Best Middle Schools in Columbus, IN

The city of Columbus, Indiana is home to two middle schools, Northside Middle School and Central Middle School, both part of the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation. While the schools share some similarities, they also have distinct strengths and areas for improvement.

Northside Middle School is ranked 183 out of 489 Indiana middle schools, with a 3-star rating, but has seen a slight decline in its statewide ranking over the past three years. The school performs slightly below the district and state averages in English Language Arts and Math proficiency, with a high chronic absenteeism rate of 17.8%. Central Middle School, on the other hand, is ranked 228 out of 489 Indiana middle schools, also with a 3-star rating, and has a slightly better performance in English Language Arts proficiency, but lags behind in Math proficiency.

Both schools face challenges, such as high chronic absenteeism rates and serving populations with significant socioeconomic challenges, as evidenced by the relatively high percentages of free and reduced-price lunch recipients. However, Central Middle School appears to have access to more resources, with a slightly higher spending per student and lower student-teacher ratio, which may contribute to its slightly better academic performance. Overall, the data suggests that these middle schools have room for improvement, particularly in addressing chronic absenteeism and targeting interventions for socioeconomically disadvantaged students.