Columbus Mun Sep School DistrictBudget & Spending

Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi NCES 2801200

columbuscityschools.org ↗
Total revenue · FY2024
$73.0M $72,985,000
Students enrolled
3,065
Revenue per pupil
$23,812
Local share per pupil
$5,057 64th percentile in MS

Transparency grade C, provisional

Under review

Provisional grade

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NCES F-33 · FY2024

Where the money goes

Operating and capital spending from the federal expenditure survey, rolled up by function. Aggregate categories only: no individual payees or contracts are shown.

Instruction
$20.2M 32.1% of spending
Administration
$3.7M 5.8% of spending
Per pupil
$20,563 All functions
Capital Outlay — 33.7%Instruction — 32.1%Student Transportation — 8.5%Food Services — 5.7%Student Support Services — 4.0%General Administration — 3.9%Operations & Maintenance — 3.8%Business & Central Services — 3.6%Instructional Staff Support — 2.8%School Administration — 1.9%Total$63.0MK12 Transparency
Dollars by function
K12 TransparencyCapital OutlayCapital Outlay — $21,257,000$21.3MInstructionInstruction — $20,204,000$20.2MStudent TransportationStudent Transportation — $5,329,000$5.3MFood ServicesFood Services — $3,596,000$3.6MStudent Support ServicesStudent Support Services — $2,547,000$2.5MGeneral AdministrationGeneral Administration — $2,479,000$2.5MOperations & MaintenanceOperations & Maintenance — $2,371,000$2.4MBusiness & Central Servic…Business & Central Services — $2,260,000$2.3MInstructional Staff Suppo…Instructional Staff Support — $1,758,000$1.8MSchool AdministrationSchool Administration — $1,204,000$1.2MOther ProgramsOther Programs — $20,000$20.0K
  • Capital Outlay 33.7%
  • Instruction 32.1%
  • Student Transportation 8.5%
  • Food Services 5.7%
  • Student Support Services 4.0%
  • General Administration 3.9%
  • Operations & Maintenance 3.8%
  • Business & Central Services 3.6%
  • Instructional Staff Support 2.8%
  • School Administration 1.9%
  • Other Programs 0.0%
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Columbus Mun Sep School District expenditures by function
FunctionAmountPer pupilShare
Capital Outlay $21,257,000 $6,935 33.7%
Instruction $20,204,000 $6,592 32.1%
Student Transportation $5,329,000 $1,739 8.5%
Food Services $3,596,000 $1,173 5.7%
Student Support Services $2,547,000 $831 4.0%
General Administration $2,479,000 $809 3.9%
Operations & Maintenance $2,371,000 $774 3.8%
Business & Central Services $2,260,000 $737 3.6%
Instructional Staff Support $1,758,000 $574 2.8%
School Administration $1,204,000 $393 1.9%
Other Programs $20,000 $7 0.0%
Total $63,025,000 $20,563 100%

