Enrollment
441
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Forest Lake, MN
Columbus Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Columbus Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 271227000593
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbus Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Minnesota schools.
- #4 of 6
- schools in Forest Lake · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.6:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 18.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbus Elementary has class sizes larger than 73% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus Elementary ranks #4 of 6 schools in Forest Lake, MN.
School address
District: Forest Lake Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 271227000593 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.3%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-57% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbus Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbus Elementary
Columbus Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Forest Lake, Minnesota, enrolling 441 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 18.3% free-meal eligibility runs 57% below the Minnesota average.
Enrollment of 441 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 370 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #249.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 441 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Forest Lake Public School District also operates Forest Lake Area High School (1,805 students) and Forest Lake Area Middle School (916 students) alongside Columbus 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 Columbus Elementary compares
Columbus Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.6:1 | ▲ 11% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.3% | ▼ 57% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 441 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
441
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 57% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 73% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,685
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 441 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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 80.7%
Asian 11.6%
Hispanic or Latino 3.2%
Two or More 3.2%
African American 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 80.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.3, Columbus Elementary is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Forest Lake Public School District, which includes Columbus Elementary.
$13,685
Per student
-10%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.9%
State 56.4%
Federal 9.7%
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 Columbus Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Lake Area High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forest Lake Area Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lino Lakes Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wyoming Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Linwood Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbus Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,805
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 916
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 501
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 447
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 400
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Minnesota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~441 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbus Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Columbus Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Forest Lake Public 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 Columbus Elementary
How many students attend Columbus Elementary?
Columbus Elementary has 441 students enrolled. It is a public school in Forest Lake, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbus Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbus Elementary is 17.6:1, which is 11% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 12% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Columbus Elementary?
18.3% of students at Columbus Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbus Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Columbus Elementary is White at 80.7% of enrollment, in Forest Lake, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbus Elementary?
Columbus Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Elementary rank among schools in Forest Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus Elementary ranks #4 of 6 schools in Forest Lake, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Forest Lake on the city page.
Is Columbus Elementary a good school?
Columbus Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Minnesota 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 Forest Lake Public School District?
Besides Columbus Elementary, Forest Lake Public School District also operates Forest Lake Area High School (1,805 students), Forest Lake Area Middle School (916 students), and Lino Lakes Elementary (501 students). See the Forest Lake Public 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.