Enrollment
14
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Columbus, TX
Columbus Alternative School
Federal NCES profile for Columbus Alternative School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 481470012678
👥 S:T ratio 44
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbus Alternative School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also one of the smallest schools in Texas.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 50.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbus Alternative School has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus Alternative School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Columbus, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
1.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.0%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbus Alternative School compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbus Alternative School
Columbus Alternative School is a higher-need, small high school in Columbus, Texas, enrolling 14 students.
At 14:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Texas median, within a few percentage points of the 14.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 50.0% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 97% of Texas schools, with 14 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and Hispanic or Latino (43%) (diversity index 56/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Its district draws 16.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 8 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 14 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Columbus Isd also operates Columbus El (798 students) and Columbus H S (524 students) alongside Columbus Alternative 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 Columbus Alternative School compares
Columbus Alternative School on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14:1 | ▼ 5% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.0% | ▼ 19% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 14 | top 97% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
14
Bigger than 2% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% below the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 47% in Texas - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$11,966
per pupil, district-wide
- below Texas avg of $13,644
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 + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 57.1 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 50.0%
Hispanic or Latino 42.9%
Two or More 7.1%
Largest group: White at 50.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.1, Columbus Alternative School is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbus Isd, which includes Columbus Alternative School.
$11,966
Per student
-12%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 69.8%
State 14.2%
Federal 16.0%
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 Columbus Alternative School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus El | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Columbus H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Columbus J H | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbus Alternative School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 798
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 524
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 323
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Texas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~14 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbus Alternative School's federal record.
- Compare Columbus Alternative School against another school. Compare schools
- Columbus Isd'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 Columbus Alternative School
How many students attend Columbus Alternative School?
Columbus Alternative School has 14 students enrolled. It is a high school in Columbus, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbus Alternative School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbus Alternative School is 14:1, which is 5% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 11% 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 Columbus Alternative School?
50.0% of students at Columbus Alternative School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbus Alternative School?
The largest demographic group at Columbus Alternative School is White at 50.0% of enrollment, in Columbus, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbus Alternative School?
Columbus Alternative School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Columbus Alternative School rank among public schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus Alternative School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Columbus, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Columbus on the city page.
Is Columbus Alternative School a good school?
Columbus Alternative School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also one of the smallest schools in Texas. 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 Columbus Isd?
Besides Columbus Alternative School, Columbus Isd also operates Columbus El (798 students), Columbus H S (524 students), and Columbus J H (323 students). See the Columbus Isd 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.