Enrollment
293
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Colby, KS
Colby Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Colby Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 200501000572
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Colby Middle School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Kansas schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Colby · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.2:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 30.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Colby Middle School has class sizes larger than 88% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Colby Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Colby, KS.
School address
District: Colby Public Schools · Kansas
NCES ID 200501000572 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.3%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Colby Middle School compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Colby Middle School
Colby Middle School is a mid-sized elementary school in Colby, Kansas, enrolling 293 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.2:1 is larger than about 88% of Kansas schools and 25% above the 13.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 293 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Among 272 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kansas schools statewide, it ranks #253, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 391 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
14.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Colby Public Schools also operates Colby Elem (369 students) and Colby Senior High (296 students) alongside Colby Middle School.
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 Middle School compares
Colby Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.2:1 | ▲ 25% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.3% | ▼ 29% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 293 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
293
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% 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
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 88% in Kansas - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
14.0%
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
Counselors0.8 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 77.8%
Hispanic or Latino 17.7%
Two or More 3.1%
Asian 1.0%
African American 0.3%
Largest group: White at 77.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.2, Colby Middle School is less mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Colby Public Schools, which includes Colby Middle School.
$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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colby Elem | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Colby Senior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Colby Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 369
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 296
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar elementary 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 (~293 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Colby Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Colby Middle School 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 Middle School
How many students attend Colby Middle School?
Colby Middle School has 293 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Colby, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Colby Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Colby Middle School is 17.2:1, which is 25% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Colby Middle School?
30.3% of students at Colby Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Colby Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Colby Middle School is White at 77.8% of enrollment, in Colby, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Colby Middle School?
Colby Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical 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 Middle School rank among public schools in Colby?
By Resource Investment Index, Colby Middle School ranks #2 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 Middle School a good school?
Colby Middle School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% 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 Middle School, Colby Public Schools also operates Colby Elem (369 students) and Colby Senior High (296 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.