Enrollment
354
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Colby, WI
Colby Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Colby Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 550273000308
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 7
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Colby Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Colby · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.6:1
- students per teacher
- 49.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Colby Elementary has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Colby Elementary ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Colby, WI.
School address
District: Colby School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550273000308 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.9%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Colby Elementary compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Colby Elementary
Colby Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Colby, Wisconsin, enrolling 354 students.
At 12.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Wisconsin median, within a few percentage points of the 14.4:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 49.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 354 students, its enrollment sits close to the Wisconsin median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 2,202 Wisconsin schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 334 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Wisconsin schools statewide, it ranks #322, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (38%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 417 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Colby School District also operates Colby High (306 students) and Colby Middle (204 students) alongside Colby Elementary.
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 Elementary compares
Colby Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.6:1 | ▼ 13% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.9% | ▲ 30% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 354 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
354
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% above the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 41% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
37.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,827
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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 59.0%
Hispanic or Latino 38.1%
Two or More 1.4%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
African American 0.3%
Largest group: White at 59.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.6, Colby Elementary is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Colby School District, which includes Colby Elementary.
$13,827
Per student
-7%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.4%
State 57.9%
Federal 12.7%
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 Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colby High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Colby Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Little Stars Pre-School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Colby Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 306
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 204
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 37
- Students per teacher
- 37:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Wisconsin, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~354 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Colby Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Colby Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Colby School District'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 Elementary
How many students attend Colby Elementary?
Colby Elementary has 354 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Colby, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Colby Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Colby Elementary is 12.6:1, which is 13% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 20% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Colby Elementary?
49.9% of students at Colby Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Colby Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Colby Elementary is White at 59.0% of enrollment, in Colby, WI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Colby Elementary?
Colby Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Colby Elementary rank among public schools in Colby?
By Resource Investment Index, Colby Elementary ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Colby, WI. 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 Elementary a good school?
Colby Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median. 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 School District?
Besides Colby Elementary, Colby School District also operates Colby High (306 students), Colby Middle (204 students), and Little Stars Pre-School (37 students). See the Colby School District 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.