Columbus Elementary

Columbus Elementary is a tiny elementary-level community in Appleton, Wisconsin, overseen by Appleton Area School District. The school works with 88 students in grades pre-K through 5. That puts it 73% leaner than the typical public school in Wisconsin, which averages around 323 students.

Within Appleton Area School District, which oversees 38 schools and 14,994 students, Columbus Elementary is one campus in the system.

On demographics, Columbus Elementary reports that 49% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Other groups include 20% Hispanic, 14% Black, 8% multiracial, 7% Asian. The wider county runs roughly 86% White, putting the school's mix noticeably less White than the area baseline.

Looking at school resources, Columbus Elementary logs 8 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 10.7:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 14.7:1 average. An estimated 70% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Outagamie County (around 32%), the school's rate is north of typical.

After controlling for student poverty, Columbus Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 34.4% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 33.6%.

Across the wider county, community-level numbers for Outagamie County indicate median household earnings sit near $85,069, roughly 33% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 4%. In all, Outagamie County runs 73 public schools (combined enrollment of about 31,330 students), of which Columbus Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is Appleton Bilingual School, roughly 0.0 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Columbus Elementary. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Columbus Elementary ranks 8th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 44.8%.

The campus sits in a metropolitan setting.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count decreased 41%: 149 students in 2018 compared to 88 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share ticked down from 54% to 49%. Class-load math has rose: from 9.3:1 in 2018 to 10.7:1 in 2025.

On allk12, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.