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 Kelly.
PK–56 elementary schoolsBladen County Schools
6–84 middle schoolsBladen County Schools
9–123 high schoolsBladen County Schools
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.