools in the same district, such as Rockcreek Elementary and Southside Elementary, L F Smith Elementary generally performs lower on ILEARN assessments, particularly in Math and Science.

Despite the increase in per-student spending at L F Smith Elementary, the school's statewide ranking has continued to decline, and the achievement gaps persist. This suggests that more targeted interventions and strategies may be needed to address the specific needs of the school's student population and improve overall student outcomes. While the challenges facing L F Smith Elementary are significant, the school and district appear to be making efforts to provide additional resources and support to support student success.

420

Students ?

15.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,082

Per pupil spending ?

57.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4505 Waycross Dr
Columbus, IN 47203

(812) 376-4317

District: Bartholomew Con School Corp

Students who attend L F Smith Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Northside Middle School
High:	Columbus East High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.7%

Hispanic:

16.2%

Two or more races:

7.6%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare L F Smith Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 56th percentile in 2015 → 39th in 2025

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 17 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school34%

District avg40%

Indiana avg38%

613^th of 1,005

Indiana public elementary schools ?

Bottom 39%▼ down 17 pts since 2015

From top 44% (2015) to bottom 39% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 11Elementary Schools in the Bartholomew Con School Corp

160^th of 380Bartholomew Con School Corp among Indiana districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	40.8	613 of 1005	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.3	614 of 1011	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.9	598 of 1016	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.2	659 of 1020	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.9	619 of 1016	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.7	500 of 1031	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.7	616 of 1027	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	59.5	474 of 1033	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	62.4	439 of 1046	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	58.7	460 of 1040	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	57.5	506 of 1036	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	55.6	554 of 1035	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	55.3	534 of 1015	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2011	38.5	751 of 1025	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	40.0	713 of 1009	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	35.6	739 of 1003	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	55.4	517 of 996	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	64.4	354 of 985	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2006	53.2	517 of 961	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2005	55.2	488 of 959	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2004	40.3	241 of 326	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Indiana (2024-2025) ?

