Enrollment
318
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbus, NE
Lost Creek Elementary Sch
Federal NCES profile for Lost Creek Elementary Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 310534000166
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lost Creek Elementary Sch earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Nebraska schools.
- #1 of 7
- schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.8:1
- students per teacher
- 35.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Lost Creek Elementary Sch has class sizes near the Nebraska median. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lost Creek Elementary Sch ranks #1 of 7 schools in Columbus, NE.
School address
District: Columbus Public Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 310534000166 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.4%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
+15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lost Creek Elementary Sch compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lost Creek Elementary Sch
Lost Creek Elementary Sch is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Columbus, Nebraska, enrolling 318 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Nebraska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 35.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 318 students, its enrollment sits close to the Nebraska median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,003 scored Nebraska schools.
Against 181 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #49.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and Hispanic or Latino (43%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 318 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
13.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Columbus Public Schools spends $12,223 per pupil, 31% below the Nebraska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Columbus Public Schools also operates Columbus High School (1,337 students) and Columbus Middle School (1,166 students) alongside Lost Creek Elementary Sch.
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 Lost Creek Elementary Sch compares
Lost Creek Elementary Sch on the metrics families compare, against Nebraska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Nebraska | Nebraska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.8:1 | ▼ 13% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.4% | ▲ 15% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 318 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
318
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% above the Nebraska average of 30.9%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.8:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 37% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
13.2%
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
$12,223
per pupil, district-wide
- below Nebraska avg of $17,680
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 318 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 49.7%
Hispanic or Latino 42.8%
African American 4.4%
Two or More 1.3%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: White at 49.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.8, Lost Creek Elementary Sch is more mixed than the Nebraska school average of 34.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbus Public Schools, which includes Lost Creek Elementary Sch.
$12,223
Per student
-31%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.5%
State 38.1%
Federal 10.3%
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 Lost Creek Elementary Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbus Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Centennial Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Park Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Emerson Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lost Creek Elementary Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,337
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,166
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 353
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 304
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 286
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Nebraska, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~318 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lost Creek Elementary Sch's federal record.
- Compare Lost Creek Elementary Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Columbus Public Schools'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 Lost Creek Elementary Sch
How many students attend Lost Creek Elementary Sch?
Lost Creek Elementary Sch has 318 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbus, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lost Creek Elementary Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Lost Creek Elementary Sch is 11.8:1, which is 13% lower than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 25% 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 Lost Creek Elementary Sch?
35.4% of students at Lost Creek Elementary Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lost Creek Elementary Sch?
The largest demographic group at Lost Creek Elementary Sch is White at 49.7% of enrollment, in Columbus, NE. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lost Creek Elementary Sch?
Lost Creek Elementary Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (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 Lost Creek Elementary Sch rank among schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, Lost Creek Elementary Sch ranks #1 of 7 schools in Columbus, NE. 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 Lost Creek Elementary Sch a good school?
Lost Creek Elementary Sch earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Nebraska 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 Public Schools?
Besides Lost Creek Elementary Sch, Columbus Public Schools also operates Columbus High School (1,337 students), Columbus Middle School (1,166 students), and Centennial Elementary School (353 students). See the Columbus Public Schools 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.