Is Lost Creek Elementary School a good school?

Lost Creek Elementary School ranks in the bottom 15.9% of Nebraska elementary schools.

How many students attend Lost Creek Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 313 students attended Lost Creek Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Lost Creek Elementary School?

Students at Lost Creek Elementary School are 54% White, 37% Hispanic, 4% African American, 2% Asian, 2% American Indian, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Lost Creek Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Lost Creek Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Columbus Middle School High : Columbus High School

Lost Creek Elementary School

Summary:

Lost Creek Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-4 in Columbus, Nebraska, with an enrollment of 356 students. Over the past decade, the school has seen a significant decline in its statewide ranking and star rating, now ranking 360 out of 428 Nebraska elementary schools and holding a 1-star rating.

Lost Creek Elementary struggles to perform well across different student subgroups, with its rankings for female, male, Hispanic, and white students, as well as low socioeconomic status students, all in the bottom third of Nebraska elementary schools. The school's proficiency rates on the NSCAS English Language Arts and Mathematics assessments are consistently lower than the state and Columbus Public Schools district averages, often by 10-20 percentage points. Additionally, the school has seen a sharp increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 9.5% in 2020-2021 to 21.1% in 2023-2024, well above the state average.

Interestingly, the other elementary schools in the Columbus Public Schools district perform similarly to Lost Creek Elementary, suggesting systemic challenges within the district. However, Schuyler Elementary School, which is in a different district (Schuyler Community Schools) but geographically close to Lost Creek, outperforms Lost Creek on many metrics, including higher test scores and a higher statewide ranking.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

3772 33rd Ave
Columbus, NE 68602-0947

(402) 563-7045

District: Columbus Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
360^th of 428 Nebraska Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,398

Students who attend Lost Creek Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Columbus Middle School
High:	Columbus High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.4

Number of students: 313

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.3%

Hispanic:

37.1%

African American:

3.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 51.1%

See top rated Nebraska elementary schools

Compare Lost Creek Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Lost Creek Elementary School ranks worse than 84.1% of elementary schools in Nebraska. It also ranks 4^th among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Columbus Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 19.21. (See more...)

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: White (54.3%), Hispanic (37.1%), African American (3.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 51.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Lost Creek Elementary School is 12.4, which is the lowest among 7 elementary schools in the Columbus Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Lost Creek Elementary School employs 25 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Lost Creek Elementary School is $15,398, which is the 3^rd highest among 5 elementary schools in the Columbus Public Schools District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Lost Creek Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Lost Creek Elementary School 360^th of 428 Nebraska public elementary schools. (See Lost Creek Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

White students:

Columbus Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbus Public Schools 175^th of 182 Nebraska school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Lost Creek Elementary School?

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Rank History for Lost Creek Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Lost Creek Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2006	34.74	324^th	418	22.5%
2007	64.58	158^th	430	63.3%
2008	58.36	238^th	478	50.2%
2009	42.61	368^th	471	21.9%
2010	59.90	198^th	502	60.6%
2011	73.57	103^rd	473	78.2%
2012	69.08	120^th	480	75.0%
2013	67.78	128^th	485	73.6%
2014	75.19	82^nd	483	83.0%
2015	69.87	116^th	488	76.2%
2016	77.36	83^rd	480	82.7%
2017	54.61	215^th	459	53.2%
2018	63.12	152^nd	450	66.2%
2019	51.11	217^th	452	52.0%
2021	37.43	298^th	442	32.6%
2022	26.62	356^th	457	22.1%
2023	19.69	384^th	459	16.3%
2024	19.21	360^th	428	15.9%

See the entire list of Nebraska Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Lost Creek Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	56.37	123^rd	281	56.2%
2019	42.18	190^th	298	36.2%
2021	37.69	180^th	264	31.8%
2022	44.28	151^st	259	41.7%
2023	30.07	245^th	312	21.5%
2024	19.68	97^th	112	13.4%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Lost Creek Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	57.76	139^th	341	59.2%
2019	46.33	185^th	349	47.0%
2021	50.33	149^th	318	53.1%
2022	38.45	199^th	337	40.9%
2023	23.07	286^th	349	18.1%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Lost Creek Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	62.58	117^th	347	66.3%
2019	47.06	196^th	367	46.6%
2021	22.98	277^th	328	15.5%
2022	14.20	317^th	356	11.0%
2023	18.18	313^th	366	14.5%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Lost Creek Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	48.77	40^th	68	41.2%
2023	23.91	90^th	108	16.7%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Lost Creek Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	59.55	142^nd	391	63.7%
2019	42.42	233^rd	391	40.4%
2021	34.93	260^th	368	29.3%
2022	23.21	325^th	388	16.2%
2023	17.68	352^nd	385	8.6%
2024	11.85	250^th	261	4.2%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Elementary Schools for White Students!

