Park Elem

Park Elem is one of the tight-knit primary schools in Columbus, Kansas, run under Columbus, with 208 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 1. Enrollment runs roughly 34% smaller than the state mean of about 313.

Columbus comprises 4 schools with combined enrollment of 1,130 students; Park Elem is among them.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Park Elem shows that White students make up the majority at 76%; the rest comes out to 10% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, 4% Native American, 2% Black. The wider county runs roughly 87% White, putting the school's mix considerably less White than the area baseline.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 13 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 15.9:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 13.2:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Around 59% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

Zooming out to the county, the surrounding county (Cherokee County) logs that the typical household earns roughly $57,668 per year, 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Cherokee County's 17 public schools (combined enrollment of about 3,647 students), Park Elem is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Columbus Junior High and High School, around 0.9 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 3 other public schools cluster around Park Elem.

Geographically, the school is in an outlying area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Park Elem has expanded 21%, going from 172 students in 2018 to 208 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share edged down from 91% to 76%. The student-to-teacher ratio loosened from 12.1:1 in 2018 to 15.9:1 today.

On allk12, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.