Summary:
ZIP code 66725 has three schools serving pre-K through grade 12: Park Elementary (pre-K–1), Central Elementary (grades 2–6), and Columbus Junior High and High School (grades 7–12). The clearest concern is chronic absenteeism at the junior and senior high school: 23% of students were chronically absent in 2025–26, compared with 5% at Central, 8% at Park, and 18% statewide.
Central Elementary stands out in the supplied 2025–26 all-grades test results, with higher proficiency than Columbus Junior High and High School in ELA (39% versus 36%), math (43% versus 27%), and science (40% versus 22%). Central was above the state in math and science by 2 points in each subject, but 7 points below in ELA. Columbus was below the state in all three subjects: by 10 points in ELA, 14 in math, and 16 in science. At Central, fourth-grade math was a bright spot, 9 points above the state, while third-grade ELA was 17 points below; Columbus tenth-grade ELA was a small exception, 0 points above the state when rounded. Because the schools serve different grade spans and Park has no supplied KAP scores, all-grades comparisons are descriptive and Park’s academic results cannot be assessed here.
Scores changed unevenly from 2024–25 to 2025–26: Columbus improved by 2 points in ELA, 1 in math, and 2 in science, while Central was essentially unchanged in ELA, gained 3 points in math, and fell 2 points in science. SchoolDigger’s percentiles also tell a mixed story: Columbus moved from the 61st percentile in 2023–24 to the 39th in 2025–26, while Central went from the 40th to the 35th. Their 2025–26 SchoolDigger ranks were 207 of 340 for Columbus and 425 of 657 for Central; the schools’ comparison groups differ. Central has 348 students, a 13.0 student–teacher ratio, and a 64% free/reduced-lunch rate; Columbus has 438 students, an 11.1 ratio, and a 55% rate. Columbus also had a 91% graduation rate, above the state’s 90%.
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