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

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Nebraska Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Lost Creek Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	310	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	311
1989	330	0	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	331
1990	328	1	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	330
1991	285	1	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	287
1992	284	2	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	289
1993	289	4	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	300
1994	308	4	2	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	325
1995	279	1	4	22	0	n/a	n/a	0	306
1996	279	1	4	22	0	n/a	n/a	0	306
1997	267	0	3	23	2	n/a	n/a	0	295
1998	242	0	6	23	1	n/a	n/a	0	272
1999	249	1	2	13	0	n/a	n/a	12	277
2000	240	1	2	24	0	n/a	n/a	0	267
2001	215	1	5	22	0	n/a	n/a	0	243
2002	212	1	7	22	0	n/a	n/a	0	242
2003	212	1	7	22	0	n/a	n/a	0	242
2004	201	2	4	27	3	n/a	n/a	0	237
2005	207	0	4	30	3	n/a	n/a	0	244
2006	213	3	4	36	0	n/a	n/a	0	256
2007	202	2	3	47	4	n/a	n/a	0	258
2008	216	2	5	42	1	n/a	n/a	0	266
2009	231	5	3	58	1	n/a	n/a	0	298
2010	275	4	3	90	2	n/a	n/a	0	374
2011	281	0	4	85	4	0	7	0	381
2012	270	0	4	92	3	0	6	0	375
2013	273	0	6	89	3	0	10	0	381
2014	286	0	7	88	3	0	6	0	390
2015	261	2	7	73	2	0	7	0	352
2016	293	1	4	94	3	0	8	0	403
2017	279	4	3	122	5	0	10	0	423
2018	246	0	5	114	2	0	6	0	373
2019	261	2	6	96	5	0	6	0	376
2020	252	8	5	111	5	0	5	0	386
2021	232	6	6	97	5	0	5	0	351
2022	231	11	6	113	5	0	4	0	370
2023	199	15	3	130	6	0	3	0	356
2024	170	12	5	116	5	0	5	0	313

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 Lost Creek Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	311	17.3	17.9	11.6
1989	331	18.3	18.0	10.9
1990	330	18.2	18.1	11.8
1991	287	16.0	17.9	10.8
1992	289	15.6	18.5	12.8
1993	300	16.1	18.6	13.7
1994	325	16.2	20.1	14.8
1995	306	16.2	18.9	11.8
1996	306	16.2	18.9	11.8
1997	295	16.1	18.3	13.9
1998	272	16.1	16.9	17.6
1999	277	16.2	17.1	26.4
2000	267	16.2	16.5	24.3
2001	243	16.6	14.6	23.9
2002	242	16.8	14.4	27.3
2003	242	16.8	14.4	27.3
2004	237	16.8	14.1	35.9
2005	244	16.5	14.8	41.8
2006	256	16.5	15.5	43.4
2007	258	16.0	16.1	40.3
2008	266	16.0	16.6	34.6
2009	298	17.5	17.0	35.6
2010	374	20.0	18.6	39.6
2011	381	23.3	16.3	40.2
2012	375	26.7	14.0	40.5
2013	381	23.3	16.3	39.4
2014	390	23.5	16.5	40.5
2015	352	24.0	14.6	42.3
2016	403	26.0	15.5	40.7
2017	423	26.3	16.0	46.6
2018	373	24.0	15.5	51.5
2019	376	23.0	16.3	40.2
2020	386	24.0	16.0	40.2
2021	351	26.0	13.4	39.6
2022	370	27.0	13.6	46.8
2023	356	27.0	13.1	44.9
2024	313	25.0	12.4	51.1

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 Lost Creek Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	311	17.3	17.9	11.6
1989	331	18.3	18.0	10.9
1990	330	18.2	18.1	11.8
1991	287	16.0	17.9	10.8
1992	289	15.6	18.5	12.8
1993	300	16.1	18.6	13.7
1994	325	16.2	20.1	14.8
1995	306	16.2	18.9	11.8
1996	306	16.2	18.9	11.8
1997	295	16.1	18.3	13.9
1998	272	16.1	16.9	17.6
1999	277	16.2	17.1	26.4
2000	267	16.2	16.5	24.3
2001	243	16.6	14.6	23.9
2002	242	16.8	14.4	27.3
2003	242	16.8	14.4	27.3
2004	237	16.8	14.1	35.9
2005	244	16.5	14.8	41.8
2006	256	16.5	15.5	43.4
2007	258	16.0	16.1	40.3
2008	266	16.0	16.6	34.6
2009	298	17.5	17.0	35.6
2010	374	20.0	18.6	39.6
2011	381	23.3	16.3	40.2
2012	375	26.7	14.0	40.5
2013	381	23.3	16.3	39.4
2014	390	23.5	16.5	40.5
2015	352	24.0	14.6	42.3
2016	403	26.0	15.5	40.7
2017	423	26.3	16.0	46.6
2018	373	24.0	15.5	51.5
2019	376	23.0	16.3	40.2
2020	386	24.0	16.0	40.2
2021	351	26.0	13.4	39.6
2022	370	27.0	13.6	46.8
2023	356	27.0	13.1	44.9
2024	313	25.0	12.4	51.1

