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Union Central Elementary School

Q: Is Union Central Elementary School a good school?

Union Central Elementary School ranks 450 th of 666 Louisiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 4-5

450^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 666 Louisiana Elementary Schools

Better than 32% of Louisiana elementary schools

Summary

Union Central Elementary School is a public elementary school in Columbia, Louisiana, serving 224 students in grades 4-5. The school is part of the Caldwell Parish School District, which is ranked 66 out of 118 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Union Central Elementary has some areas of strength, it also faces significant challenges. The school has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.9% to 32.5% over the past few years, which is much higher than the state average. Additionally, the school's test scores in Mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) are generally lower than the state and district averages, with proficiency rates of 52% in Mathematics and 60% in ELA, compared to state averages of 60% and 70%, respectively. The school's performance also varies across different student subgroups, with African American students performing relatively better than White students.

Union Central Elementary is not alone in its struggles. The nearby Grayson Elementary School and Columbia Elementary School, both part of the Caldwell Parish School District, have similar performance characteristics, including low test scores and high chronic absenteeism rates. Additionally, the Fort Necessity School in the Franklin Parish School District also has relatively low performance compared to state averages, suggesting that the challenges faced by Union Central Elementary may be reflective of broader issues within the region or the state's education system.

215

Students ?

10.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,251

Per pupil spending ?

70.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

649 Highway 849
Columbia, LA 71418

(318) 649-2569

District: Caldwell Parish

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.0%

African American:

15.8%

Two or more races:

3.3%

See top rated Louisiana elementary schools

Compare Union Central Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 13th percentile in 2018 → 32nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 32nd (2025) from a 13th-percentile low (2018)

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Louisiana average (56% vs 65% meeting standards)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!English Language Arts scores 10 pts below the Louisiana average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school56%

District avg59%

Louisiana avg65%

450^th of 666

Louisiana public elementary schools ?

Bottom 32%▼ down 6 pts since 2015

From bottom 38% (2015) to bottom 32% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Louisiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

66^th of 118Caldwell Parish among Louisiana 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	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2025	35.9	450 of 666	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.9	399 of 675	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.9	588 of 730	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.8	561 of 727	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.2	532 of 729	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.0	598 of 731	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.9	636 of 728	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	24.6	598 of 739	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	46.6	435 of 742	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	43.4	488 of 792	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	55.2	382 of 777	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	66.3	267 of 772	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	50.7	413 of 764	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	55.7	387 of 766	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	58.6	356 of 736	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2009	64.1	298 of 738	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	47.0	432 of 743	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2007	49.6	401 of 725	44.7%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2025	46.0	272 of 501	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.6	335 of 509	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.9	446 of 570	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	35.3	384 of 562	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	9.3	546 of 559	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	33.8	408 of 547	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2018	30.7	207 of 281	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2025	37.0	428 of 633	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.7	374 of 635	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.2	563 of 705	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.1	460 of 701	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.0	501 of 705	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.9	618 of 684	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2025	30.6	491 of 661	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	40.5	434 of 674	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.1	568 of 723	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.5	555 of 724	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.4	572 of 719	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.3	636 of 697	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	26.7	567 of 682	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2025	36.2	431 of 641	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.2	377 of 651	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.9	527 of 713	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.0	479 of 712	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.1	483 of 704	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.2	485 of 696	30.3%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2025	20.3	208 of 241	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.6	158 of 208	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.9	278 of 333	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2025	11.4	415 of 431	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	22.8	386 of 434	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.3	463 of 518	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.7	470 of 517	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	21.9	448 of 522	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.2	449 of 517	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.0	442 of 516	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

African American (2025)46th percentile+13 vs school

Male (2025)33rd percentile~ school

Female (2025)32nd percentile~ school

Disabled (2018)26th percentile+14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)26th percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2025)14th percentile-19 vs school

White (2025)4th percentile-29 vs school

By subject vs Louisiana (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts60%-10 vs state

Mathematics52%-8 vs state

★

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Schools Near Union Central Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				LEAP Mathematics (2025)							LEAP English Language Arts (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	LEAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	LEAP Mathematics 4th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 5th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 6th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 7th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 8th Grade	LEAP Mathematics All Grades	LEAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts All Grades	Total
Union Central Elementary School	Public	4-5	649 Highway 849	Columbia	71418	Caldwell Parish	Caldwell Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(318) 649-2569	215	20	10.7	70.7%	172 (80.0%)	34 (15.8%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.3%)	35.9	450^th of 666 public elementary schools	32.4%		44.9	399^th of 675 public elementary schools	40.9%	51		63.0	42.0				52.0		65.0	57.0				60.0	$16,251
Columbia Elementary School	Public	2-3	205 Church Street	Columbia	71418	Caldwell Parish	Caldwell Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(318) 649-2654	191	19	10.0	78.5%	156 (81.7%)	29 (15.2%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.1%)								(n/a)	46.0						46.0	52.0						52.0	$17,163
Grayson Elementary School	Public	K-1	5237 Highway 126 East	Grayson	71435	Caldwell Parish	Caldwell Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(318) 649-2703	212	18	11.7	76.9%	170 (80.2%)	26 (12.3%)	7 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.2%)								(n/a)															$16,557
Olla-Standard Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4170 School Drive	Olla	71465	LaSalle Parish	LaSalle Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(318) 495-5163	398	25	15.6	59.8%	366 (92.0%)	7 (1.8%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.3%)	66.9	245^th of 666 public elementary schools	63.2%		61.6	281^st of 675 public elementary schools	58.4%	36	73.0							68.0	71.0	80.0				73.0	$13,763
Fort Necessity School	Public	PK, KG-8	10630 Highway 562	Fort Necessity	71243	Franklin Parish	Franklin Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(318) 723-4793	254	24	10.3	79.9%	134 (52.8%)	107 (42.1%)	6 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	25.5	521^st of 666 public elementary schools	21.8%		17.2	585^th of 675 public elementary schools	13.3%	64	68.0	40.0	45.0	33.0	31.0	10.0	33.0	59.0	40.0	55.0	57.0	48.0	47.0	51.0	$15,769

Frequently Asked Questions about Union Central Elementary School

Is Union Central Elementary School a good school?

Union Central Elementary School ranks 450^th of 666 Louisiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Union Central Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 215 students attended Union Central Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Union Central Elementary School?

Students at Union Central Elementary School are 80% White, 16% African American, 3% Two or more races.

What district is Union Central Elementary School in?

Caldwell Parish

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