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Eastside Elementary School

Q: Is Eastside Elementary School a good school?

Eastside Elementary School ranks 1309 th of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1309^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,240 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 42% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Eastside Elementary School in Lake City, FL, is a PK-5 public school serving 655 students within the Columbia County School District, and it has historically been a top performer in the area, though recent data shows a significant decline. For eight consecutive years, Eastside earned a 4-star rating and ranked in the 72nd to 82nd percentile statewide, but the most recent data (2025-2026) shows a drop to the 42nd percentile (2-star rating). This is a stark contrast to nearby schools like Westside Elementary (72nd percentile, 4-star) and Pinemount Elementary (66th percentile, 3-star), which are now outperforming it. Interestingly, Eastside has a lower percentage of economically disadvantaged students (58.32%) than many lower-performing peers, such as Summers Elementary (71.95%) and Melrose Park Elementary (82.2%), and it spends less per student ($9,238) than any comparable school in the district, including Columbia City Elementary ($10,929) and Five Points Elementary ($12,190).

A key factor in Eastside's recent struggles appears to be rising chronic absenteeism, which has climbed from 7.8% in 2019-2020 to 28.0% in 2023-2024. While this rate is better than Melrose Park Elementary (40.5%) and Fort White Elementary (36.6%), it is higher than Westside Elementary (25.5%) and Columbia City Elementary (23.3%). This trend correlates with declining test scores, particularly in math, which was once Eastside's strongest subject. For example, in 2022-2023, 80% of 3rd graders were proficient in math, the highest among comparable schools, but that dropped to 62% in the most recent data, now trailing the district (68%) and state (66%).

Despite the overall decline, Eastside's 5th-grade science scores have remained a bright spot, with 66% proficiency in 2023-2024 (vs. 53% state) and 60% in 2024-2025 (vs. 55% state), suggesting a specific instructional strength in that area. The school's recent performance is also notable when compared to Lake Butler Elementary in the neighboring Union County district, which now ranks higher (56th percentile) than Eastside (42nd percentile), despite Eastside historically outperforming it. This "Eastside Paradox"—where lower poverty and spending once yielded strong results but now coincide with a decline—highlights the impact of absenteeism and suggests that the school's challenges may be tied to broader community dynamics in central Lake City, rather than just resources or demographics.

655

Students ?

18.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,238

Per pupil spending ?

58.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

256 SE Beech St
Lake City, FL 32025

(386) 755-8220

District: Columbia

Students who attend Eastside Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Lake City Middle School
	Richardson Sixth Grade Academy
High:	Columbia High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

59.4%

African American:

22.0%

Hispanic:

9.5%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Eastside Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 80th percentile in 2016 → 42nd in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 38 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school58%

District avg61%

Florida avg62%

1,309^th of 2,240

Florida public elementary schools ?

Bottom 42%▼ down 38 pts since 2016

From top 20% (2016) to bottom 42% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 6Elementary Schools in the Columbia

36^th of 70Columbia among Florida 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	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	43.5	1309 of 2240	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	58.5	915 of 2258	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	73.5	562 of 2256	75.1%	★★★★☆
2023	71.8	590 of 2240	73.7%	★★★★☆
2022	71.8	595 of 2219	73.2%	★★★★☆
2021	70.5	638 of 2247	71.6%	★★★★☆
2019	78.5	439 of 2182	79.9%	★★★★☆
2018	75.8	472 of 2118	77.7%	★★★★☆
2017	79.9	379 of 2112	82.1%	★★★★☆
2016	77.7	426 of 2087	79.6%	★★★★☆
2014	74.0	476 of 2064	76.9%	★★★★☆
2013	57.5	844 of 2029	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	64.8	695 of 1984	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	66.2	694 of 1985	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	54.5	941 of 1919	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	57.8	818 of 1847	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	71.3	497 of 1789	72.2%	★★★★☆
2007	61.9	711 of 1786	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2006	39.8	1050 of 1688	37.8%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Math60%-5 vs state

