Columbus High School

Summary:

Columbus High School is a public high school in Columbus, Mississippi, serving 898 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Lowndes County School District, which is ranked 113 out of 130 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Columbus High School has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (94.43%) compared to nearby schools like West Point High School, Caledonia High School, and New Hope High School, which have more diverse racial compositions. The school consistently underperforms the state and district averages in standardized test scores across all subject areas, with only 29.1% of students proficient or better in Algebra I, compared to the state average of 67.4%. Additionally, 100% of Columbus High School students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

Despite having a relatively low student-teacher ratio, Columbus High School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Mississippi high schools, with a ranking of 206 out of 228 schools in the 2023-2024 school year and a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. In comparison, nearby schools like Caledonia High School and New Hope High School perform significantly better on standardized tests and have higher school rankings, suggesting that the challenges faced by Columbus High School may require a comprehensive approach to improve the academic achievement of its students.

Detail:

Public 9-12

215 Hemlock Street
Columbus, MS 39702

(662) 241-7200

District: Columbus Municipal School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
206^th of 228 Mississippi High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,624

Feeder schools for Columbus High School:

Elementary:	Cook Elementary School
	Fairview Elementary School
	Franklin Academy
	Sale Elementary School
	More...
	Stokes Beard Elementary School
Middle:	Columbus Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.8

Number of students: 937

Racial breakdown:

African American:

94.6%

White:

2.7%

Hispanic:

1.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated Mississippi high schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Columbus High School ranks worse than 90.4% of high schools in Mississippi. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.49. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Columbus High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (94.6%), White (2.7%), Hispanic (1.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Columbus High School is 15.8. (See more...)

Compare Columbus High School employs 59 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Columbus High School is $14,624.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Columbus High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Columbus High School 206^th of 228 Mississippi public high schools. (See Columbus High School in the ranking list.)

Columbus Municipal School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbus Municipal School District 113^th of 130 Mississippi school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Columbus High School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MS State Percentile
2004	47.99	144^th	232	37.9%
2005	35.23	173^rd	232	25.4%
2006	28.27	194^th	232	16.4%
2007	31.62	180^th	232	22.4%
2008	27.13	181^st	235	23.0%
2009	27.29	180^th	235	23.4%
2010	18.44	208^th	235	11.5%
2011	46.08	146^th	244	40.2%
2012	10.65	226^th	241	6.2%
2013	18.34	204^th	238	14.3%
2014	30.15	186^th	236	21.2%
2015	16.08	187^th	226	17.3%
2016	11.71	210^th	231	9.1%
2017	13.87	208^th	237	12.2%
2018	20.19	190^th	233	18.5%
2019	34.46	153^rd	233	34.3%
2021	15.93	192^nd	231	16.9%
2022	18.15	194^th	228	14.9%
2023	9.82	210^th	226	7.1%
2024	11.49	206^th	228	9.6%

See the entire list of Mississippi High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Mississippi Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Columbus High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1990	260	560	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	820
1991	222	603	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	825
1992	210	580	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	794
1993	249	469	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	721
1994	209	447	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	659
1995	183	459	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	644
1996	183	459	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	644
1997	428	1067	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	1500
1998	391	1066	2	5	0	n/a	n/a	1464
1999	365	1050	10	4	0	n/a	n/a	1429
2000	373	1040	11	1	0	n/a	n/a	1425
2001	352	1005	8	5	3	n/a	n/a	1373
2002	291	1029	6	5	0	n/a	n/a	1331
2003	291	1029	6	5	0	n/a	n/a	1331
2004	262	1082	11	5	1	n/a	n/a	1361
2005	242	1135	8	7	0	n/a	n/a	1392
2006	224	1167	15	12	0	n/a	n/a	1418
2007	171	1175	9	7	0	n/a	n/a	1362
2008	148	1114	7	8	2	n/a	n/a	1279
2009	141	1106	10	5	2	0	0	1264
2010	118	1138	7	7	4	0	0	1274
2011	115	1117	10	5	2	0	1	1250
2012	85	1121	7	10	2	0	0	1225
2013	82	1097	9	3	1	0	1	1193
2014	65	1072	7	4	0	0	1	1149
2015	64	1047	5	11	0	0	0	1127
2016	52	1015	3	10	1	0	0	1081
2017	42	1031	5	12	0	0	1	1091
2018	37	957	8	16	0	0	3	1021
2019	26	917	6	20	0	0	3	972
2020	31	856	8	17	0	0	7	919
2021	44	867	8	18	0	0	8	945
2022	34	879	8	20	0	0	8	949
2023	27	848	7	11	0	0	5	898
2024	25	886	5	16	0	0	5	937

