Columbus County School District
Listed by NCES as Columbus County Schools (district ID 3700960)
Public school district · Columbus County · North Carolina · NCES district ID 3700960
Columbus County School District spent $14,006 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 75% of the other North Carolina districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $12,366). Its 11 schools enrolled 4,842 students in 2024-25; 57.2% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,516 per student, down 3.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 86% (North Carolina: 86.5%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among North Carolina districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Columbus County in enrollment (4,834 to 5,776 students) and Columbus County itself.
Where the money came from
$81,541,000 in revenue: 57.2% state, 13.9% local and 29.0% federal. Total spending including $5,380,000 of capital outlay was $81,860,000, or $15,344 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$46,619,000 57%
- Local$11,313,000 14%
- Federal$23,609,000 29%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 150 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
5,335 students in 2022-23, 4,762 students in 2023-24, 4,842 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 5,335 | 349.2 | 15.3 |
| 2023-24 | 4,762 | 312.1 | 15.3 |
| 2024-25 | 4,842 | 308.9 | 15.7 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$17,251,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,234 per student
Columbus County School District booked $17,251,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 357 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $48,372 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 37 in 100 North Carolina districts with a figure (state median $49,503, 293 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average North Carolina teacher salary at $53,644 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $11,920,000 | 69.1% |
| Special education | $1,869,000 | 10.8% |
| Vocational | $1,438,000 | 8.3% |
| Other programs | $2,024,000 | 11.7% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,079 in 2018-19, $3,145 in 2019-20, $3,303 in 2020-21, $3,434 in 2021-22, $3,234 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Columbus County School District scored proficient or above: 40% in reading and 41% in math, against 48% in reading and 50% in math across North Carolina. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within North Carolina, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.
| Subject | This district | North Carolina | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 40% | 48% | 2,207 |
| Math | 41% | 50% | 2,210 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
86% of the 437 students in Columbus County School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.5% across North Carolina. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | North Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 86% | 86.5% |
| Students in the class | 437 | 120,822 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
6 elementary schools, 2,714 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Columbus School | 814 | 16.6 | 99.6% | Not reported |
| Williams Township | 659 | 15.0 | 99.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary | 394 | 17.0 | 98.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Acme Delco Elementary | 349 | 16.2 | 99.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Old Dock Elementary | 265 | 13.3 | 98.9% | Schoolwide program |
| Chadbourn Elementary | 233 | 13.1 | 98.7% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 middle school, 194 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nakina Middle | 194 | 16.3 | 97.4% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
4 high schools, 1,934 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Columbus High | 669 | 15.7 | 99.4% | Eligible, no program |
| East Columbus Junior-Senior High | 576 | 17.0 | 99.5% | Schoolwide program |
| West Columbus High | 459 | 14.0 | 97.6% | Eligible, no program |
| Columbus Career and College Academy | 230 | 18.4 | 98.7% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 more schools on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory
These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.
Tabor City Elementary
School in Tabor City; 415 students; 14.9 students per teacher.
Tabor City Middle
Middle school in Tabor City; 179 students; 14.6 students per teacher.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.
Contact Columbus County School District
- Website: columbus.k12.nc.us
- Phone: (910) 642-5168
- Office: 2586 James B. White Hwy North, Whiteville, NC 28472
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Columbus County School District
- North Carolina districts by spending per studentColumbus County School District ranks 38 of 150 North Carolina districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($14,006).#38 of 150
- Every school district in North CarolinaColumbus County School District is the number 61 by size of 332 North Carolina districts, with 5,335 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#61 of 332
- Kannapolis City SchoolsThe next larger North Carolina district: 5,390 students in fall 2022, $12,142 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,142
- Vance County Public SchoolsThe next smaller North Carolina district: 5,269 students in fall 2022, $14,592 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$14,592
- Compare Columbus County School District with Kannapolis City SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- South Columbus High, its largest high school669 students in 2024-25, 15.7 per teacher.669
- Teacher salary spending across North CarolinaColumbus County School District spent $48,372 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $49,503); spending, not a salary.$48,372
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Columbus County School District
How many schools and students are in Columbus County School District?
11 schools were open in 2024-25 (6 elementary, 1 middle, 4 high), enrolling 4,842 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Columbus County School District spend per student?
$14,006 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the North Carolina median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $12,366 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,516 per student, down 3.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Columbus County School District's money come from?
$81,541,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 57.2% state, 13.9% local and 29.0% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Columbus County School District live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,345 of the 5,570 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 24.1%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Columbus County School District spend on teacher salaries?
$17,251,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,234 per student. Divided by the 357 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $48,372 per teacher, more than 37 in 100 North Carolina districts (state median $49,503). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average North Carolina teacher salary at $53,644 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Columbus County School District do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Columbus County School District scored proficient or above: 40% in reading and 41% in math, against 48% in reading and 50% in math across North Carolina. North Carolina's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Columbus County School District?
86% of the 437 students in Columbus County School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.5% across North Carolina. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Columbus County School District's NCES district ID?
3700960. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25