Science57%-3 vs state

English Language Arts56%-4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Eastside Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				FAST English Language Arts (2026)			FAST Math (2026)			Statewide Science Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Eastside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	256 SE Beech St	Lake City	32025	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 755-8220	655	35	18.7	58.3%	389 (59.4%)	144 (22.0%)	62 (9.5%)	5 (0.8%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (7.9%)	43.5	1309^th of 2240 public elementary schools	41.6%		58.5	915^th of 2258 public elementary schools	59.5%	394	60.0	52.0	55.0	62.0	57.0	60.0	57.0	$9,238	$1,052	$8,187
Melrose Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	820 SE Putnam St	Lake City	32025	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 755-8260	635	39	16.2	82.2%	122 (19.2%)	388 (61.1%)	68 (10.7%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (8.5%)								(n/a)								$10,889	$1,294	$9,595
Summers Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1388 SW McFarlane Ave	Lake City	32025	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 755-8250	492	31	15.8	72.0%	182 (37.0%)	200 (40.7%)	58 (11.8%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	46 (9.3%)	22.6	1858^th of 2240 public elementary schools	17.1%		30.4	1628^th of 2258 public elementary schools	27.9%	230	45.0	36.0	49.0	56.0	53.0	48.0	42.0	$10,811	$1,346	$9,466
Five Points Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	303 NW Johnson St	Lake City	32055	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 755-8230	349	22	15.8	75.6%	194 (55.6%)	82 (23.5%)	28 (8.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (12.6%)								(n/a)								$12,190	$1,341	$10,849
Westside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1956 SW County Road 252b	Lake City	32024	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 755-8280	695	40	17.3	43.9%	448 (64.5%)	98 (14.1%)	55 (7.9%)	22 (3.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (10.1%)	70.2	627^th of 2240 public elementary schools	72.0%		78.5	442^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	80.4%	185	67.0	68.0	67.0	78.0	71.0	72.0	64.0	$9,752	$1,148	$8,603
Pinemount Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	324 SW Gabriel Pl	Lake City	32024	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 755-8172	448	30	14.9	59.4%	304 (67.9%)	62 (13.8%)	47 (10.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (7.6%)	64.6	762^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	66.0%		63.7	784^th of 2258 public elementary schools	65.3%	22	57.0	65.0	72.0	69.0	77.0	74.0	58.0	$11,172	$1,324	$9,848
Columbia City Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7438 SW State Road 47	Lake City	32024	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 758-4850	585	36	16.2	53.0%	435 (74.4%)	37 (6.3%)	71 (12.1%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (6.7%)	59.5	890^th of 2240 public elementary schools	60.3%		42.7	1283^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	43.2%	393	70.0	70.0	60.0	77.0	59.0	54.0	61.0	$10,929	$1,291	$9,637
Fort White Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	18119 SW State Road 47	Fort White	32038	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 344-6301	644	37	17.4	63.0%	429 (66.6%)	55 (8.5%)	117 (18.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	40 (6.2%)	32.4	1607^th of 2240 public elementary schools	28.3%		33.8	1528^th of 2258 public elementary schools	32.3%	79	52.0	47.0	54.0	71.0	53.0	47.0	42.0	$9,796	$1,194	$8,602
Lake Butler Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	800 SW 6th St	Lake Butler	32054	Union County	Union	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 448-5302	951	62	15.3	52.7%	709 (74.6%)	103 (10.8%)	34 (3.6%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	102 (10.7%)	56.2	978^th of 2240 public elementary schools	56.3%		68.8	672^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	70.2%	306	59.0	62.0		77.0	60.0			$10,999	$1,564	$9,435

Frequently Asked Questions about Eastside Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Eastside Elementary School?

Students at Eastside Elementary School are 59% White, 22% African American, 9% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races.

How many students attend Eastside Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 655 students attended Eastside Elementary School.

Is Eastside Elementary School a good school?

Eastside Elementary School ranks 1309^th of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Eastside Elementary School in?

Columbia

What schools do graduates of Eastside Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Eastside Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lake City Middle School
Middle : Richardson Sixth Grade Academy
High : Columbia 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 Florida 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.