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B−

Columbus School District

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 6 towns

Serves Columbus, Calamus, Elba, York, Columbus and Hampden, and parts of Bristol, Portland and Fountain Prairie.

Columbus’ School Grade B− better than 49% of Wisconsin school districts

Students
1,120
Schools
4
Spent per student
$15,320
WI $16,459
Students per teacher
13:1
Free or reduced lunch
29%
Debt
$25.8M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Columbus School District

  • Its letter, B−: results better than 48% of Wisconsin districts
  • Graduation rate 7 pts above the state
  • Spends 7% less per student than the WI average
  • 13 students per teacher
  • Enrollment up 9.3% since 2020–21
  • Debt of $25.8M, about $23,036 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

B−: better than 48% of the 441 Wisconsin school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math below the state, 2021–22
C+
GraduationFour-year graduation well above the state, class of 2023
B
The towns it serves, and their School Grades
B−Columbus 5,400B−Calamus 1,035B−Elba 1,027York 667Columbus 625Hampden 570

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Columbus. Grade by grade →

PK–5Columbus ElementaryThis district
6–8Columbus MiddleThis district
9–12Columbus HighThis district

Test scores vs. WI

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency35%
State average 38.7% · 577 students tested
Reading / language arts35%
State average 38.1% · 577 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)95–100%
State average 90.5% · 107 in the class

97% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$15,320 per student · 7% below WI
Spending
Classroom instruction 56%Support & administration 43%Other 1%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 39%State 52%Federal 10%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
1,025’20
997’21
1,161’22
1,127’23
1,120’24

Up 9.3% since 2020–21.

Students
White 83%Hispanic 10%Two or more races 4%Black 2%Asian 1%

Schools in the district

4 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Wisconsin’s other public schools.

Columbus Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Columbus
425 students12:1
Discovery Charter School
Elementary · Grades K–3 · Columbus
C+
71 students12:1
Columbus Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Columbus
C+
241 students13:1
Columbus High
High · Grades 9–12 · Columbus
C
383 students13:1

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

Waterloo School DistrictLowell, Waterloo, Waterloo
$17,167per student
Dodgeland School DistrictLowell
$17,435per student
Beaver Dam School DistrictBeaver Dam, Westford
$15,130per student
DeForest Area School DistrictLeeds, Windsor
$14,469per student

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within Wisconsin.