School district or education agency · NCES 3007190

Columbus Elementary

Columbus, MT

District overview See comparisons

Students496

Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.

Schools2

operational schools · 2023–24

Students496

students in linked records

Latest attendance year2022–23

federal comparable series

Latest finance record$11,989

per student

District, state and country

How does this district compare?

State and national figures use the same measure and reporting period. They are weighted by students or staffing whenever the source provides a denominator.

MeasureDistrictMTUnited States

Academic standing2023

57th percentile48th percentile44th percentile

This district is 9 percentile points higher than the state figure and 13 percentile points higher than the U.S. figure.

Students chronically absent2022–23

11.9%35.9%27.8%

This district is 24.0 percentage points lower than the state figure and 15.9 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Revenue per studentFY 2023

$15,143$16,089$19,509

This district is $946 per student lower than the state figure and $4,366 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Spending per studentFY 2023

$11,989$13,612$15,859

This district is $1,623 per student lower than the state figure and $3,870 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Capital outlay per studentFY 2023

$1,081$1,531$1,964

This district is $450 per student lower than the state figure and $883 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Equipment spending per studentFY 2023

$866$510$336

This district is $356 per student higher than the state figure and $530 per student higher than the U.S. figure.

Special-education spending per studentFY 2023

$1,053$1,199$1,793

This district is $146 per student lower than the state figure and $740 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Salaries per studentFY 2023

$6,691$7,819$8,742

This district is $1,128 per student lower than the state figure and $2,051 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Benefits per studentFY 2023

$2,957$2,427$3,769

This district is $530 per student higher than the state figure and $812 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023

$21,045$10,437$11,715

This district is $10,608 per student higher than the state figure and $9,330 per student higher than the U.S. figure.

Debt retired per studentFY 2023

$885$540$869

This district is $345 per student higher than the state figure and $16 per student higher than the U.S. figure.

Students per teacher2023–24

16:114:115:1

This district is 2.0 students per teacher higher than the state figure and 1.0 students per teacher higher than the U.S. figure.

Students per counselor2023–24

349:1288:1376:1

This district is 61 students per counselor higher than the state figure and 27 students per counselor lower than the U.S. figure.

District staff per 1,000 students2023–24

118.4145.3138.9

This district is 26.9 staff per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 20.5 staff per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.

Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24

23.019.118.5

This district is 3.9 aides per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 4.5 aides per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.

School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24

0.01.00.9

This district is 1.0 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 0.9 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.

Pre-K students as a share of enrollment2023–24

2.2%0.7%2.9%

This district is 1.5 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schools

1.0%6.5%12.0%

This district is 5.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 11.0 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schools

13.0%13.7%14.0%

This district is 0.6 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.0 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schools

2.0%3.6%3.9%

This district is 1.7 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.0 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schools

100.0%97.7%95.8%

This district is 2.3 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24

+7.6%-0.1%+0.5%

This district is 7.7 percentage points higher than the state figure and 7.1 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollment

0.3%3.6%4.5%

This district is 3.3 percentage points lower than the state figure and 4.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollment

1.7%6.8%9.0%

This district is 5.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 7.3 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollment

0.0%3.1%6.7%

This district is 3.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 6.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimate

7.2%10.6%14.4%

This district is 3.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 7.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Enrollment · 2023–24

Who attends this district?

Pre-K11 students

2.2%

Kindergarten–grade 5309 students

62.3%

Grades 6–8176 students

35.5%

See enrollment for every grade

Pre-Kindergarten11

Kindergarten45

Grade 154

Grade 251

Grade 347

Grade 458

Grade 554

Grade 656

Grade 764

Grade 856

Students by race and ethnicity

White446 (89.9%)

Hispanic/Latino25 (5.0%)

American Indian or Alaska Native9 (1.8%)

Two or more races8 (1.6%)

Asian4 (0.8%)

Black or African American4 (0.8%)

Final NCES Common Core of Data membership file, 2023–24. Suppressed or missing cells are not estimated.

Early learning · 2023–24

How much public pre-K is reported?