Social Studies42%+4 vs state

English Language Arts35%

Science32%

Math32%

★

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Schools Near L F Smith Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2025)					ILEARN Math (2025)					ILEARN Science (2025)			ILEARN Social Studies (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ILEARN English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 4th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 5th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Science 4th Grade	ILEARN Science 6th Grade	ILEARN Science All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
L F Smith Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	4505 Waycross Dr	Columbus	47203	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 376-4317	420	27	15.4	57.9%	297 (70.7%)	15 (3.6%)	68 (16.2%)	8 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (7.6%)	40.8	613^th of 1005 public elementary schools	39.0%		41.3	614^th of 1011 public elementary schools	39.3%	1	41.4	25.0	42.1	30.5	34.6	41.4	18.3	45.6	22.0	31.6	32.2	32.2	32.2	42.1	$14,082	$2,150	$11,932
Clifty Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4625 E 50 N	Columbus	47203	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 376-4342	705	48	14.6	66.0%	330 (46.8%)	35 (5.0%)	293 (41.6%)	8 (1.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.2%)	27.9	745^th of 1005 public elementary schools	25.9%		25.9	762^nd of 1011 public elementary schools	24.6%	17	36.9	12.8	33.7	28.8	28.0	47.6	18.6	24.7	27.4	29.5	18.6	20.6	19.5	23.6	$12,189	$1,383	$10,805
W D Richards Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3311 Fairlawn Dr	Columbus	47201	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 376-4311	610	31	19.8	45.2%	380 (62.3%)	23 (3.8%)	139 (22.8%)	33 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (5.7%)	48.3	536^th of 1005 public elementary schools	46.7%		46.7	561^st of 1011 public elementary schools	44.5%	25	28.3	47.4	41.3	37.7	38.0	40.4	46.2	39.2	35.3	40.2	50.0	28.2	38.7	29.7	$11,130	$772	$10,359
CSA Fodrea Campus	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	2775 Illinois St	Columbus	47201	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	Yes	No	No	(812) 376-4321	351	20	17.5	40.7%	177 (50.4%)	8 (2.3%)	45 (12.8%)	88 (25.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (9.1%)	45.1	571^st of 1005 public elementary schools	43.2%		38	651^st of 1011 public elementary schools	35.6%	80	32.6	33.3	31.8	31.8	32.4	52.3	50.0	47.7	29.6	44.8	38.1	27.3	32.6	32.6	$11,072	$625	$10,446
Lillian Schmitt Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2675 California	Columbus	47201	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 376-4307	704	40	17.7	61.8%	408 (58.0%)	49 (7.0%)	154 (21.9%)	11 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (11.6%)	34	684^th of 1005 public elementary schools	31.9%		37.1	659^th of 1011 public elementary schools	34.8%	25	32.7	19.8	39.5	35.9	31.2	45.5	31.9	24.7	28.2	33.2	24.4	33.0	28.4	24.4	$12,177	$1,428	$10,749
Parkside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1400 Parkside Dr	Columbus	47201	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 376-4314	733	45	16.3	42.0%	420 (57.3%)	13 (1.8%)	175 (23.9%)	77 (10.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	47 (6.4%)	72.5	260^th of 1005 public elementary schools	74.1%		70.6	289^th of 1011 public elementary schools	71.4%	29	42.9	54.1	53.2	44.7	48.7	49.0	60.2	51.4	48.3	52.0	56.1	42.1	48.6	54.1	$12,160	$1,064	$11,096
CSA Lincoln Campus	Public	K-6	750 5th St	Columbus	47201	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 376-4447	357	18	19.6	25.5%	278 (77.9%)	3 (0.8%)	37 (10.4%)	22 (6.2%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	15 (4.2%)	93.2	45^th of 1005 public elementary schools	95.5%		95	28^th of 1011 public elementary schools	97.2%	17	72.6	64.0	71.7	74.5	70.7	80.4	88.0	75.5	85.1	82.1	64.0	61.7	62.9	45.3	$11,253	$496	$10,757
Southside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1320 W 200 S	Columbus	47201	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 376-4423	891	50	18.0	21.0%	439 (49.3%)	28 (3.1%)	104 (11.7%)	282 (31.6%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (4.0%)	86	125^th of 1005 public elementary schools	87.6%		85.6	116^th of 1011 public elementary schools	88.5%	9	50.4	54.7	60.6	63.3	57.2	63.5	67.6	68.5	65.0	66.3	52.5	61.5	56.6	58.3	$11,559	$733	$10,826
Rockcreek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	13000 E 200 S	Columbus	47201	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 579-5221	351	19	18.4	32.2%	326 (92.9%)	2 (0.6%)	14 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.6%)	76.3	220^th of 1005 public elementary schools	78.1%		76.4	218^th of 1011 public elementary schools	78.4%	2	51.1	60.4	44.9	44.7	50.3	55.6	77.1	53.1	57.5	60.9	56.3	54.2	55.2	34.7	$11,892	$702	$11,190
Taylorsville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	9711 Walnut St	Taylorsville	47280	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 526-5448	580	35	16.4	62.8%	320 (55.2%)	6 (1.0%)	230 (39.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.0%)	21.6	803^rd of 1005 public elementary schools	20.1%		35	677^th of 1011 public elementary schools	33.0%	126	20.0	22.9	18.9	28.2	22.3	36.3	27.1	17.8	26.9	26.7	25.7	23.1	24.3	17.8	$13,067	$1,537	$11,530

Frequently Asked Questions about L F Smith Elementary

What district is L F Smith Elementary in?

Bartholomew Con School Corp

How many students attend L F Smith Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 420 students attended L F Smith Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of L F Smith Elementary?

Students at L F Smith Elementary are 71% White, 16% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 4% African American, 2% Asian.

Is L F Smith Elementary a good school?

L F Smith Elementary ranks 613^th of 1005 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of L F Smith Elementary attend?

Students who attend L F Smith Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Northside Middle School
High : Columbus East High School

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Indiana Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.