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Below Average

#1670 of 2,105 schools in WI

Columbus Elementary

Elementary School · Appleton Area School District · Appleton, WI

An Appleton Area School District elementary school where students score 6 points below what's typical for similar communities.

913 N Oneida St, Appleton, WI 54911

  • Math 26% vs WI 53% (2025)
  • Reading 15% vs WI 51% (2025)
  • 11:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress4.8Below Average50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-2.32 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics3.9Needs Improvement30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency26% (2025 FORWARD)
Reading/ELA Proficiency15.1% (2025 FORWARD)
Math vs. State Avg-28.3 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-36.1 pts
Overall Proficiency21% (2025 FORWARD, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)27% (model expectation from 2025 FORWARD)
vs. Expected-6.4 pts
Adjusted Percentile20th
Resources & Environment5.9Average20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio11:1
District spending per student$13,085
Chronic Absenteeism27.3%

Students at Columbus Elementary score 21% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 27%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 FORWARD proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. WI average.

Math Proficiency26%(2025 FORWARD)
School
State
53%(2025 FORWARD)
ELA Proficiency15%(2025 FORWARD)
School
State
51%(2025 FORWARD)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 47 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 21% recently.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
67%
ELA
67%
2010
Math
62%
ELA
72%
2011
Math
37%
ELA
17%
2012
Math
32%
ELA
22%
2013
Math
32%
ELA
22%
2014
Math
42%
ELA
37%
2015
Math
27%
ELA
27%
2016
Math
17%
ELA
17%
2017
Math
17%
ELA
27%
2018
Math
17%
ELA
17%
2019
Math
17%
ELA
17%
2020*
Math
25%
ELA
25%
2021*
Math
25%
ELA
25%
2022
Math
21%
ELA
29%
2025
Math
26%
ELA
15%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 30% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 27% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 34 test records from WI state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

76.5%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Columbus Elementary sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 84Very Walkable
  • Bike 72Very Bikeable
  • City Safety: High1,551/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Appleton), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$66,747

Median home value

$199,100

Median rent

$1,010/mo

College educated

35%

Homeownership

59.5%

Poverty rate

8.5%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 54911; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Appleton Bilingual SchoolCharter · enrollment unverified7.5K–50.0 mi134Compare →
AppleviewEnrollment path unverifiedNot ratedPK–120.3 mi15Compare →
St Paul Lutheran SchoolPrivate · tuition6.2privateK–80.4 mi145Compare →
Edison ElementaryEnrollment path unverified6.4PK–60.7 mi252Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Appleton Area School District

Schools in district
38
Rank in district
#29 of 36
District spending per student
$13,085NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
8.0%Census SAIPE · 2024

Columbus Elementary is listed in Appleton Area School District; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Columbus Elementary

Columbus Elementary is a public elementary school in Appleton, WI, part of Appleton Area School District, serving approximately 132 students in grades Pre-K-6th with a 11:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 4.8 out of 10 and ranks #1,670 of 2,105 schools in WI. State assessment records show 30% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 27% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Columbus Elementary

What grades does Columbus Elementary serve?

Columbus Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 6th.

How many students attend Columbus Elementary?

Columbus Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 132 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbus Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Columbus Elementary is 11:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Columbus Elementary rank in WI?

Columbus Elementary ranks #1,670 of 2,105 schools in WI.

What is Columbus Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Columbus Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.8 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Columbus Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Columbus Elementary has 30% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 27% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Columbus Elementary a charter school?

No, Columbus Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Columbus Elementary a Title I school?

No, Columbus Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Columbus Elementary?

76.5% of students at Columbus Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Pre-K – 6th
Enrollment
132
Student-Teacher Ratio
11:1
Teachers (FTE)
12
Type
regular
Setting
Small City
County
Outagamie County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
27.3%
Area population (ZIP 54911)
25,598
Area average commute
17.5 min
Area median age
36.3
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 FORWARD · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 FORWARD. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 FORWARD · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 FORWARD. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 54911; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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