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W D Richards Elementary School

Q: Is W D Richards Elementary School a good school?

W D Richards Elementary School ranks 536 th of 1005 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

536^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,005 Indiana Elementary Schools

Better than 47% of Indiana elementary schools

Summary

W D Richards Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 608 students in grades PK-6 in Columbus, Indiana, which is part of the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation district.

While the school has seen a steady increase in spending per student, from $8,867 in 2020-2021 to $11,130 in 2023-2024, its academic performance lags behind nearby schools in the district. W D Richards Elementary School has lower proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math compared to the district and state averages. Additionally, the school has experienced a significant rise in chronic absenteeism, from 8% in 2020-2021 to 17.8% in 2023-2024, which is higher than the district average. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, reaching 46.88% in 2023-2024, compared to 19.37% at Southside Elementary School.

When comparing W D Richards Elementary School to other nearby schools in the district, such as Rockcreek Elementary School and Southside Elementary School, these schools consistently outperform W D Richards Elementary in test scores, with significantly higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Math, and Science. These schools also have lower chronic absenteeism and free/reduced lunch rates. Despite the higher spending per student and lower student-teacher ratio at W D Richards Elementary School, the school's academic performance still lags behind, suggesting that factors beyond just funding and staffing may be at play in driving student outcomes.

610

Students ?

19.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,130

Per pupil spending ?

45.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3311 Fairlawn Dr
Columbus, IN 47201

(812) 376-4311

District: Bartholomew Con School Corp

Students who attend W D Richards Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Northside Middle School
High:	Columbus East High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.3%

Hispanic:

22.8%

Two or more races:

5.7%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare W D Richards Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 59th percentile in 2015 → 47th in 2025

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school38%

District avg40%

Indiana avg38%

536^th of 1,005

Indiana public elementary schools ?

Bottom 47%▼ down 12 pts since 2015

From top 41% (2015) to bottom 47% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^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	48.3	536 of 1005	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.7	561 of 1011	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	61.8	393 of 1016	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.1	431 of 1020	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.2	395 of 1016	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.0	428 of 1031	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.6	420 of 1027	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	58.5	482 of 1033	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	66.0	378 of 1046	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	62.0	427 of 1040	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	64.6	408 of 1036	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	65.9	382 of 1035	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	69.7	289 of 1015	71.5%	★★★★☆
2011	64.4	397 of 1025	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	53.3	564 of 1009	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	55.9	517 of 1003	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2008	55.4	518 of 996	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	50.9	574 of 985	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	57.6	444 of 961	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2005	67.4	294 of 959	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2004	49.0	202 of 326	38.0%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Indiana (2024-2025) ?

Math40%

Science39%

English Language Arts38%

Social Studies30%-9 vs state

★

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Schools Near W D Richards Elementary School

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about W D Richards Elementary School

What district is W D Richards Elementary School in?

Bartholomew Con School Corp

What schools do graduates of W D Richards Elementary School attend?

Students who attend W D Richards Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Northside Middle School
High : Columbus East High School

Is W D Richards Elementary School a good school?

W D Richards Elementary School ranks 536^th of 1005 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of W D Richards Elementary School?

Students at W D Richards Elementary School are 62% White, 23% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 5% Asian, 4% African American.

How many students attend W D Richards Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 610 students attended W D Richards Elementary 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.