Enrollment
263
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbus, GA
Key Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Key Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130387001402
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Key Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median.
- #7 of 17
- schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 96.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Key Elementary School has class sizes near the Georgia median. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Key Elementary School ranks #7 of 17 schools in Columbus, GA.
School address
District: Muscogee County · Georgia
NCES ID 130387001402 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
96.8%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Key Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Key Elementary School
Key Elementary School is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Columbus, Georgia, enrolling 263 students.
At 13.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Georgia median, within a few percentage points of the 14.4:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 96.8% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 92% of Georgia schools, with 263 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 160 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #101.
Its student body is led by African American (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 263 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Columbus's public schools, it stands alongside North Columbus Elementary (737 students): Key Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.8:1 vs 15.7:1).
Muscogee County also operates Northside High School (1,405 students) and Shaw High School (1,162 students) alongside Key Elementary 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 Key Elementary School compares
Key Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Georgia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Georgia | Georgia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.8:1 | ▼ 4% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.8% | ▲ 59% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 263 | top 92% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
263
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
96.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% above the Georgia average of 60.7%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 45% in Georgia - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
40.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,762
per pupil, district-wide
- below Georgia avg of $13,863
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 263 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 40 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.2 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
African American 71.1%
Hispanic or Latino 22.4%
White 3.0%
Two or More 2.7%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: African American at 71.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.3, Key Elementary School is less mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Muscogee County, which includes Key Elementary School.
$12,762
Per student
-8%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.8%
State 43.0%
Federal 18.2%
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 Key Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northside High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shaw High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbus High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hardaway High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jordan Vocational High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Key Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,405
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,162
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,161
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 1,067
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,040
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other schools in Columbus
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
North Columbus Elementary
Standard public school
737 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Eagle Ridge Academy
Standard public school
658 students 14:1 students per teacher
Clubview Elementary School
Standard public school
566 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Double Churches Elementary School
Standard public school
472 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
River Road Elementary School
Standard public school
454 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Rigdon Road Elementary School
Standard public school
437 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Georgia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~263 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Key Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Key Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Muscogee County'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 Key Elementary School
How many students attend Key Elementary School?
Key Elementary School has 263 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbus, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Key Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Key Elementary School is 13.8:1, which is 4% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 12% 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 Key Elementary School?
96.8% of students at Key Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Key Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Key Elementary School is African American at 71.1% of enrollment, in Columbus, GA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Key Elementary School?
Key Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Key Elementary School rank among schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, Key Elementary School ranks #7 of 17 schools in Columbus, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Columbus on the city page.
Is Key Elementary School a good school?
Key Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia 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 Muscogee County?
Besides Key Elementary School, Muscogee County also operates Northside High School (1,405 students), Shaw High School (1,162 students), and Columbus High School (1,161 students). See the Muscogee County 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.