Columbus Elementary

Q: Is Columbus Elementary a good school?

Columbus Elementary ranks 440 th of 1061 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Columbus Elementary is a public elementary school serving 438 students in grades PK-5 in Columbus, Wisconsin. The school is part of the Columbus School District, which is ranked 151 out of 428 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Columbus Elementary has a mixed performance compared to state and district averages. While the school performs better in Math than ELA, it lags behind the state average in 3rd grade ELA proficiency. However, the school excels in Social Studies and Science exams. Columbus Elementary also has a diverse student population, with strong performance for English Language Learners, but lower performance for White students. Notably, the school has seen a significant decrease in chronic absenteeism, from 50.5% in 2018-2019 to 7.3% in 2022-2023, indicating effective strategies to improve attendance.

Compared to nearby schools, Rio Elementary in the Rio Community School District outperforms Columbus Elementary on several grade-level exams, particularly in ELA. Additionally, schools in the Beaver Dam Unified School District, such as Washington Elementary, generally have higher student performance than Columbus Elementary. However, Columbus Elementary's free and reduced lunch rate is lower than some nearby schools, suggesting a more economically diverse student population.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

200 Fuller St
Columbus, WI 53925-1647

(920) 623-5950

District: Columbus School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
440^th of 1,061 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,706

Students who attend Columbus Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Columbus Middle
High:	Columbus High

Student/teacher ratio: 13.0

Number of students: 438

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.6%

Hispanic:

8.7%

Two or more races:

4.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 36.8%

See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

Compare Columbus Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Columbus Elementary ranks better than 58.5% of elementary schools in Wisconsin. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 62.97. (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 (83.6%), Hispanic (8.7%), two or more races (4.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 36.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Columbus Elementary is 13. (See more...)

Compare Columbus Elementary employs 33.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Columbus Elementary is $11,706.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Columbus Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbus Elementary 440^th of 1061 Wisconsin public elementary schools. (See Columbus Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Columbus School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbus School District 151^st of 428 Wisconsin school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Columbus Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Columbus Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	64.06	396^th	1067	62.9%
2024	62.97	440^th	1061	58.5%

See the entire list of Wisconsin Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Columbus Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	86.92	18^th	269	93.3%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Columbus Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	72.77	135^th	770	82.5%
2024	49.64	365^th	790	53.8%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Columbus Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	61.59	275^th	871	68.4%
2024	61.65	293^rd	866	66.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at Columbus Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	64.89	351^st	1010	65.2%
2024	58.83	468^th	1011	53.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Columbus Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	62.76	387^th	1011	61.7%
2024	65.59	358^th	1012	64.6%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Columbus Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	77.11	59^th	331	82.2%

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

Rank History for White students at Columbus Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	49.69	394^th	715	44.9%
2024	48.63	396^th	727	45.5%

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

Data source: test scores: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 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: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Columbus Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	180	n/a	n/a	4	n/a	n/a	n/a	184
1990	188	0	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	189
1991	207	0	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	209
1992	266	2	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	272
1993	287	1	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	292
1994	250	1	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	255
1995	303	0	7	7	1	n/a	n/a	318
1996	303	0	7	7	1	n/a	n/a	318
1997	307	1	4	7	0	n/a	n/a	319
1998	315	3	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	324
1999	315	1	0	2	1	n/a	n/a	319
2000	307	7	1	4	1	n/a	n/a	320
2001	295	3	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	300
2002	273	10	2	7	3	n/a	n/a	295
2003	273	10	2	7	3	n/a	n/a	295
2004	281	6	0	7	3	n/a	n/a	297
2005	281	5	1	5	3	n/a	n/a	295
2006	294	7	2	5	4	n/a	n/a	312
2007	283	7	3	6	1	n/a	n/a	300
2008	263	7	3	7	3	n/a	n/a	283
2009	296	5	12	20	4	n/a	n/a	337
2010	294	2	13	15	4	n/a	n/a	328
2011	303	5	12	15	3	0	1	339
2012	317	6	11	17	1	0	12	364
2013	326	5	10	12	1	0	10	364
2014	334	6	7	21	0	0	11	379
2015	335	10	3	19	0	0	10	377
2016	312	7	3	20	0	0	14	356
2017	315	6	2	26	0	0	14	363
2018	311	3	1	31	1	0	18	365
2019	238	5	1	20	0	0	20	284
2020	247	6	2	16	0	0	15	286
2021	234	6	2	17	0	0	17	276
2022	220	10	2	15	0	0	12	259
2023	370	10	5	29	0	0	24	438
2024	366	8	6	38	0	0	20	438

