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Southside Elementary School

Q: Is Southside Elementary School a good school?

Southside Elementary School ranks 105 th of 1015 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

105^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,015 Indiana Elementary Schools

Better than 90% of Indiana elementary schools

Summary

Southside Elementary School is a PK–6 school with 891 students in Columbus, Indiana, making it the largest elementary in its local comparison group — about 2.5 times the size of the typical nearby school. It is part of Bartholomew Con School Corp and ranks 105th of 1,015 Indiana elementary schools in 2025-26 (90th percentile, 4 stars), a stronger showing than its district's overall 3-star rating.

Results are well above both the district and the state. Southside's all-grade proficiency beats the district by +17.7 points in ELA, +24.2 in Math, and +22.9 in Science, and it tops the state in every grade-level subject reported. Math is consistently strong across grades 3–6 (65–68%), while ELA climbs from 52.3% in 3rd grade to 68.6% in 6th — an unusual upward pattern. In Science, Southside's 61.1% even edges CSA Lincoln Campus (57.7%), the one nearby school that posts higher overall ELA and Math proficiency. Chronic absenteeism of 7.9% is less than half the district (15.9%) and state (16.7%) rates, and only Rockcreek Elementary School (5.8%) and CSA Lincoln (6.7%) are lower nearby.

The most striking finding is value: Southside spends $11,559 per student — the lowest in the group — with the largest enrollment and one of the highest student-teacher ratios (18.0), yet produces the second-best results. By contrast, the most expensive nearby school, L F Smith Elementary ($14,082 per student), ranks in the bottom third of the state, and Taylorsville Elementary School ($13,067) sits near the bottom five percent. Among conventional neighborhood elementaries, Southside is the clear benchmark, and its chronic absenteeism has fallen roughly in half since 2022-23.

891

Students ?

18.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,559

Per pupil spending ?

21%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1320 W 200 S
Columbus, IN 47201

(812) 376-4423

District: Bartholomew Con School Corp

Students who attend Southside Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Central Middle School
High:	Columbus North High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

49.3%

Asian:

31.6%

Hispanic:

11.7%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Southside Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 85th percentile in 2016 → 90th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Indiana average (63% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 10% of Indiana elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school63%

District avg42%

Indiana avg47%

105^th of 1,015

Indiana public elementary schools ?

Top 10%▲ up 5 pts since 2016

From top 15% (2016) to top 10% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 11Elementary Schools in the Bartholomew Con School Corp

162^nd of 374Bartholomew 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
2026	87.3	105 of 1015	89.7%	★★★★☆
2025	86.0	125 of 1005	87.6%	★★★★☆
2024	85.6	116 of 1011	88.5%	★★★★☆
2023	87.1	97 of 1016	90.5%	★★★★★
2022	86.3	108 of 1020	89.4%	★★★★☆
2021	90.1	75 of 1016	92.6%	★★★★★
2019	81.0	156 of 1031	84.9%	★★★★☆
2018	70.7	294 of 1027	71.4%	★★★★☆
2017	77.2	193 of 1033	81.3%	★★★★☆
2016	79.8	162 of 1046	84.5%	★★★★☆
2015	78.8	157 of 1040	84.9%	★★★★☆
2014	74.9	206 of 1036	80.1%	★★★★☆
2013	76.5	191 of 1035	81.5%	★★★★☆
2012	74.7	227 of 1015	77.6%	★★★★☆
2011	67.2	337 of 1025	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	61.5	434 of 1009	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	71.1	276 of 1003	72.5%	★★★★☆
2008	74.7	194 of 996	80.5%	★★★★☆
2007	70.1	278 of 985	71.8%	★★★★☆
2006	70.9	244 of 961	74.6%	★★★★☆
2005	67.2	297 of 959	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2004	76.1	51 of 326	84.4%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Indiana (2025-2026) ?

