Enrollment
438
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbus, KS
Columbus Junior High and High School
Federal NCES profile for Columbus Junior High and High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 200507001343
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbus Junior High and High School earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 43.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbus Junior High and High School has class sizes near the Kansas median. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus Junior High and High School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Columbus, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.0%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbus Junior High and High School compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbus Junior High and High School
Columbus Junior High and High School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Columbus, Kansas, enrolling 438 students.
At 13.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Kansas median, within a few percentage points of the 13.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 43.0% lands close to the Kansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 438 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Among 240 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kansas schools statewide, it ranks #18, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 219 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
15.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Columbus's public schools, it stands alongside Park Elem (208 students): Columbus Junior High and High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.7:1 vs 17.3:1).
Columbus also operates Central Elem (348 students) and Park Elem (208 students) alongside Columbus Junior High and High 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 Junior High and High School compares
Columbus Junior High and High 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 | 13.7:1 | ▼ 1% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.0% | ▲ 1% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 438 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
438
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% above the Kansas average of 42.7%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 56% in Kansas - lower ratio than 44% 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
$14,501
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kansas avg of $15,487
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 219 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 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 86.5%
Two or More 6.6%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.3%
African American 0.7%
Largest group: White at 86.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.5, Columbus Junior High and High School is less mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbus, which includes Columbus Junior High and High School.
$14,501
Per student
-6%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.3%
State 70.7%
Federal 6.9%
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 Junior High and High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Elem | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Park Elem | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highland Elem | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbus Junior High and High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 348
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 208
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 130
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar other schools in Columbus
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~438 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbus Junior High and High School's federal record.
- Compare Columbus Junior High and High School against another school. Compare schools
- Columbus'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 Junior High and High School
How many students attend Columbus Junior High and High School?
Columbus Junior High and High School has 438 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbus, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbus Junior High and High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbus Junior High and High School is 13.7:1, which is 1% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 13% 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 Junior High and High School?
43.0% of students at Columbus Junior High and High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbus Junior High and High School?
The largest demographic group at Columbus Junior High and High School is White at 86.5% of enrollment, in Columbus, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbus Junior High and High School?
Columbus Junior High and High School has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (higher 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 Junior High and High School rank among public schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus Junior High and High School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Columbus, 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 Columbus on the city page.
Is Columbus Junior High and High School a good school?
Columbus Junior High and High School earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas 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?
Besides Columbus Junior High and High School, Columbus also operates Central Elem (348 students), Park Elem (208 students), and Highland Elem (130 students). See the Columbus 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.