Colby Public Schools

Public school district · Thomas County · Kansas · NCES district ID 2005010

Colby Public Schools spent $12,964 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 96% of the other Kansas districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $16,054). Its 3 schools enrolled 958 students in 2024-25; 57.4% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $14,841 per student, up 14.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 90-94% (Kansas: 88%).

NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method

Spending per student among Kansas districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Colby Public Schools in enrollment (911 to 982 students) and Colby Public Schools itself.

Current spending per student, Kansas districts closest in size to Colby Public Schools, FY23Kingman-Norwich USD 331 $15,806; Frontenac Public Schools $15,008; Hiawatha $14,668; Columbus USD 493 $14,603; Garnett USD 365 $13,707; Holcomb $13,517; Goodland Unified $13,238; USD 466 Scott County Schools $13,016; Colby Public Schools $12,964; Humboldt USD 258 $10,798; State median, under 1,000 students $16,054.8k10k12k14k16k18kKingman-Norwich USD 331$15,806Frontenac Public Schools$15,008Hiawatha$14,668Columbus USD 493$14,603Garnett USD 365$13,707Holcomb$13,517Goodland Unified$13,238USD 466 Scott County Schools$13,016Colby Public Schools$12,964Humboldt USD 258$10,798State median, under 1,000 students $16,054
Current spending per student, Kansas districts closest in size to Colby Public Schools, FY23Kingman-Norwich USD 331 $15,806; Frontenac Public Schools $15,008; Hiawatha $14,668; Columbus USD 493 $14,603; Garnett USD 365 $13,707; Holcomb $13,517; Goodland Unified $13,238; USD 466 Scott County Schools $13,016; Colby Public Schools $12,964; Humboldt USD 258 $10,798; State median, under 1,000 students $16,054.8k10k12k14k16k18kKingman-Norwich USD 331$15,806Frontenac Public Schools$15,008Hiawatha$14,668Columbus USD 493$14,603Garnett USD 365$13,707Holcomb$13,517Goodland Unified$13,238USD 466 Scott County Schools$13,016Colby Public Schools$12,964Humboldt USD 258$10,798State median, under 1,000 students $16,054
Current spending per student, Kansas districts closest in size to Colby Public Schools, FY23Kingman-Norwich USD 331 $15,806; Frontenac Public Schools $15,008; Hiawatha $14,668; Columbus USD 493 $14,603; Garnett USD 365 $13,707; Holcomb $13,517; Goodland Unified $13,238; USD 466 Scott County Schools $13,016; Colby Public Schools $12,964; Humboldt USD 258 $10,798; State median, under 1,000 students $16,054.8k12k16k18kKingman-Norwich USD 331$15,806Frontenac Public Schools$15,008Hiawatha$14,668Columbus USD 493$14,603Garnett USD 365$13,707Holcomb$13,517Goodland Unified$13,238USD 466 Scott County Schools$13,016Colby Public Schools$12,964Humboldt USD 258$10,798State median, under 1,000 students $16,054
Current spending per student, Kansas districts closest in size to Colby Public Schools, FY23Kingman-Norwich USD 331 $15,806; Frontenac Public Schools $15,008; Hiawatha $14,668; Columbus USD 493 $14,603; Garnett USD 365 $13,707; Holcomb $13,517; Goodland Unified $13,238; USD 466 Scott County Schools $13,016; Colby Public Schools $12,964; Humboldt USD 258 $10,798; State median, under 1,000 students $16,054.8k12k16k18kKingman-Norwich USD 331$15,806Frontenac Public Schools$15,008Hiawatha$14,668Columbus USD 493$14,603Garnett USD 365$13,707Holcomb$13,517Goodland Unified$13,238USD 466 Scott County Schools$13,016Colby Public Schools$12,964Humboldt USD 258$10,798State median, under 1,000 students $16,054

Where the money came from

$16,170,000 in revenue: 57.4% state, 35.4% local and 7.3% federal. Total spending including $782,000 of capital outlay was $13,279,000, or $13,775 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Colby Public Schools revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $9,276,000; Local $5,720,000; Federal $1,174,000; total $16,170,000.
  • State$9,276,000 57%
  • Local$5,720,000 35%
  • Federal$1,174,000 7%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 203 districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment held steady from 2022-23 to 2024-25

