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 other, 3 high, 1 elementary, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 5,436 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Columbus County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,748 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 13.5% local, 64.6% state, and 21.9% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $76,566 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 72/100, ranked #38 of 293 in North Carolina against a state average of 45 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 3 of 13 schools offering Advanced Placement (10 AP courses district-wide), a 385.2:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, 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.
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). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants 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 other, 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 $13,748 per student. The district has an equity score of 72/100, ranking #38 in North Carolina.
What is the average teacher salary in Columbus County Schools?
The average teacher salary in Columbus County Schools is $76,566 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Columbus County Schools?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Columbus County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
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 72/100, ranking #38 out of 293 districts in North Carolina. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.