COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DIST operates 7 public schools serving 3,090 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Mississippi. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 other, 1 high, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 3,011 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Lowndes County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,197 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 33.6% local, 38.2% state, and 28.1% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $59,430 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 53/100, ranked #60 of 146 in Mississippi against a state average of 51 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (1 AP courses district-wide), a 305.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 34.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 92.1% African American, 2.7% White, 2.4% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
Columbus High School accounts for 28.7% of all COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DIST student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DIST-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DIST school enrollment varies 3.7× across entities
COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DIST school enrollment ranges from 231 students (lowest) to 865 students (highest), a spread of 634 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.
COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DIST has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 100.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DIST student-counselor ratio is 305:1 — 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 MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DIST is typically wider than the COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DIST-aggregate figure suggests.
COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DIST chronic absenteeism rate is 34.6% — 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.
How many schools are in COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DIST?
COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DIST has 7 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 5 other. Total enrollment is 3,090 students.
How much does COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DIST spend per student?
COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DIST spends $13,197 per student. The district has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #60 in Mississippi.
What is the average teacher salary in COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DIST?
The average teacher salary in COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DIST is $59,430 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DIST?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Lowndes County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DIST?
COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DIST students are 92.1% African American, 2.7% White, 2.4% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DIST?
COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DIST has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #60 out of 146 districts in Mississippi. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.