964 students in 2022-23, 944 students in 2023-24, 958 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Colby Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 964, 2023-24: 944, 2024-25: 95802505007501k2022-239642023-249442024-25958
Colby Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 964, 2023-24: 944, 2024-25: 95802505007501k2022-239642023-249442024-25958
Colby Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 964, 2023-24: 944, 2024-25: 95802505007501k2022-239642023-249442024-25958
Colby Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 964, 2023-24: 944, 2024-25: 95802505007501k2022-239642023-249442024-25958

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-2396458.816.4
2023-2494455.816.9
2024-2595867.314.2

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$3,767,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,908 per student

Colby Public Schools booked $3,767,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 68 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $55,194 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 34 in 100 Kansas districts with a figure (state median $57,761, 260 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Kansas teacher salary at $54,815 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$3,623,00096.2%
Special education$52,0001.4%
Vocational$55,0001.5%
Other programs$37,0001.0%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,098 in 2018-19, $3,372 in 2019-20, $3,886 in 2020-21, $3,777 in 2021-22, $3,908 in 2022-23.

Colby Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,098, 2019-20: $3,372, 2020-21: $3,886, 2021-22: $3,777, 2022-23: $3,90801k2k3k4k2018-19$3,0982019-20$3,3722020-21$3,8862021-22$3,7772022-23$3,908
Colby Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,098, 2019-20: $3,372, 2020-21: $3,886, 2021-22: $3,777, 2022-23: $3,90801k2k3k4k2018-19$3,0982019-20$3,3722020-21$3,8862021-22$3,7772022-23$3,908
Colby Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,098, 2019-20: $3,372, 2020-21: $3,886, 2021-22: $3,777, 2022-23: $3,90801k2k3k4k2018-19$3,0982019-20$3,3722020-21$3,8862021-22$3,7772022-23$3,908
Colby Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,098, 2019-20: $3,372, 2020-21: $3,886, 2021-22: $3,777, 2022-23: $3,90801k2k3k4k2018-19$3,0982019-20$3,3722020-21$3,8862021-22$3,7772022-23$3,908

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Colby Public Schools scored proficient or above: 24% in reading and 28% in math, against 32.5% in reading and 29.4% in math across Kansas. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Kansas, not across states.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtKansasStudents tested
Reading and language arts24%32.5%454
Math28%29.4%452

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

90-94% of the 72 students in Colby Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 88% across Kansas. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtKansas
Four-year graduation rate90‑94%88%
Students in the class7236,783

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

1 elementary school, 369 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Colby Elementary36915.431.7%Targeted program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 middle school, 293 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Colby Middle School29313.627.0%Eligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 high school, 296 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Colby Senior High29613.626.7%Eligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Colby Public Schools

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Colby Public Schools

  1. Kansas districts by spending per studentColby Public Schools ranks 194 of 203 Kansas districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($12,964).#194 of 203
  2. Every school district in KansasColby Public Schools is the number 86 by size of 290 Kansas districts, with 964 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#86 of 290
  3. Humboldt USD 258The next larger Kansas district: 974 students in fall 2022, $10,798 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$10,798
  4. Garnett USD 365The next smaller Kansas district: 961 students in fall 2022, $13,707 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,707
  5. Compare Colby Public Schools with Humboldt USD 258Enrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Colby Senior High, its largest high school296 students in 2024-25, 13.6 per teacher.296
  7. Teacher salary spending across KansasColby Public Schools spent $55,194 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $57,761); spending, not a salary.$55,194
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Colby Public Schools

  1. How many schools and students are in Colby Public Schools?
    3 schools were open in 2024-25 (1 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high), enrolling 958 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Colby Public Schools spend per student?
    $12,964 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Kansas median for districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $16,054 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $14,841 per student, up 14.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Colby Public Schools' money come from?
    $16,170,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 57.4% state, 35.4% local and 7.3% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Colby Public Schools live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 83 of the 1,169 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 7.1%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Colby Public Schools spend on teacher salaries?
    $3,767,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,908 per student. Divided by the 68 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $55,194 per teacher, more than 34 in 100 Kansas districts (state median $57,761). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Kansas teacher salary at $54,815 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Colby Public Schools do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Colby Public Schools scored proficient or above: 24% in reading and 28% in math, against 32.5% in reading and 29.4% in math across Kansas. Kansas's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Colby Public Schools?
    90-94% of the 72 students in Colby Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 88% across Kansas. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is Colby Public Schools' NCES district ID?
    2005010. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Compiled from official source data by .