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School district · Wisconsin · LEAID 5502820

Columbus School District

Columbus School District is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Wisconsin districts (1,161 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Columbus School District come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$64,636
Est. avg teacher salary

Below benchmark

$23,972
Per-pupil spending
1,161
Students enrolled
23rd
Pct. in WI
$64,636

Columbus School District is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Wisconsin districts (1,161 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $64,636, below the national average of $70,245, serving 1,161 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Columbus School District is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Wisconsin districts (1,161 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 23rd percentile for Wisconsin
  • 48th percentile nationally
  • 22% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Wisconsin ranks #19 of 49 on the salary estimate and #20 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Columbus School District ranks #310 of 403 Wisconsin districts by estimated teacher salary and #47 of 403 by per-pupil spending. Gibraltar Area School District pay #1 at $100,669 is not Nicolet Union High School School District spending #1 at $43,137 per pupil
  • +26.8% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Wisconsin median

Among 421 Wisconsin districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Columbus School District's instructional payroll puts 62.3% into regular program , 8.4 points below the state median of 70.7%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.

Program Columbus School WI median Gap
Regular program 62.3% 70.7% -8.4 pp
Special education 24.5% 19.8% +4.7 pp
Vocational programs 7.2% 5.2% +2.0 pp
Other programs 6.0% 3.9% +2.1 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 421 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 5502820 · FY2023.

LEAID 5502820 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Columbus School F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-BELOW -8% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P23 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P48 national PPE-HIGH $24K/pupil ENR-SMALL 1,161 students INSTR-LOW 22% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Royall FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $64,636 estimated average teacher salary · P23 in Wisconsin · P48 nationally · 22% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: West (+$2,318est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Columbus School

Salary neighbourhood · Columbus School

Columbus School trails most of its in-state peer set; the chart plots it against the top and bottom pay poles for context (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).

est. salary
Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey As of FY2023
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Columbus School

Columbus School District's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$64,636 48th percentile higher than 48% of 10,684 US districts

Show national distribution $30,000–$40,000: 155 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 1,360 US districts (13%). Below this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 2,382 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). This entry sits in this band. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). Above this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). Above this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). Above this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 371 US districts (3%). Above this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 249 US districts (2%). Above this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 156 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 112 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 57 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 25 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 13 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 10 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. Columbus School District $30,000 $190,000 every reliable-salary US district, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $10K-wide band; taller bars hold more US districts. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 · FY2023

Columbus School in Wisconsin's lower-third pay band

Same 403 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Columbus School District ranks #310 of 403 Wisconsin districts by estimated teacher salary and #47 of 403 by per-pupil spending. Gibraltar Area School District pay #1 at $100,669 is not Nicolet Union High School School District spending #1 at $43,137 per pupil

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Columbus School District is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Nicolet Union High School School District leads spending at $43,137 per pupil; Gibraltar Area School District leads pay.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

What stands out about Columbus School District

  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +26.8% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Wisconsin's statewide +14.3% by 12.5 points, a growth rate faster than 91% of the 410 Wisconsin districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment fell from 1,307 to 1,161 students (11.2% down) across FY2019–FY2023 while the instructional salary pool per teacher went up. Districts on that path are usually holding staffing steady against a falling roll, which lifts the per-teacher figure without anyone getting a raise, so read this page's salary estimate alongside the enrolment line rather than on its own.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$64,635.578

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Wisconsin price level
93.2 / 100

BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.

National-price equivalent
$69,337

+7% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Wisconsin run below the national average, so this salary has roughly the buying power of the national-price equivalent above. A district in a costlier state can advertise a larger nominal salary and still leave a teacher with less.

Regional price parity: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023 all-items RPP by state. The adjustment applies a statewide index to a district figure, so it captures how Wisconsin compares nationally, not how this district compares with others in its own state. Compare every state on this basis.