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Columbus High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	820	47.3	17.3	n/a
1991	825	46.8	17.6	n/a
1992	794	45.3	17.5	52
1993	721	40.5	17.8	52.6
1994	659	37.2	17.7	55.7
1995	644	34.3	18.8	61.6
1996	644	34.3	18.8	61.6
1997	1500	81.4	18.4	68.7
1998	1464	78.6	18.6	68.8
1999	1429	77.1	18.5	68.2
2000	1425	75.9	18.8	68.7
2001	1373	73.8	18.6	73.4
2002	1331	74.3	17.9	79.6
2003	1331	74.3	17.9	79.6
2004	1361	71.8	19.0	63
2005	1392	70.5	19.7	64.6
2006	1418	72.7	19.5	68.1
2007	1362	78.1	17.4	72.5
2008	1279	78.2	16.4	73.2
2009	1264	80.6	15.7	76.3
2010	1274	77.9	16.3	79.7
2011	1250	78.2	15.9	80.5
2012	1225	80.3	15.2	80.5
2013	1193	70.2	16.9	82.8
2014	1149	74.8	15.3	84.3
2015	1127	84.0	13.4	100
2016	1081	84.0	12.8	100
2017	1091	71.6	15.2	100
2018	1021	66.5	15.3	100
2019	972	66.0	14.7	100
2020	919	70.2	13.0	100
2021	945	66.4	14.2	100
2022	949	60.5	15.6	100
2023	898	63.8	14.0	100
2024	937	59.0	15.8	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Columbus High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	820	47.3	17.3	n/a
1991	825	46.8	17.6	n/a
1992	794	45.3	17.5	52
1993	721	40.5	17.8	52.6
1994	659	37.2	17.7	55.7
1995	644	34.3	18.8	61.6
1996	644	34.3	18.8	61.6
1997	1500	81.4	18.4	68.7
1998	1464	78.6	18.6	68.8
1999	1429	77.1	18.5	68.2
2000	1425	75.9	18.8	68.7
2001	1373	73.8	18.6	73.4
2002	1331	74.3	17.9	79.6
2003	1331	74.3	17.9	79.6
2004	1361	71.8	19.0	63
2005	1392	70.5	19.7	64.6
2006	1418	72.7	19.5	68.1
2007	1362	78.1	17.4	72.5
2008	1279	78.2	16.4	73.2
2009	1264	80.6	15.7	76.3
2010	1274	77.9	16.3	79.7
2011	1250	78.2	15.9	80.5
2012	1225	80.3	15.2	80.5
2013	1193	70.2	16.9	82.8
2014	1149	74.8	15.3	84.3
2015	1127	84.0	13.4	100
2016	1081	84.0	12.8	100
2017	1091	71.6	15.2	100
2018	1021	66.5	15.3	100
2019	972	66.0	14.7	100
2020	919	70.2	13.0	100
2021	945	66.4	14.2	100
2022	949	60.5	15.6	100
2023	898	63.8	14.0	100
2024	937	59.0	15.8	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Columbus High School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2017	$10,228
2018	$10,239
2019	$11,897
2020	$11,014
2021	$12,494
2022	$14,624

