Enrollment
304
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 310534000167
North Park Elementary — Columbus, NE
Federal NCES profile for North Park Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 42/100.
👥 Class size 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 67
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Columbus Public Schools · Nebraska
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 13.6:1 Nebraska avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.7%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Park Elementary compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
North Park Elementary reports 304 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 20.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 22% above the Nebraska state mean of 13.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 4% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 41.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 35% above the Nebraska average and 19% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 304 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 13.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Columbus Public Schools spends $14,070 per pupil district-wide, below the Nebraska average of $20,313 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 51.5% from local sources (property taxes), 38.1% from the state, and 10.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How North Park Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Nebraska state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Nebraska | Nebraska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.6:1 | ▲ 22% | 13.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.7% | ▲ 35% | 30.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 304 | top 61% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
41.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 35% above the Nebraska average of 30.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.6:1
students per teacher
— 22% above state mean
Top 87% in Nebraska — lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
13.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$14,070
per pupil, district-wide
— below Nebraska avg of $20,313
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 304 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
Enrollment 304 Top 61% in Nebraska — larger than 39% of 1,010 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 20.0
Students per teacher 16.6:1 +22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 41.7% +35% vs state
NCES ID 310534000167
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 65.1%
White 32.2%
Two or More 1.3%
African American 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 65.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 304:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 13.2%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbus Public Schools, which includes North Park Elementary.
$14,070
Per student
-31%
vs Nebraska
Avg $20,313
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,337
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Enrollment
- 1,166
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Enrollment
- 353
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Enrollment
- 318
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Enrollment
- 286
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
Similar other schools in Columbus
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Shell Creek Elementary School
Standard public school
373 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Centennial Elementary School
Standard public school
353 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Lost Creek Elementary Sch
Standard public school
318 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Emerson Elementary School
Standard public school
286 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
West Park Elementary
Standard public school
215 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Pathways Beyond/Early Steps to Success Building
Standard public school
22 students
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about North Park Elementary
How many students attend North Park Elementary?
North Park Elementary has 304 students enrolled. It is a other school in COLUMBUS, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Park Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at North Park Elementary is 16.6:1, which is 22% higher than the Nebraska average of 13.6:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at North Park Elementary?
41.7% of students at North Park Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Park Elementary?
The largest demographic group at North Park Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 65.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in COLUMBUS, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Park Elementary?
North Park Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.