Columbus Elementary School District

433 N 3rd St
Columbus, MT 59019-7165
(District boundaries shown in map)
9/
10
Top 20%

Top Rankings

Columbus Elementary School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Montana for:

Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 20%)
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 20%)
Science Proficiency
Highest science proficiency (Top 10%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025-26 school year, there is 1 public preschool serving 320 students in Columbus Elementary School District. This district's average pre testing ranking is 10/10, which is in the top 10% of public pre schools in Montana.
Public Preschool in Columbus Elementary School District have an average math proficiency score of 57% (versus the Montana public pre school average of 42%), and reading proficiency score of 57% (versus the 47% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 12% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Montana public preschool average of 23% (majority American Indian).

Overview

This School District
This State (MT)
# Schools
2 Schools
395 Schools
# Students
496 Students
65,251 Students
# Teachers
30 Teachers
4,856 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
17:1
17:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Columbus Elementary School District, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 334 school districts in Montana (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
This School District
State Average (MT)
#60 out of 350 school districts
(Top 20%)
42%
37%
54%
46%
55-59%
37%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.19
0.40
% American Indian
2%
10%
% Asian
1%
1%
% Hispanic
5%
6%
% Black
1%
1%
% White
90%
77%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
1%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $13,877 in this school district is less than the state median of $15,263. The school district revenue/student has declined by 6% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $12,355 is less than the state median of $15,352. The school district spending/student has declined by 6% over four school years.
This School District
This State (MT)
Total Revenue
$7 MM
$2,285 MM
Spending
$6 MM
$2,298 MM
Revenue / Student
$13,877
$15,263
Spending / Student
$12,355
$15,352

Best Columbus Elementary School District Public Preschools (2025-26)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Columbus Elementary School
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
218 E 1st Ave N
Columbus, MT 59019
(406) 322-5372
Gr: PK-5 | 320 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 12%

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Quick Facts (2025-26)

  • District size: 2 schools
  • Grades: PK-08
  • Enrollment: 496 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 17:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 10%
  • : Top 20% in MT
  • : 42% (Top 30%)
  • : 54% (Top 20%)
  • : 55-59% (Top 10%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), MT Dept. of Education

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