C
Columbus County Schools
Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 8 towns
Serves Tabor City, Lake Waccamaw, Chadbourn, Sandyfield, Fair Bluff, Bolton, Cerro Gordo and Boardman.
Students
5,440
Schools
12
Spent per student
$13,516
NC $13,045
Students per teacher
16:1
Free or reduced lunch
99%
Debt
$0.8M
fiscal 2024
What stands out about Columbus County Schools
- School Grade C: better than 31% of North Carolina districts
- Math proficiency 10 pts below the state
- Reading / language arts 13 pts below the state
- 16 students per teacher
- Enrollment up 33.6% since 2020
- Debt of $0.8M, about $153 per student
Where would my kid go?
The school path for Chadbourn.
Test scores vs. NC
2020–21Math proficiency32%
State average 41.9%
Reading / language arts34%
State average 47.2%
Graduation rate (4-year)86%
State average 87.7%
Where the money goes
fiscal 2024$13,516 per student · 4% above NC
Spending
Classroom instruction 58%Support & administration 34%Other 7%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 15%State 60%Federal 25%
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Enrollment over time
4,072’20
3,933’21
4,741’22
5,360’23
5,440’24
Up 33.6% since 2020.
Students
White 50%Black 27%Hispanic 13%Two or more races 6%American Indian/Alaska Native 4%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%Asian <1%
Schools in the district
12 public schools.
West Columbus School
814 students17:1
Williams Township
C659 students15:1
Tabor City School
598 students16:1
Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary
C394 students17:1
Acme Delco Elementary
C349 students16:1
Old Dock Elementary
C+265 students13:1
Chadbourn Elementary
C233 students13:1
Nakina Middle
B194 students16:1
South Columbus High
B−669 students16:1
East Columbus Junior-Senior High
C576 students17:1
West Columbus High
B−459 students14:1
Columbus Career and College Academy
B+230 students18:1
Towns served
Nearby districts
Compare spending and schools next door.
District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES directory and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: EDFacts via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Neighbor ratings are opinions.