11Students enrolled in pre-K

Pre-K students as a share of district enrollment

District2.2%

MT0.7%

United States2.9%

Final NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2023–24. Enrollment shows children attending district-run public pre-K. It does not show open seats, waitlists, private providers, program hours, eligibility or the cost to families.

Current staffing · 2023–24

How many staff members support students?

58.7All district staff, full-time equivalent

30.4Teachers, full-time equivalent

1.4School counselors, full-time equivalent

11.4Instructional aides, full-time equivalent

1.5Librarians and media specialists, full-time equivalent

2School administrators, full-time equivalent

See detailed staffing

Kindergarten teachers3.1 FTE

Elementary teachers27.3 FTE

Elementary school counselors1.4 FTE

District administrators1.7 FTE

Other support staff10.3 FTE

Final NCES Common Core of Data staff file, 2023–24. These are full-time-equivalent positions, not employee headcounts, vacancies or caseloads.

Learning support · 2021–22 federal snapshot

How many students may need specialized support?

Counts and shares use only schools with a usable value for that measure. The reporting-school denominator prevents missing schools from being counted as zero.

1.0%Students learning English3 students · 1 of 2 schools reported both this measure and enrollment

District1.0%

MT6.5%

U.S.12.0%

13.0%Students receiving IDEA special-education services60 students · 2 of 2 schools reported both this measure and enrollment

District13.0%

MT13.7%

U.S.14.0%

2.0%Students with Section 504 plans9 students · 2 of 2 schools reported both this measure and enrollment

District2.0%

MT3.6%

U.S.3.9%

0.0%English learners also receiving IDEA services0 students · 2 of 2 schools reported both this measure and enrollment

District0.0%

MT0.9%

U.S.1.7%

U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Public-use counts are privacy-protected. These figures describe the reporting year, not current enrollment, diagnoses, service quality or unmet need.

Teacher quality and early learning · 2021–22

What did the district report about teachers and preschool?

100.0%Teachers reported as certified

Teacher certification comparison

District100.0%

MT97.7%

United States95.8%

U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Certification status is district-reported and may not match current staffing. Preschool counts cover the federal reporting year and are not a measure of available seats.

Community context · 2024

How many school-age children live in poverty?

This Census estimate provides context about families in the district. It does not measure school quality or describe every student enrolled in the district.

501children ages 5 to 17

36estimated to live in families below the poverty line

7.2%about 1 in 14 school-age children

District7.2%

MT10.6%

United States14.4%

U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. The estimate covers related children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty and uses 2024–25 district boundaries.

District geography · 2024–25

What area does this district cover?

NCES publishes a geographic boundary for traditional school districts. Charter agencies and some special-purpose agencies may not have one.

Loading the official district boundary…

Source: NCES EDGE School District Boundaries, school year 2024–25.

Comparable districts

Districts serving a similar student population

These peers are matched using enrollment and available student population measures. Districts in MT receive geographic preference, but a closer national match may appear when it is more comparable. Open any profile for a full comparison.

Custer County H SMiles City, MT492 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, special-education enrollment · View profile →Havre H SHavre, MT515 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Malta K-12 SchoolsLoring, MT485 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, special-education enrollment · View profile →Lolo ElementaryLolo, MT523 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Somers ElementaryLakeside, MT533 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, special-education enrollment · View profile →

District makeup

What kinds of schools are in the district?

1Elementary schools

1Middle schools

2Rural setting

School levels, settings and types use the NCES 2021–22 directory matched to the federal civil-rights collection.

District finances

How is the district funded, and how does it spend?

Sources of funds

Where the money comes from

Share of district revenue supplied by each level of government.

13.2%Federal

30.5%State

56.4%Local

Uses of funds

Where the money goes

Annual spending for each enrolled student.

