Enrollment
278
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbus, MT
Columbus Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Columbus Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 300719000204
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbus Elem School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 278
- students enrolled
Columbus Elem School has class sizes near the Montana median. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus Elem School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Columbus, MT.
School address
District: Columbus Elem · Montana
NCES ID 300719000204 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbus Elem School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbus Elem School
Columbus Elem School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Columbus, Montana, enrolling 278 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 278 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 278 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
15.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Columbus Elem spends $11,705 per pupil, 39% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district, Columbus Elem, also runs Columbus Middle School (178 students).
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 Elem School compares
Columbus Elem School on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.9:1 | ▲ 18% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 278 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
278
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 66% in Montana - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
15.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,705
per pupil, district-wide
- below Montana avg of $19,282
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 278 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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 89.2%
Hispanic or Latino 4.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.5%
African American 1.4%
Two or More 1.4%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 89.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.1, Columbus Elem School is less mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbus Elem, which includes Columbus Elem School.
$11,705
Per student
-39%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.5%
State 33.1%
Federal 11.3%
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 Columbus Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Middle School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbus Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 178
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Montana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~278 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbus Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Columbus Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Columbus Elem'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 Elem School
How many students attend Columbus Elem School?
Columbus Elem School has 278 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbus, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbus Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbus Elem School is 13.9:1, which is 18% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbus Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Columbus Elem School is White at 89.2% of enrollment, in Columbus, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbus Elem School?
Columbus Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Columbus Elem School rank among public schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus Elem School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Columbus, MT. 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 Elem School a good school?
Columbus Elem School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana 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 Columbus Elem?
Besides Columbus Elem School, Columbus Elem also operates Columbus Middle School (178 students). See the Columbus Elem 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.