Enrollment
369
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Colby, KS
Colby Elem
Federal NCES profile for Colby Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 200501000571
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Colby Elem earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Kansas schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Colby · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.4:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 38.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Colby Elem has class sizes larger than 77% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Colby Elem ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Colby, KS.
School address
District: Colby Public Schools · Kansas
NCES ID 200501000571 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.4%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Colby Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Colby Elem
Colby Elem is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Colby, Kansas, enrolling 369 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 38.4% lands close to the Kansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 369 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 306 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #198.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 38/100).
14.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Colby Public Schools also operates Colby Senior High (296 students) and Colby Middle School (293 students) alongside Colby Elem.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Colby Elem compares
Colby Elem on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.4:1 | ▲ 12% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.4% | ▼ 10% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 369 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
369
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% below the Kansas average of 42.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 77% in Kansas - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$12,771
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kansas avg of $15,487
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 76.4%
Hispanic or Latino 18.7%
Two or More 3.0%
African American 1.1%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: White at 76.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.0, Colby Elem is about as mixed as the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Colby Public Schools, which includes Colby Elem.
$12,771
Per student
-18%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.6%
State 58.1%
Federal 6.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Colby Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colby Senior High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Colby Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Colby Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 296
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 293
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Kansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~369 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Colby Elem's federal record.
- Compare Colby Elem against another school. Compare schools
- Colby Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Colby Elem
How many students attend Colby Elem?
Colby Elem has 369 students enrolled. It is a public school in Colby, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Colby Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Colby Elem is 15.4:1, which is 12% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Colby Elem?
38.4% of students at Colby Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Colby Elem?
The largest demographic group at Colby Elem is White at 76.4% of enrollment, in Colby, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Colby Elem?
Colby Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Colby Elem rank among public schools in Colby?
By Resource Investment Index, Colby Elem ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Colby, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Colby on the city page.
Is Colby Elem a good school?
Colby Elem earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Kansas schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Colby Public Schools?
Besides Colby Elem, Colby Public Schools also operates Colby Senior High (296 students) and Colby Middle School (293 students). See the Colby Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.