Schools in Bolton · Columbus County Schools
Bolton’s public schools score below 69% of North Carolina districts
The public schools Bolton’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 69% of North Carolina’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
29%beats similar-income towns
Reading proficiency
34%
▼ 13 pts vs NC 47%
2020–21
Math proficiency
32%
▼ 10 pts vs NC 42%
2020–21
Graduate on time
86%
▼ 2 pts vs NC 88%
class of 2020
Spent per student
$13.5K
▲ 4% vs NC $13.0K
FY2024
Schools
0
The School Grade
How Bolton compares
C Test scoresC Graduation
North Carolina school districts we grade (318)Better than 31%
Lower resultsHigher results
North Carolina towns with similar household incomes (301)Better than 29%
High confidence. Built on 2,620 tested students and a graduating class of 482; ordinary year-to-year swings are unlikely to change it.
How the School Grade works
- Results, not inputs. Math and reading proficiency on North Carolina’s state tests against the state average, plus the four-year graduation rate. Spending and class size are shown but don’t count. Tests: 2020–21; graduation: class of 2020.
- The whole path. A town’s grade follows its kids through every district that serves it, weighted by students tested. Tests count 60%, graduation 40%.
- Graded within the state. Each state writes its own tests, so districts are compared with the rest of North Carolina only. A+ is the top 5%, A the next 10%, A− the next 10%, the B range the next 30%, the C range the next 30%, D the rest.
- What a grade can’t tell you. Test results track family income, so we also compare towns with similar incomes. Visit, ask other parents, and read neighbor reviews. It’s our own summary of U.S. Department of Education data, not an official rating.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Bolton.
7 schools teach Pre-K in Bolton’s district. Which one depends on your address: West Columbus School, Williams Township, Tabor City School and Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary and more.
7 schools teach K in Bolton’s district. Which one depends on your address: West Columbus School, Williams Township, Tabor City School and Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary and more.
7 schools teach 1st grade in Bolton’s district. Which one depends on your address: West Columbus School, Williams Township, Tabor City School and Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary and more.
7 schools teach 2nd grade in Bolton’s district. Which one depends on your address: West Columbus School, Williams Township, Tabor City School and Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary and more.
7 schools teach 3rd grade in Bolton’s district. Which one depends on your address: West Columbus School, Williams Township, Tabor City School and Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary and more.
7 schools teach 4th grade in Bolton’s district. Which one depends on your address: West Columbus School, Williams Township, Tabor City School and Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary and more.
7 schools teach 5th grade in Bolton’s district. Which one depends on your address: West Columbus School, Williams Township, Tabor City School and Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary and more.
6 schools teach 6th grade in Bolton’s district. Which one depends on your address: West Columbus School, Williams Township, Tabor City School and Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary and more.
5 schools teach 7th grade in Bolton’s district. Which one depends on your address: West Columbus School, Williams Township, Tabor City School and East Columbus Junior-Senior High and more.
5 schools teach 8th grade in Bolton’s district. Which one depends on your address: West Columbus School, Williams Township, Tabor City School and East Columbus Junior-Senior High and more.
4 schools teach 9th grade in Bolton’s district. Which one depends on your address: South Columbus High, East Columbus Junior-Senior High, West Columbus High and Columbus Career and College Academy.
4 schools teach 10th grade in Bolton’s district. Which one depends on your address: South Columbus High, East Columbus Junior-Senior High, West Columbus High and Columbus Career and College Academy.
4 schools teach 11th grade in Bolton’s district. Which one depends on your address: South Columbus High, East Columbus Junior-Senior High, West Columbus High and Columbus Career and College Academy.
4 schools teach 12th grade in Bolton’s district. Which one depends on your address: South Columbus High, East Columbus Junior-Senior High, West Columbus High and Columbus Career and College Academy.
The path, start to finish
PK–87 schoolsDepends on your address
9–125 high schoolsDepends on your address
124 high schoolsDepends on your address
The district
Each district’s own page has its spending, test scores, enrollment and every school.
Test scores · 2020–21
Well below the state in reading
Reading34%
State average 47.2%
Math32%
State average 41.9%
Every school in Bolton
0 schools. Grades are ours, from state tests and graduation. Stars are from neighbors.
Also serving Bolton · in other towns
West Columbus School
814 students17:1Rate it →
Williams Township
C659 students15:1Rate it →
Tabor City School
598 students16:1Rate it →
Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary
C394 students17:1Rate it →
Acme Delco Elementary
C349 students16:1Rate it →
Old Dock Elementary
C+265 students13:1Rate it →
Chadbourn Elementary
C233 students13:1Rate it →
East Columbus Junior-Senior High
C576 students17:1Rate it →
Nakina Middle
B194 students16:1Rate it →
South Columbus High
B−669 students16:1Rate it →
West Columbus High
B−459 students14:1Rate it →
Columbus Career and College Academy
B+230 students18:1Rate it →
Parents talk
What Bolton families are saying about school.
Parents weigh in
Live in Bolton? Is a C for its schools right?
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Start the conversation
Within reach
Colleges →Colleges near Bolton
There’s no college in Bolton, but 5 are within 30 miles. The closest is Brunswick Community College in Bolivia, 21.6 miles away.
Brunswick Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Bolivia
21.6 mi972 students
Southeastern Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Whiteville
21.9 mi994 students
Cape Fear Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Wilmington
26.4 mi9,738 students
Bladen Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Dublin
29.4 mi492 students
Miller-Motte College-WilmingtonUniversity or college · For-profit · Wilmington
30 mi118 students
Straight-line distance from the center of Bolton. Degree-granting colleges with students on campus · College Scorecard · IPEDS.
School data: U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts, F-33 school finance). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within North Carolina. Stars are from neighbors.