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 Lost Creek Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$419 (3.3%)	$11,301 (88.5%)	$12,766
2020	$1,707 (13.8%)	$9,658 (78.2%)	$12,350
2021	$2,085 (15.1%)	$10,620 (77.1%)	$13,772
2022	$2,267 (15.9%)	$10,947 (76.7%)	$14,264
2023	$851 (5.5%)	$13,284 (86.3%)	$15,398

Data source: Nebraska Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Lost Creek Elementary 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 217^th of 452 Elementary schools	Ranks 384^th of 459 Elementary schools	35.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Lost Creek Elementary School)	60	55	5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Columbus Public Schools)	60	55	5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	56	63	7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Lost Creek Elementary School)	59	43	16%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Columbus Public Schools)	59	40	19%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	55	58	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Lost Creek Elementary School)	55	28	27%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Columbus Public Schools)	55	41	14%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	58	55	3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Lost Creek Elementary School)	48	41	7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Columbus Public Schools)	47	40	7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	51	58	7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	376	356	5.3%
African American	2	15	650%
American Indian	5	6	20%
Asian	6	3	50%
Hispanic	96	130	35.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	261	199	23.8%
Two or More Races	6	3	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	40.2%	44.9%	4.8%

Schools Near Lost Creek Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Lost Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	3772 33rd Ave	Columbus	68602	Platte County	Columbus Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 563-7045	313	25	12.4	51.1%	170 (54.3%)	12 (3.8%)	116 (37.1%)	5 (1.6%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	19.2	360^th of 428 public elementary schools	15.9%		19.7	384^th of 459 public elementary schools	16.3%	24	$15,398	$851	$13,284
North Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	2200 31st St	Columbus	68602	Platte County	Columbus Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 563-7070	299	21	14.5	58.2%	104 (34.8%)	5 (1.7%)	182 (60.9%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	26.5	334^th of 428 public elementary schools	22.0%		27.7	364^th of 459 public elementary schools	20.7%	30	$14,872	$851	$12,719
Pathways Beyond/Early Steps To Success Building	Public	PK	2508 27th Street	Columbus	68602	Platte County	Columbus Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 563-7000	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
West Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	4100 Adamy St	Columbus	68602	Platte County	Columbus Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 563-7075	231	14	17.1	59.3%	98 (42.4%)	4 (1.7%)	124 (53.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.3%)	29.5	327^th of 428 public elementary schools	23.6%		23.4	373^rd of 459 public elementary schools	18.7%	46	$16,290	$851	$14,279
Emerson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	2410 20th St	Columbus	68602	Platte County	Columbus Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 563-7030	275	13	21.0	58.5%	107 (38.9%)	4 (1.5%)	160 (58.2%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	14.6	382^nd of 428 public elementary schools	10.7%		12.7	417^th of 459 public elementary schools	9.2%	35	$15,890	$851	$13,410
Kramer Education Center	Public	PK	2410 16th Street	Columbus	68602	Platte County	Columbus Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 563-7000	178	6	29.6	36.0%	53 (29.8%)	8 (4.5%)	113 (63.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.2%)								(n/a)
Centennial Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	500 Centennial St	Columbus	68602	Platte County	Columbus Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 563-8180	347	27	12.8	61.1%	159 (45.8%)	6 (1.7%)	173 (49.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.0%)	31.7	321^st of 428 public elementary schools	25.0%		34.3	337^th of 459 public elementary schools	26.6%	16	$13,988	$850	$11,837
Shell Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	16786 280th St	Columbus	68601	Platte County	Lakeview Community Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 564-8008	346	26	13.5	31.8%	262 (75.7%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (23.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	69.9	128^th of 428 public elementary schools	70.1%		69.8	135^th of 459 public elementary schools	70.6%	7	$13,597	$1,321	$10,777
Richland Elementary School	Public	3-5	595 Road 3	Richland	68601	Platte County	Schuyler Community Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 564-6900	30	5	6.5	66.7%	5 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (80.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.3%)								(n/a)	$21,282	$978	$17,675
Platte Center Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	155 Platte St	Platte Center	68653	Platte County	Lakeview Community Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 246-3465	156	12	13.2	51.9%	100 (64.1%)	1 (0.6%)	54 (34.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	63.8	167^th of 428 public elementary schools	61.0%		49.3	242^nd of 459 public elementary schools	47.3%	75	$16,752	$1,182	$14,080

Lost Creek Elementary School

Lost Creek Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Columbus Public Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Lost Creek Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Lost Creek Elementary School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Lost Creek Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at Lost Creek Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at Lost Creek Elementary School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Lost Creek Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Lost Creek Elementary School

Enrollment information for Lost Creek Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Lost Creek Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Lost Creek Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Lost Creek Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Lost Creek Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Lost Creek Elementary School