Its elementary school is in Zearing while the middle-high school and district headquarters are in Colo.[2] The district is mostly in Story County with portions in Hardin and Marshall counties.

[3] There is an agreement with the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) Hunziker Career Center in Ames that allows Colo–NESCO High School students to take vocational courses there.

[4] The district was established on July 1, 1987, as a result merger between the Colo and NESCO school districts,[5] with the latter serving McCallsburg and Zearing; "NESCO" means "Northeast Story County".

[4] Nora Gordon of University of California, San Diego, and Brian Knight of Brown University noted in Public Finance Review wrote about the per-pupil revenue changes in Colo–NESCO before and after the merger.

[6] The Royals compete in the Iowa Star Conference, including the following sports:[7]