Columbus Municipal School Dist, MS

Original Research by School Decision on Columbus Municipal School Dist

Columbus Municipal School District sits in Lowndes County, Mississippi, serving students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade across a set of elementary schools, a middle school, Columbus High School, McKellar Vocational Center, and an alternative school. The enrollment is moderate for a Mississippi district of this span. The student body is predominantly Black, with small shares of White, Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data was not available in the provided records, nor were counts for students with individualized education programs or English learners, so the economic and special-population picture is incomplete here.

On state assessments, the district's results paint a mixed but generally modest academic profile. In math, proficiency sits in the low to mid range across most grades. Fourth grade stands out as the strongest year, with a notably higher share of students reaching proficiency than the other grades. Third, sixth, seventh, and eighth grades all sit well below that fourth-grade mark. Fifth grade lands in between. The pattern suggests some strength in the earlier elementary years that does not fully carry into the upper elementary and middle grades.

English language arts follows a similar trajectory. Fourth and fifth grades are the relative high points, with fifth grade slightly ahead of fourth. From sixth grade onward, proficiency drops off, and seventh grade is the weakest result in the dataset. Eighth grade recovers only slightly. The decline through the middle grades in both math and ELA is a pattern a parent may want to look into further with the district, especially if a child is approaching the transition into Columbus Middle School.

Science results are available for fifth and eighth grades only, which is consistent with Mississippi's tested-grade structure. Fifth-grade science is the strongest single result in the district's dataset, with nearly half of tested students reaching proficiency. By eighth grade, that share falls substantially. No high school end-of-course or college-readiness assessment data was provided, and no graduation rate was available, so the picture of academic performance at the upper grades is limited. No SAT, ACT, or Advanced Placement data appeared in the records either. Course access, staffing, discipline, attendance, and civil-rights data were all absent from what was provided, so those dimensions cannot be characterized here.

The housing context across the district's zip codes is relatively affordable compared with national figures. Home values in the Columbus area vary by zip code, with the weighted district value sitting close to the Mississippi state benchmark and well below the national one. Rents show a similar spread, with the district-weighted figure landing below the national median. The price-to-income ratio indicates that ownership is within reach for many local households relative to broader national affordability conditions, and the rent-to-income share sits at a level most families would consider manageable. One zip code in the district saw a modest year-over-year decline in home values, while others held steady or grew slightly.

The district brief search returned baseline information about enrollment, finances, school choice, and magnet schools but found no specific parent-relevant changes from the recent span with clear lasting impact. No locale brief was provided, so the community and economic context beyond housing data is limited. Programs data was not available, so details about dual-credit, career pathways, or specialized offerings are not reflected here. McKellar Vocational Center appears in the school list, which suggests a career-and-technical education component, but the provided records do not describe its programming.

For a family considering Columbus Municipal School District, the academic data points to a district with some early-elementary strength, particularly in fourth-grade math and fifth-grade science, but with proficiency tapering in the middle grades. The housing market is affordable by both state and national standards. The gaps in the available data are broad enough that a parent would benefit from asking the district directly about graduation outcomes, high school course offerings, special education and English learner services, and any recent initiatives aimed at the middle-grade performance dip that the state results show.

See more original research from School Decision →

District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

3,065

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 2%

Black 93%

White 3%

Asian 1%

Two+ 2%

Schools in this District

9 schools are officially reported under this district.

STOKES BEARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

COLUMBUS HIGH SCHOOL

COOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

FAIRVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

FRANKLIN ACADEMY

SALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MCKELLAR VOCATIONAL CENTER

CMSD ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL

COLUMBUS MIDDLE SCHOOL

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

24%

Grade 3

45%

Grade 4

35%

Grade 5

27%

Grade 6

24%

Grade 7

24%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

23%

Grade 3

35%

Grade 4

39%

Grade 5

21%

Grade 6

15%

Grade 7

20%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

49%

Grade 5

28%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$201,333

Year-over-year change+1.3%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$112K to $228K

vs. state typical1.04x

vs. national typical0.55x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
39705	Columbus	$228K	+2.7%	60.4%
39702	Columbus	$177K	+1.1%	25.6%
39701	Columbus	$112K	-4.8%	11.4%
39766	Steens	$214K	-0.6%	2.6%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,723/mo

Range across 2 ZIP codes$1,184 to $1,825/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
39705	Columbus	$1,825	—	60.4%
39701	Columbus	$1,184	—	11.4%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,016/mo

Home price / national median income2.4x

Annual rent / national median income24.7%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$707/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$194,242 (+1.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.