Enrollment
241
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Columbus, WI
Columbus Middle
Federal NCES profile for Columbus Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 550282000319
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbus Middle earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Wisconsin schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11:1
- small classes for Wisconsin
- 26.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbus Middle has class sizes smaller than 80% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus Middle ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Columbus, WI.
School address
District: Columbus School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550282000319 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.0%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbus Middle compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbus Middle
Columbus Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Columbus, Wisconsin, enrolling 241 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11:1 puts it in the smaller third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 241 students, its enrollment sits close to the Wisconsin median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 420 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #114.
Its student body is predominantly White (80% of enrollment) (diversity index 34/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 241 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
12.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Columbus School District also operates Columbus Elementary (425 students) and Columbus High (383 students) alongside Columbus Middle.
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 Middle compares
Columbus Middle on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11:1 | ▼ 24% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.0% | ▼ 32% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 241 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11:1
Leaner classes than 83% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
241
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% below the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11:1
students per teacher
- 24% below state mean
Top 20% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
12.4%
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
$12,903
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wisconsin avg of $14,919
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 241 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
16
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.7 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 80.1%
Hispanic or Latino 12.0%
Two or More 5.8%
African American 1.7%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 80.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.0, Columbus Middle is about as mixed as the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbus School District, which includes Columbus Middle.
$12,903
Per student
-14%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.2%
State 44.2%
Federal 7.6%
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 Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbus High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Discovery Charter School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbus Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 425
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 383
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 71
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Wisconsin, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~241 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbus Middle's federal record.
- Compare Columbus Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Columbus 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 Middle
How many students attend Columbus Middle?
Columbus Middle has 241 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Columbus, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbus Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbus Middle is 11:1, which is 24% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 30% 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 Middle?
26.0% of students at Columbus Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbus Middle?
The largest demographic group at Columbus Middle is White at 80.1% of enrollment, in Columbus, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbus Middle?
Columbus Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Middle rank among public schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus Middle ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Columbus, WI. 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 Middle a good school?
Columbus Middle earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Wisconsin 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 Columbus School District?
Besides Columbus Middle, Columbus School District also operates Columbus Elementary (425 students), Columbus High (383 students), and Discovery Charter School (71 students). See the Columbus 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.