Columbus Comm School District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Columbus Junction, Iowa - 3 schools

An equity score of 74/100 ranks Columbus Comm School District #38 of 303 districts in Iowa (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,780 per pupil, Columbus Comm School District ranks #99 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending (Iowa districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

664
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$13,780
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Columbus Comm School District operates 3 public schools serving 664 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Louisa County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,780 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending. See how Iowa compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 31.7% local, 54.5% state, and 13.8% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 74/100, ranked #38 of 303 in Iowa against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 252.6:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 40.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 53.1% Hispanic or Latino, 31.0% White, 9.7% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Roundy Elementary School, with a diversity index of 62.2/100.

Its largest campus is Roundy Elementary School, enrolling 383 students (54% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Columbus Community Junior High School, at 104 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Roundy Elementary School accounts for 54.2% of all Columbus Comm School District student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Columbus Comm School District a distant remainder — means Columbus Comm School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: combined. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Because it contains a majority of the affected population, enrollment-weighted aggregates will sit closer to this entity's reported fields than to those of smaller peers; an unweighted entity count answers a different question.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Columbus Comm School District school enrollment varies 3.7× across entities

Columbus Comm School District school enrollment ranges from 104 students (lowest) to 383 students (highest), a spread of 279 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Columbus Comm School District reports 57.6% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Columbus Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 253:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Columbus Comm School District is typically wider than the Columbus Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Columbus Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 40.3% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

13.8%
Federal
54.5%
State
31.7%
Local

Funding Equity

74
Equity Score
38 / 303
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Columbus Comm School District.

White 31.0%
Hispanic or Latino 53.1%
African American 5.0%
Asian 9.7%
Multiracial 0.8%
Other 0.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 60.9/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Columbus Comm School District's schools, above the Iowa average of 33.8.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Roundy Elementary School 62.2
  2. 2 Columbus Community Junior High School 61.3
  3. 3 Columbus Community High School 59.3

Programs & Resources

252.6:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
40.3%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Columbus Comm School District

School Enrollment
Roundy Elementary School
383
Columbus Community High School
220
Columbus Community Junior High School
104

How Columbus Comm School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Iowa districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Comm School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Danville Comm School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Lake Mills Comm School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Sioux Central Comm School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Maple Valley-Anthon Oto Comm School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Columbus Comm School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Iowa

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Columbus Comm School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Des Moines Independent Comm School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Columbus Comm School District?

Columbus Comm School District has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 664 students.

How much does Columbus Comm School District spend per student?

Columbus Comm School District spends $13,780 per student. The district has an equity score of 74/100, ranking #38 in Iowa.

What is the demographic composition of Columbus Comm School District?

Columbus Comm School District students are 53.1% Hispanic or Latino, 31.0% White, 9.7% Asian, 5.0% African American, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Columbus Comm School District?

Columbus Comm School District has an equity score of 74/100, ranking #38 out of 303 districts in Iowa.