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Columbus High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 153^rd of 233 High schools	Ranks 210^th of 226 High schools	27.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Algebra I (Columbus High School)	22.9	26	3.1%
End of Course Algebra I (Columbus Municipal School District)	26.9	26	0.9%
End of Course Algebra I (Mississippi)	49.3	65.8	16.5%
End of Course English II (Columbus High School)	39.7	21.8	17.9%
End of Course English II (Columbus Municipal School District)	39.7	21.8	17.9%
End of Course English II (Mississippi)	43.9	50.1	6.2%
End of Course Biology (Columbus High School)	49.4	39	10.4%
End of Course Biology (Columbus Municipal School District)	49.4	39	10.4%
End of Course Biology (Mississippi)	57.2	60.9	3.7%
End of Course U.S. History1 (Columbus High School)	29.9	53.5	23.6%
End of Course U.S. History1 (Columbus Municipal School District)	29.9	53.5	23.6%
End of Course U.S. History1 (Mississippi)	55.5	71.4	15.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	972	898	7.6%
African American	917	848	7.5%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	6	7	16.7%
Hispanic	20	11	45%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	26	27	3.8%
Two or More Races	3	5	66.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Columbus High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAAP English Language Arts (2024)		MAAP Mathematics (2024)		MAAP Algebra I (2024)	MAAP English II (2024)	MAAP Science (2024)	MAAP Biology (2024)	MAAP U.S. History1 (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAAP Algebra I End of Course	MAAP English II End of Course	MAAP Science 8th Grade	MAAP Biology End of Course	MAAP U.S. History1 End of Course	Total
Columbus High School	Public	9-12	215 Hemlock Street	Columbus	39702	Lowndes County	Columbus Municipal School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 241-7200	937	59	15.8	100.0%	25 (2.7%)	886 (94.6%)	16 (1.7%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.5%)	11.5	206^th of 228 public high schools	9.6%		9.8	210^th of 226 public high schools	7.1%	4					29.1	18.2		42.1	57.0	$14,624
McKellar Vocational Center	Public	9-12	810 N Browder Street	Columbus	39702	Lowndes County	Columbus Municipal School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 241-7290	0	10	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Lowndes County Vocational Complex	Public	9-12	1085 Lehmberg Road	Columbus	39702	Lowndes County	Lowndes County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 244-5038	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Mississippi School For Math And Science	Public, Magnet	11-12	5th Ave South and MSCW Dr	Columbus	39701	Lowndes County	Mississippi School For Math And Science	No	Yes	No	No	(662) 329-7672	241	22	11.1	4.6%	125 (51.9%)	43 (17.8%)	10 (4.1%)	45 (18.7%)	4 (1.7%)	1 (0.4%)	13 (5.4%)	97.8	1^st of 228 public high schools	99.6%		97	1^st of 226 public high schools	99.6%							100.0			99.1
New Hope High School	Public	9-12	2920 New Hope Road	Columbus	39702	Lowndes County	Lowndes County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 244-4701	818	53	15.4	61.2%	386 (47.2%)	401 (49.0%)	12 (1.5%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	14 (1.7%)	48.4	128^th of 228 public high schools	43.9%		54.8	106^th of 226 public high schools	53.1%	22					68.8	46.7		60.4	61.1	$10,850
West Lowndes High School	Public	7-12	644 South Frontage Road	Columbus	39701	Lowndes County	Lowndes County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 244-5070	216	27	7.8	100.0%	8 (3.7%)	208 (96.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22.5	180^th of 228 public high schools	21.1%		10.3	209^th of 226 public high schools	7.5%	29	24.0	17.2	44.0	48.2	78.6	10.6	48.2	40.7	55.6	$17,024
Caledonia High School	Public	9-12	111 Confederate Drive	Caledonia	39740	Lowndes County	Lowndes County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 356-2001	641	44	14.5	42.7%	470 (73.3%)	117 (18.3%)	30 (4.7%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.1%)	82.7	24^th of 228 public high schools	89.5%		80	33^rd of 226 public high schools	85.4%	9					76.2	66.2		76.5	84.5	$11,448
West Point Vocational Comp	Public	9-12	3413 East Church Hill Road	West Point	39773	Clay County	West Point Consolidated School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 494-6176	0	7	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
West Point High School	Public	8-12	90 S. Eshman Avenue	West Point	39773	Clay County	West Point Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 494-5083	1,038	72	14.3	100.0%	155 (14.9%)	852 (82.1%)	14 (1.3%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	13 (1.3%)	31.9	158^th of 228 public high schools	30.7%		25.5	172^nd of 226 public high schools	23.9%	14		32.1		43.8	64.5	21.7	47.8	49.7	66.5	$13,330

Frequently Asked Questions about Columbus High School

What is the racial makeup of Columbus High School?

Students at Columbus High School are 95% African American, 3% White, 2% Hispanic.

What schools feed into Columbus High School?

Columbus High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Cook Elementary School
Elementary : Fairview Elementary School
Elementary : Franklin Academy
Elementary : Sale Elementary School
Elementary : Stokes Beard Elementary School
Middle : Columbus Middle School

Is Columbus High School a good school?

Columbus High School ranks in the bottom 9.6% of Mississippi high schools.

How many students attend Columbus High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 937 students attended Columbus High School.

What district is Columbus High School in?

Columbus Municipal School District

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Mississippi Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.