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 Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	184	12.5	14.7	9.2
1990	189	14.1	13.4	11.1
1991	209	14.7	14.2	10.5
1992	272	18.6	14.6	7.4
1993	292	17.2	17.0	6.2
1994	255	16.0	15.9	7.1
1995	318	21.2	15.0	5.7
1996	318	21.2	15.0	5.7
1997	319	21.2	15.0	6.9
1998	324	21.7	14.9	6.8
1999	319	20.7	15.4	11
2000	320	21.9	14.6	12.8
2001	300	22.4	13.4	13.7
2002	295	23.4	12.6	21
2003	295	23.4	12.6	21
2004	297	23.9	12.4	23.2
2005	295	24.0	12.3	n/a
2006	312	24.0	13.0	n/a
2007	300	25.9	11.6	19
2008	283	22.7	12.5	20.8
2009	337	25.2	13.4	25.2
2010	328	25.5	12.8	21.6
2011	339	24.0	14.1	14.7
2012	364	25.0	14.5	26.4
2013	364	24.0	15.1	26.4
2014	379	24.3	15.5	33.2
2015	377	n/a	n/a	36.6
2016	356	24.0	14.8	33.1
2017	363	23.6	15.3	26.7
2018	365	21.4	17.0	26.6
2019	284	21.2	13.3	29.6
2020	286	18.8	15.1	31.8
2021	276	19.7	14.0	34.8
2022	259	17.8	14.5	40.2
2023	438	34.6	12.6	35.2
2024	438	33.6	13.0	36.8

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 Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	184	12.5	14.7	9.2
1990	189	14.1	13.4	11.1
1991	209	14.7	14.2	10.5
1992	272	18.6	14.6	7.4
1993	292	17.2	17.0	6.2
1994	255	16.0	15.9	7.1
1995	318	21.2	15.0	5.7
1996	318	21.2	15.0	5.7
1997	319	21.2	15.0	6.9
1998	324	21.7	14.9	6.8
1999	319	20.7	15.4	11
2000	320	21.9	14.6	12.8
2001	300	22.4	13.4	13.7
2002	295	23.4	12.6	21
2003	295	23.4	12.6	21
2004	297	23.9	12.4	23.2
2005	295	24.0	12.3	n/a
2006	312	24.0	13.0	n/a
2007	300	25.9	11.6	19
2008	283	22.7	12.5	20.8
2009	337	25.2	13.4	25.2
2010	328	25.5	12.8	21.6
2011	339	24.0	14.1	14.7
2012	364	25.0	14.5	26.4
2013	364	24.0	15.1	26.4
2014	379	24.3	15.5	33.2
2015	377	n/a	n/a	36.6
2016	356	24.0	14.8	33.1
2017	363	23.6	15.3	26.7
2018	365	21.4	17.0	26.6
2019	284	21.2	13.3	29.6
2020	286	18.8	15.1	31.8
2021	276	19.7	14.0	34.8
2022	259	17.8	14.5	40.2
2023	438	34.6	12.6	35.2
2024	438	33.6	13.0	36.8

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 Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$462 (4.1%)	$10,908 (95.9%)	$11,369
2020	$559 (5.0%)	$10,511 (95.0%)	$11,070
2021	$473 (4.0%)	$11,233 (96.0%)	$11,706

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Columbus Elementary

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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	284	438	54.2%
African American	5	10	100%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	1	5	400%
Hispanic	20	29	45%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	238	370	55.5%
Two or More Races	20	24	20%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	29.6%	35.2%	5.6%

