Name

Columbus School District

Legal name

Columbus School District

Website

https://columbus.k12.wi.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1846

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Columbus School District is a public K-12 school district in South Central Wisconsin serving approximately 1,200 resident students across Columbia, Dodge, and Dane Counties through four schools, a virtual school, and 4K community sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding: As a public school district, primary revenue comes from state aid based on enrollment (per-pupil aid), local property tax levies, and federal categorical grants. Revenue is supplemented by fees for optional services and state/federal meal reimbursements.
2. School Nutrition Services: Meal program revenue from student purchases and federal reimbursement for free/reduced lunch programs. Breakfast and lunch are provided with pricing tiers by grade level.
3. Facility Rental and Services: Revenue generated from facility rental fees, Buy-A-Seat transportation program for non-eligible students, and sale of surplus items through Wisconsin Surplus auctions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Columbus School District provides comprehensive K-12 public education to district-resident families in South Central Wisconsin through four schools — Columbus High School (grades 9-12), Columbus Middle School (grades 6-8), Columbus Elementary School (KG-5), and Discovery Charter School (K-3 science focus) — augmented by a JEDI Virtual School option for online learners and 4-Year-Old Kindergarten at five community sites. The district delivers state-standards-aligned academic instruction, special education and student support services, school nutrition programs, athletics, career and college readiness programming (including AP courses and dual enrollment with Madison College), and Community Learning Services for before/after-school programming.

Product overview

Columbus School District operates a multi-school educational system serving approximately 135 square miles in Columbia, Dodge, and Dane Counties in South Central Wisconsin. The district offers a comprehensive K-12 education through five distinct schools: Columbus High School (grades 9-12), Columbus Middle School (grades 6-8), Columbus Elementary School (grades KG-5), Discovery Charter School (science-focused K-3 charter), and JEDI Virtual School for online learning. The district also provides 4-Year-Old Kindergarten programming at five community sites. Supporting platforms include Infinite Campus for student information and meal accounts, WECAN for employment, Peachjar for digital communications, and Summer School and Community Learning Center programs for enrichment. The district serves approximately 1,200 students and is headquartered at 200 West School Street, Columbus, WI 53925.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Columbus High School: High school serving grades 9-12
• Columbus Middle School
• Columbus Elementary School
• Discovery Charter School
• JEDI Virtual School
• 4K Program
• Community Learning Services (CLS)

Products and services

• Columbus High School Public high school serving grades 9-12 in Columbus, Wisconsin, offering standards-aligned academic curriculum, AP courses, dual enrollment through the Early College Credit Program with Madison College, Youth Apprenticeship, career and technical education, athletics, and student services for district-resident students.
• Columbus Middle School Public middle school serving grades 6-8 providing academic instruction aligned with Wisconsin state standards, athletics, after-school programs through Community Learning Services, honor roll recognition, and leadership acknowledgement.
• Columbus Elementary School Public elementary school serving grades KG-5 providing foundational academic instruction, before/after school programming, and coordination with the 4K program for younger learners.
• Discovery Charter School Science-focused public charter school serving grades K-3, operating within the Columbus School District with a STEM emphasis for early elementary students.
• 4-Year-Old Kindergarten (4K) Program Early childhood education program for four-year-old children delivered at five community sites throughout the Columbus School District boundaries.
• JEDI Virtual School District-operated virtual school offering online K-12 education for district-resident students seeking an alternative to in-person classroom instruction.
• Summer School Program Summer educational programming for students entering grades K-12, offering enrichment, intervention, and credit/skills recovery courses delivered across two three-week sessions at CES and CHS locations, with accompanying USDA-compliant summer meals.
• 4-8 After-school Program (Community Learning Center) After-school enrichment program for students in grades 4-8 providing homework assistance, recreational activities, and supervised care from 3:15 PM to 5:30 PM, operated by the Community Learning Services department.
• Student Services Program Comprehensive student support services including special education, English Language Learner programming, school counseling, psychological services, Section 504 accommodations, McKinney-Vento homeless support, academic and career planning, and transition services through age 21.
• Student Assessments Program State-mandated standardized testing services including PALS (4K), Wisconsin Forward Exam (grades 3-10), Dynamic Learning Maps DLM (grades 3-11), ACT Aspire (grades 9-10), and ACT Plus Writing (grade 11) for district students.
• School Nutrition Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates prepared for college and career through ACT testing, AP courses, and dual enrollment
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Go Riteway TransportationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColumbus School District contracts with Go Riteway to provide student transportation services. The Columbus Terminal is located at Duffy Fleet Services, 100 Columbus-Fall River Rd, Columbus, WI 53925. Services include regular bus routes and the Here Comes the Bus GPS tracking app for families.
• Environmental Management Consultants (EMC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMC is the contractor for asbestos management in district buildings. They perform six-month walk-throughs of asbestos-containing areas and three-year re-inspections as required by AHERA regulations.
• Wisconsin Education Career Access Network (WECAN)coreTechnology or IntegrationDistrict uses the Wisconsin Education Career Access Network (WECAN) for advertising and accepting applications for teaching, administrative, teacher assistant, and secretarial positions. Job postings and applications managed through wecan.education.wisc.edu.
• USDA Child Nutrition ProgramscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll schools participate in USDA child nutrition programs including National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. Programs comply with Healthy Hunger-free Kids Act of 2010 nutrition requirements.
• Madison CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigh school students can enroll in concurrent courses at Madison College through the Early College Credit Program. District facilitates dual enrollment opportunities for post-secondary readiness.
• Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI)coreOthersDPI provides regulatory oversight, academic standards, assessment frameworks (Forward Exam, ACT, DLM), special education guidance, and accountability report cards for the district.
• Human Connection HubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial-emotional learning curriculum provider used for SEL programming aligned with CASEL competencies. Provides themed lessons across 5 competency areas.
• Wisconsin School Psychology Association (WASPA)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistrict staff listings are published through WASPA's WECAN system for certified and non-certified staff positions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Beaver Dam Unified School District: Neighboring Wisconsin public school district of comparable size serving Dodge and surrounding counties with full K-12 programming, athletics, and community-based services — the closest geographic and structural analog.
• Watertown Unified School District: South Central Wisconsin public school district operating multiple schools across elementary, middle, and high school levels with similar community engagement and student services offerings.
• Lake Mills Area School District: Small-to-mid-sized Wisconsin public school district serving K-12 with comparable rural/small-town demographics and program breadth.
• Marshall School District: Small Wisconsin public school district operating elementary through high school programming with similar scale and community-based service model.
• Waterloo School District: Small Wisconsin public school district in Jefferson County providing K-12 instruction and community learning programs of similar scope.
• Deerfield Community School District: Small Wisconsin public school district operating K-12 with community-based extracurriculars and student services akin to Columbus.

Regional players

• Oconomowoc Area School District: Larger neighboring Wisconsin public school district competing for open-enrolled students from Columbus-area families with broader program offerings.
• Sun Prairie Area School District: Larger Dane County public school district offering more extensive specialized programming and facilities, often drawing open-enrollment students from surrounding rural districts.

Broad incumbents

• Madison Metropolitan School District: Large urban Wisconsin public school district and key post-secondary pathway partner via Madison College; serves as a primary destination for open-enrollment and dual-enrollment flows.

Others

• Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction: State regulatory and oversight body for all Wisconsin public school districts — sets standards, assessments, and accountability frameworks that govern Columbus's operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@csdactivities2324
• Facebookfacebook.com/ColumbusWisconsin
• Xx.com/CSDCardinals

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Columbus School District