Math67%

Social Studies65%+17 vs state

Science61%

English Language Arts60%

3.0

2 ratings

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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Schools Near Southside Elementary School

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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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2026)					ILEARN Math (2026)					ILEARN Science (2026)			ILEARN Social Studies (2026)	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 (2025)	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	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
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%)	87.3	105^th of 1015 public elementary schools	89.7%		86	125^th of 1005 public elementary schools	87.6%	20	52.3	55.9	60.2	68.6	59.5	68.2	65.3	68.4	66.9	67.2	63.6	58.7	61.1	64.7	$11,559	$733	$10,826
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%)	92.2	50^th of 1015 public elementary schools	95.1%		93.2	45^th of 1005 public elementary schools	95.5%	5	70.6	79.3	73.1	74.5	74.4	74.5	81.1	78.9	64.7	74.9	64.2	51.0	57.7	59.6	$11,253	$496	$10,757
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%)	59.3	401^st of 1015 public elementary schools	60.5%		45.1	571^st of 1005 public elementary schools	43.2%	170	42.9	45.7	50.0	47.4	46.5	47.6	50.0	52.2	42.1	48.3	37.0	39.5	38.1	41.3	$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%)	32.6	698^th of 1015 public elementary schools	31.2%		34	684^th of 1005 public elementary schools	31.9%	14	40.0	24.5	22.7	41.7	31.6	43.9	33.0	23.9	31.0	32.7	27.2	31.0	28.9	28.4	$12,177	$1,428	$10,749
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%)	32.8	695^th of 1015 public elementary schools	31.5%		27.9	745^th of 1005 public elementary schools	25.9%	50	41.9	31.5	20.7	25.6	30.7	55.2	32.6	28.1	26.7	36.7	30.0	20.9	25.6	24.4	$12,189	$1,383	$10,805
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%)	33.7	686^th of 1015 public elementary schools	32.4%		40.8	613^th of 1005 public elementary schools	39.0%	73	26.5	31.6	30.7	45.3	32.9	35.3	33.3	19.4	34.0	30.4	28.1	41.5	34.6	24.2	$14,082	$2,150	$11,932
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%)	70.7	281^st of 1015 public elementary schools	72.3%		72.5	260^th of 1005 public elementary schools	74.1%	21	46.2	41.8	59.4	47.0	48.4	61.5	51.8	59.4	45.3	53.6	41.8	50.0	46.0	65.6	$12,160	$1,064	$11,096
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%)	49.8	529^th of 1015 public elementary schools	47.9%		48.3	536^th of 1005 public elementary schools	46.7%	7	31.1	44.4	45.5	40.3	40.7	37.8	51.0	37.7	35.1	41.1	45.9	33.8	40.6	31.2	$11,130	$772	$10,359
Mount Healthy Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	12150 S Sr 58	Columbus	47201	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 342-2463	365	22	16.8	46.0%	297 (81.4%)	7 (1.9%)	34 (9.3%)	13 (3.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.6%)	22.6	803^rd of 1015 public elementary schools	20.9%		32.4	703^rd of 1005 public elementary schools	30.0%	100	35.4	14.6	17.1	19.2	21.7	58.3	35.4	17.1	19.2	33.2	18.8	17.0	17.9	14.6	$11,948	$876	$11,072
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%)	70.9	279^th of 1015 public elementary schools	72.5%		76.3	220^th of 1005 public elementary schools	78.1%	59	36.5	57.5	46.9	39.6	44.4	71.2	75.0	69.4	52.1	66.7	50.0	27.1	37.5	59.2	$11,892	$702	$11,190

Frequently Asked Questions about Southside Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Southside Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Central Middle School
High : Columbus North High School

How many students attend Southside Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 891 students attended Southside Elementary School.

What district is Southside Elementary School in?

Bartholomew Con School Corp

Is Southside Elementary School a good school?

Southside Elementary School ranks 105^th of 1015 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Southside Elementary School?

Students at Southside Elementary School are 49% White, 32% Asian, 12% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% African American.

Rate Southside Elementary School!

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Schools in Columbus, IN

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Latest Indiana data All new data »

2025–26 ILEARN & SAT test scoresSep 25, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 5, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataSep 4, 2025

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataJul 16, 2025

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.