The top reported proficiency rate is 64% in Science. The lowest is 39% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Columbus Middle School
Columbus Middle School serves students in grades five through eight and is the sole public middle school in the Columbus Public Schools district. The school sits in a mid-sized city that functions as a regional industrial hub, where manufacturing is a dominant economic force alongside agriculture, healthcare, and public power sector employment. The community’s character is shaped by this mix, and the school itself reflects the demographics of a city with a substantial industrial workforce.
The student body is diverse, with a large share of students identifying as Hispanic and a significant share as white, alongside smaller populations of students who are Black, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, or of two or more races. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which signals a concentration of families with lower household incomes. Data for the share of students with individualized education plans or classified as English learners was not available; a parent may want to ask the school directly about the special education and language support programs these numbers would typically describe, especially given the school’s size and diversity.
On state assessments, Columbus Middle School shows a mixed picture. In math, proficiency rates vary by grade, with the lowest performance in sixth grade and the highest in seventh. In English language arts, eighth graders posted the highest proficiency rate, while sixth graders had the lowest. Science results were stronger overall, particularly at fifth grade, where a large majority of students met proficiency, and eighth grade science proficiency was also above the school’s own typical range. When compared across tested subjects and grade levels, the school’s overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile among the three districts in Platte County for which data was available. This is a soft spot that a family may want to explore further with the school to understand what interventions or supports are in place. The school’s single-year data covers multiple grade levels and subjects, but no multi-year trend comparisons are available because the state’s assessment changed, so it is not possible to tell from this data alone whether performance is improving or declining over time.
The school serves a narrow grade band, so there is no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data was not available. The district brief turned up no recent parent-relevant changes such as referendums, curriculum shifts, or property tax adjustments, so the context for families considering the school is stable on that front.
Columbus itself is a city with a traditional downtown at the crossroads of two U.S. highways, and the Union Pacific rail line passes through, reinforcing its role as a transportation and industry hub. The Central Community College campus is located several miles outside of town, meaning the school does not have a nearby college campus as a direct academic neighbor. Major employers in the area include a range of manufacturing companies and public power utilities, and the city has seen modest steady population growth in recent years. The housing market reflects a small-city environment where family residential neighborhoods sit alongside industrial corridors, and the school is embedded in that everyday landscape.
Columbus Middle School is a large, regular public school that serves a community with significant economic diversity and a student body that reflects the surrounding population’s industrial and agricultural roots. The academic performance data suggests that while a major share of students meet state standards in science, the school faces challenges in math and English language arts, particularly at certain grade levels. Families considering this school may want to look into what academic supports are available for students who are not yet at grade level, as well as the enrichment opportunities for students who are. The school’s location within a stable district and a modestly growing city gives it a steady context, but a parent would benefit from a direct conversation with school leadership about the strategies in place across the core subjects.
See more original research from School Decision →