NCES F-33 · FY2015–FY2024

How this has changed

Measure FY2015 FY2024 Change %
Total revenue $43,435,000 $72,985,000 +$29,550,000 +68.0%
Total expenditure $41,313,000 $63,164,000 +$21,851,000 +52.9%
Revenue per pupil $9,983 $23,812 +$13,830 +138.5%
Students enrolled 4,351 3,065 -1,286 -29.6%
Change since FY2015, every measure on one scale
-50%0%+50%+100%+150%K12 TransparencyTotal revenue, FY2015: $43,435,000 (+0.0%)Total revenue, FY2016: $44,017,000 (+1.3%)Total revenue, FY2017: $41,882,000 (-3.6%)Total revenue, FY2018: $40,597,000 (-6.5%)Total revenue, FY2019: $40,624,000 (-6.5%)Total revenue, FY2020: $42,585,000 (-2.0%)Total revenue, FY2021: $42,399,000 (-2.4%)Total revenue, FY2022: $46,872,000 (+7.9%)Total revenue, FY2023: $52,751,000 (+21.4%)Total revenue, FY2024: $72,985,000 (+68.0%)Total expenditure, FY2015: $41,313,000 (+0.0%)Total expenditure, FY2016: $43,652,000 (+5.7%)Total expenditure, FY2017: $41,785,000 (+1.1%)Total expenditure, FY2018: $37,430,000 (-9.4%)Total expenditure, FY2019: $36,641,000 (-11.3%)Total expenditure, FY2020: $41,189,000 (-0.3%)Total expenditure, FY2021: $40,705,000 (-1.5%)Total expenditure, FY2022: $42,401,000 (+2.6%)Total expenditure, FY2023: $50,958,000 (+23.3%)Total expenditure, FY2024: $63,164,000 (+52.9%)Revenue per pupil, FY2015: $9,983 (+0.0%)Revenue per pupil, FY2016: $10,692 (+7.1%)Revenue per pupil, FY2017: $10,468 (+4.9%)Revenue per pupil, FY2018: $10,611 (+6.3%)Revenue per pupil, FY2019: $11,118 (+11.4%)Revenue per pupil, FY2020: $12,336 (+23.6%)Revenue per pupil, FY2021: $12,879 (+29.0%)Revenue per pupil, FY2022: $14,588 (+46.1%)Revenue per pupil, FY2023: $17,072 (+71.0%)Revenue per pupil, FY2024: $23,812 (+138.5%)Students enrolled, FY2015: 4,351 (+0.0%)Students enrolled, FY2016: 4,117 (-5.4%)Students enrolled, FY2017: 4,001 (-8.0%)Students enrolled, FY2018: 3,826 (-12.1%)Students enrolled, FY2019: 3,654 (-16.0%)Students enrolled, FY2020: 3,452 (-20.7%)Students enrolled, FY2021: 3,292 (-24.3%)Students enrolled, FY2022: 3,213 (-26.2%)Students enrolled, FY2023: 3,090 (-29.0%)Students enrolled, FY2024: 3,065 (-29.6%)+138.5%+68.0%+52.9%-29.6%'15'18'21'24Total revenueTotal expenditureRevenue per pupilStudents enrolled

Percent change from each measure's FY2015 level. Nominal dollars as filed, not adjusted for inflation. Hover any point for the underlying number.

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100-point rubric

What Columbus Mun Sep School District needs for an A

  • Public check register

    14 pts

    Every disbursement published with payee category, date, amount, and fund, updated at least quarterly.

    A check register records where money actually went, rather than where it was budgeted to go.

  • Annual financial audit

    6 pts

    A current Annual Comprehensive Financial Report with the independent auditor opinion attached.

    A financial audit confirms the statements are accurately presented. Most states require one, so it is a floor rather than a distinction.

  • Performance or efficiency audit

    5 pts

    An independent review of whether spending achieved its stated purpose, published within the last three years.

    A financial audit asks whether the numbers are right. A performance audit asks whether the money did what it was meant to do, which is the question a taxpayer is usually asking.

  • Line-item adopted budget

    11 pts

    The adopted budget broken out by function and object code, not a summary presentation.

    Function and object detail is what allows classroom and central office spending to be compared.

  • Purchasing card transactions

    9 pts

    Purchasing and credit card transaction detail with merchant category, date, and amount.

    Card purchases sit outside the standard purchase-order process, so separate disclosure is what makes them reviewable.

  • Payment history by category

    9 pts

    Cumulative payments grouped by spending category, covering at least one full fiscal year.

    Category totals show concentration and recurring commitments that individual payments do not.

  • Machine-readable data

    9 pts

    Financial data offered as CSV, XLSX, JSON, or an open API rather than scanned images.

    A scanned PDF is technically public and practically difficult to analyse. Open formats make review possible.

  • Compensation schedule

    7 pts

    Current salary schedules and aggregate administrator compensation bands, including stipends.

    Payroll is the largest line in most district budgets, so schedule-level disclosure covers the bulk of spending.

  • Bond and capital disclosure

    7 pts

    Bond program spending reported against the specific projects voters approved, with remaining balances.

    Bond funds are borrowed against future taxes and authorised for a named project list, so reporting against that list closes the loop.

  • Board minutes and agendas

    7 pts

    Minutes and agenda packets posted together with the financial exhibits that were voted on.

    The vote and its attachment are what connect a decision to the money it moved.

  • Contracts posted

    6 pts

    Executed contracts and amendments above the district bid threshold, posted in full.

    A payment shows the amount. The contract shows what was promised in return.

  • Direct download, no request

    6 pts

    Core financial records download directly, with no records request, login, or fee.

    Publishing a record and releasing it on request are different levels of disclosure.

  • Published records process

    4 pts

    A public records page naming the responsible officer, the statutory timeline, and any fees.

    A documented process tells a requester what to expect before they file.

No items have been checked yet. These fill in as each record is located and verified.