Schools Near Columbus Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Forward Exam English Language Arts (2024)				Forward Exam Mathematics (2024)				Forward Exam Social Studies (2024)	Forward Exam Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
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	Forward Exam English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 4th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 5th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 6th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 3rd Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 4th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 5th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 6th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 4th Grade	Forward Exam Science 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Columbus Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	200 Fuller St	Columbus	53925	Columbia County	Columbus School District	No	No	No	Yes	(920) 623-5950	438	34	13.0	36.8%	366 (83.6%)	8 (1.8%)	38 (8.7%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.6%)	63	440^th of 1061 public elementary schools	58.5%		64.1	396^th of 1067 public elementary schools	62.9%	44	47.4	60.0	60.8		52.6	51.4	72.2		75.7	61.4	$11,706	$473	$11,233
Discovery Charter School	Public, Charter	K-3	200 Fuller St	Columbus	53925	Columbia County	Columbus School District	Yes	No	No	No	(920) 623-5950	76	6	13.5	26.3%	66 (86.8%)	1 (1.3%)	6 (7.9%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.6%)								(n/a)	50.0				72.2						$11,950	$563	$11,386
Fall River Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	150 Bradley St	Fall River	53932	Columbia County	Fall River School District	No	No	No	Yes	(920) 484-3333	229	19	11.9	34.1%	195 (85.2%)	1 (0.4%)	18 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.6%)	70.2	320^th of 1061 public elementary schools	69.8%		74.4	232^nd of 1067 public elementary schools	78.3%	88	71.8	67.6	48.0		69.2	70.3	60.0		64.9	64.9	$12,243	$851	$11,393
Waterloo Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	785 N Monroe St	Waterloo	53594	Jefferson County	Waterloo School District	No	No	No	Yes	(920) 478-2168	276	25	11.0	43.8%	180 (65.2%)	3 (1.1%)	75 (27.2%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.1%)	24	857^th of 1061 public elementary schools	19.2%		15.5	917^th of 1067 public elementary schools	14.1%	60	46.0	37.7			40.5	30.2			41.5	37.7	$12,710	$682	$12,027
Marshall Early Learning Center	Public	PK, KG-2	369 School St	Marshall	53559	Dane County	Marshall School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 655-1588	227	19	11.7	42.7%	149 (65.6%)	9 (4.0%)	43 (18.9%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (11.0%)								(n/a)											$12,495	$1,843	$10,652
Marshall Elementary	Public	3-6	617 Madison St	Marshall	53559	Dane County	Marshall School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 655-4403	249	22	11.1	43.0%	155 (62.2%)	13 (5.2%)	57 (22.9%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (8.8%)	48.2	639^th of 1061 public elementary schools	39.8%		42.9	685^th of 1067 public elementary schools	35.8%	46	31.8	54.1	30.6	62.9	50.0	73.8	37.3	52.4	67.2	54.1	$11,434	$973	$10,460
Jefferson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	301 Brook St	Beaver Dam	53916	Dodge County	Beaver Dam Unified School District	No	No	No	Yes	(920) 885-7392	326	30	11.0	63.2%	193 (59.2%)	7 (2.1%)	105 (32.2%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.9%)	49.3	631^st of 1061 public elementary schools	40.5%		46.8	641^st of 1067 public elementary schools	39.9%	10	55.8	48.3	54.2		62.8	48.3	52.5		55.2	50.0	$14,324	$768	$13,556
Wilson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	405 W Third St	Beaver Dam	53916	Dodge County	Beaver Dam Unified School District	No	No	No	Yes	(920) 885-7373	81	11	7.5	77.8%	62 (76.5%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (16.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (7.4%)	63	438^th of 1061 public elementary schools	58.7%		37.5	737^th of 1067 public elementary schools	30.9%	299	85.7	60.0	60.0		78.6	60.0	53.3		50.0	40.0	$14,381	$635	$13,745
Washington Elementary	Public	K-5	600 Grove St	Beaver Dam	53916	Dodge County	Beaver Dam Unified School District	No	No	No	Yes	(920) 885-7376	228	19	12.2	48.2%	175 (76.8%)	2 (0.9%)	31 (13.6%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (7.5%)	78.8	177^th of 1061 public elementary schools	83.3%		76.3	210^th of 1067 public elementary schools	80.3%	33	80.0	63.4	56.8		83.3	78.1	63.6		85.4	70.7	$15,002	$550	$14,451
Lincoln Elementary	Public	K-5	210 Gould St	Beaver Dam	53916	Dodge County	Beaver Dam Unified School District	No	No	No	Yes	(920) 885-7396	194	20	9.5	65.5%	122 (62.9%)	6 (3.1%)	48 (24.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (9.3%)	42.9	696^th of 1061 public elementary schools	34.4%		54.9	537^th of 1067 public elementary schools	49.7%	159	50.0	40.7	42.9		46.4	59.3	42.9		63.0	51.9	$8,836	$618	$8,217

Frequently Asked Questions about Columbus Elementary

How many students attend Columbus Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 438 students attended Columbus Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Columbus Elementary attend?

Students who attend Columbus Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Columbus Middle
High : Columbus High

Is Columbus Elementary a good school?

Columbus Elementary ranks 440^th of 1061 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Columbus Elementary in?

Columbus School District

What is the racial makeup of Columbus Elementary?

Students at Columbus Elementary are 84% White, 9% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% African American, 1% Asian.

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

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.