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Whiteville, North Carolina - 13 schools
An equity score of 74/100 ranks Columbus County Schools #33 of 293 districts in North Carolina (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $12,909 per pupil, Columbus County Schools ranks #95 of 322 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (North Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
5,335
Total Enrollment
13
Schools
$12,909
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Columbus County Schools operates 13 public schools serving 5,335 students, placing it among the smaller districts in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 8 combined, 3 high, 1 elementary, 1 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Columbus County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,909 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 322 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending. See how North Carolina compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 13.5% local, 64.6% state, and 21.9% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 74/100, ranked #33 of 293 in North Carolina against a state average of 45, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 3 of 13 schools offering Advanced Placement (10 AP courses district-wide), a 385.2:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 35.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 48.4% White, 24.9% African American, 15.7% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary, with a diversity index of 79.5/100.
Its largest campus is West Columbus School, enrolling 814 students (15% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Tabor City Middle, at 179 students, a 5x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Columbus County Schools school enrollment varies 4.5× across entities
Columbus County Schools school enrollment ranges from 179 students (lowest) to 814 students (highest), a spread of 635 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Columbus County Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 98.9% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Eligibility here is a supermajority of the population — well past the 75% concentration-grant threshold that unlocks extra funding on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Columbus County Schools student-counselor ratio is 385:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Columbus County Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 35.7% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Columbus County Schools has 13 schools, including 8 combined, 3 high, 1 elementary, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 5,335 students.
How much does Columbus County Schools spend per student?
Columbus County Schools spends $12,909 per student. The district has an equity score of 74/100, ranking #33 in North Carolina.
What is the demographic composition of Columbus County Schools?
Columbus County Schools students are 48.4% White, 24.9% African American, 15.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 13 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Columbus County Schools?
Columbus County Schools has an equity score of 74/100, ranking #33 out of 293 districts in North Carolina.