How this salary figure is calculated
Full NCES reading for Columbus School District

What the Numbers Say About Columbus School District

Columbus School District is a small school district in Wisconsin, serving 1,161 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $23,972. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $64,636, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 5502820 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Wisconsin statewide average of $70,465, teacher pay in Columbus School District runs materially below the state benchmark, a 8.3% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (8.0% differential). Among enrolling districts in Wisconsin, it pays more than 23% of them. Wisconsin itself ranks #19 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Columbus School District reports $27.8M in total expenditure against $23.6M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 22% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $3.8M, special-education teacher pay is $1.5M.

How does Columbus School District compare?

Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Wisconsin average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.

Columbus School District $64,636
Milwaukee School District $80,043
Wisconsin avg $70,465
National avg $70,245

Columbus School District pays -19.2% less than Milwaukee School District · per-pupil $23,972 vs $22,253

Derived from NCES F-33 teacher salary expenditure (Z35-Z38) and CCD Staff Universe teacher FTE (FY2023); a small minority use the documented fallback. Unreliable service entities are excluded.

Data-derived comparison paths

Find comparable Wisconsin districts

On pay, Columbus School District sits closest to Royall School District; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Monticello School District. These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2023 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. Royall School District
  2. Webster School District
  3. Hortonville Area School District
  4. Kickapoo Area School District
  5. East Troy Community School District
  6. Wausaukee School District
  7. Greenwood School District
  8. Siren School District
  9. Prairie Farm Public School District
  10. Campbellsport School District
  11. Adams-Friendship Area School District
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Monticello School District
  2. Big Foot UHS School District
  3. Florence County School District
  4. Wisconsin Heights School District
  5. Three Lakes School District
  6. Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Area School District
  7. Black River Falls School District
  8. Spooner Area School District
  9. Dodgeland School District
  10. Bristol #1 School District
  11. Oconto Unified School District

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Columbus School District's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Columbus School District: closest on enrollment (1,161 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($64,636 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood.

Similar enrollment

Nearest other districts by NCES student count (floored at ≥200).

Similar estimated salary

Nearest other districts by F-33-derived average teacher salary, distinct from the enrollment row.

Enrollment and salaries from NCES CCD F-33; estimated teacher pay can diverge widely at the same student count because of state funding, cost of living, and local bargaining.

Revenue & Expenditure

$23.6M
Total Revenue
$27.8M
Total Expenditure
$6.1M
Instruction Salaries
22% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$3.8M
Regular Program
$1.5M
Special Education
$0.4M
Vocational
$0.4M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Columbus School District: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 100% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 0% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Wisconsin Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Wisconsin districts belongs to Gibraltar Area School District at $100,669. Placed 253 of 304, Columbus School District is in the lower quarter, where a state-average comparison flatters the district rather than describing it. South Carolina and Idaho are the states closest to Wisconsin on BEA's price parity, which makes them the fair comparison; against a costlier state this salary goes further than its number suggests.

View all Wisconsin districts →

Other Wisconsin Districts

Smaller-district sample from 402 Wisconsin peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.

Hartford UHS School District
$82,524
1,316 students
Oostburg School District
$72,825
1,006 students
Salem School District
$70,773
1,000 students
Durand-Arkansaw School District
$59,115
999 students
Poynette School District
$62,480
995 students
Lancaster Community School District
$73,718
991 students

This is a sample of 6 from 402 Wisconsin districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Columbus School District
What is the average teacher salary in Columbus School District?

The average teacher salary in Columbus School District is $64,636 (NCES CCD FY2023), from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by the district's reported teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey).

How does Columbus School District teacher pay compare to the Wisconsin average?

Columbus School District pays 8.3% less than the Wisconsin state average of $70,465. The district's average is $64,636.

How does Columbus School District teacher pay compare to the national average?

Columbus School District pays 8.0% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $64,636.

What is the per-pupil spending in Columbus School District?

Columbus School District spends approximately $23,972 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Columbus School District's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 22% of Columbus School District's total expenditure of $27.8M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Columbus School District
Disclaimer & data sources

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher

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Editorial standards & source notes

According to the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, PlainTeacher's figures are computed directly, no number is typed in by an editor. Columbus School District's salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2023 F-33 submission, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of FY2023.