$11,989Total current spending per student

$6,891Instruction per student

$4,098Support services per student

Revenue by source: percentages and dollars

$937KFederal revenue13.2% of total revenue

$2.2MState revenue30.5% of total revenue

$4MLocal revenue56.4% of total revenue

How operating money was used

$6,891Instructionper student

$4,098Student and instructional supportper student

$1,053Special educationper student

$1,420Building operations and maintenanceper student

$640Student transportationper student

$1,000Food servicesper student

$117Technologyper student

People costs

$3.1MSalaries$6,691 per student

$1.4MEmployee benefits$2,957 per student

Equipment, buildings and debt

$406KEquipmentFY 2023

$507KCapital outlay$1,081 per student

$101KConstructionincluded in capital outlay

$9.9MDebt outstanding at year end$21,045 per student

$0New debt issuedFY 2023

$415KDebt principal retiredFY 2023

$474KInterest paid on debtFY 2023

Selected federal program revenue

$112KTitle I$239 per student

$193KChild nutrition$412 per student

What changed since FY 2022

Operating spending per student

FY 2022$11,705

FY 2023$11,989

Capital spending per student

FY 2022$1,267

FY 2023$1,081

Debt outstanding per student

FY 2022$22,310

FY 2023$21,045

Revenue shares and spending categories answer different questions and should not be added together. Source: NCES F-33 district finance, FY 2023.

Attendance

How has chronic absence changed?

2020–2130.5%

141 of 462 students

2021–2217.4%

80 of 461 students

2022–2311.9%

56 of 469 students

Specialized support and security · 2021–22

What specialized roles were reported?

2Sworn law-enforcement officer FTE2 reporting schools

0Security staff FTE2 reporting schools

Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.

Learning opportunities

What do district schools offer?

Gifted programs2 reporting schools

Shares use only schools for which the program was applicable and reported. A districtwide percentage does not guarantee availability at every grade or campus. Source: 2021–22 CRDC.

Safety and discipline

What was reported across district schools?

2Out-of-school suspensions2 reporting schoolsSee schools →6In-school suspensions2 reporting schoolsSee schools →0Law-enforcement referrals2 reporting schoolsSee schools →0School-related arrests2 reporting schoolsSee schools →

Counts are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Open a measure to see the schools behind the district total.

Technology and safety · 2021–22

What access and incident data is available?

100%Schools reporting Wi-Fi2 reporting schools

100%Schools reporting fiber2 reporting schools

1Student devices reported2 reporting schools

0Weapon-possession reports2 reporting schoolsSee schools →0Threats involving a weapon2 reporting schoolsSee schools →0Threats without a weapon2 reporting schoolsSee schools →0Attacks involving a weapon2 reporting schoolsSee schools →0Attacks without a weapon2 reporting schoolsSee schools →0Firearm incidents2 reporting schoolsSee schools →0Robberies without a weapon2 reporting schoolsSee schools →0Robberies involving a weapon2 reporting schoolsSee schools →0Homicide incidents2 reporting schoolsSee schools →

Technology and incident figures are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Device counts describe the reporting year, not current inventory.

Six questions parents ask

What the available data says

Each answer shows its reporting year and opens a deeper comparison. Missing and suppressed results are never shown as zero.

Are students making academic progress?3 years of resultsLatest research estimate: 2023Explore and compare →Are students missing too much school?11.9% chronically absent2022–23 · 469 students measuredExplore and compare →Is the district improving?Declined overallCompare the earliest and latest available yearsExplore and compare →Where are student-group gaps largest?No comparable group resultSuppressed or unavailableExplore and compare →How much does the district spend?$11,989current spending per studentExplore and compare →Does the district have enough support staff?349:1 counselor ratioStudents per counselor in the 2023–24 federal staffing fileExplore and compare →

Data status

8 of 8 national data layers are matched to this NCES district ID. Identity and school counts use NCES records. Academic estimates use SEDA, attendance uses EDFacts, finance uses NCES F-33, staffing and enrollment use 2023–24 NCES CCD where available, teacher certification, preschool and policy fields use the 2021–22 CRDC, and community poverty context uses Census SAIPE. Four-year graduation rates use 2022–23 EDFacts. Every detailed view preserves its reporting year.

See all sources →