Enrollment
576
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lake Waccamaw, NC
East Columbus Junior-Senior High
Federal NCES profile for East Columbus Junior-Senior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370096000145
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
East Columbus Junior-Senior High earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools.
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.2:1
- students per teacher
- 99.5%
- free-lunch eligible
- 576
- students enrolled
East Columbus Junior-Senior High has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Columbus County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370096000145 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How East Columbus Junior-Senior High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at East Columbus Junior-Senior High
East Columbus Junior-Senior High is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina, enrolling 576 students.
At 15.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the North Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 99.5% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the North Carolina average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 576 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 552 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #497, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (32%) and White (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 77/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 576 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 434 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 576 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Lake Waccamaw's public schools, it stands alongside Thomas Academy (62 students): East Columbus Junior-Senior High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.2:1 vs 7.8:1).
Columbus County Schools also operates West Columbus School (814 students) and South Columbus High (669 students) alongside East Columbus Junior-Senior High.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How East Columbus Junior-Senior High compares
East Columbus Junior-Senior High on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.2:1 | ▼ 4% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.5% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 576 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
576
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 52% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
45.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,909
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 576 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
288
in-school suspensions + 146 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 50.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 75.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 31.9%
White 26.4%
Hispanic or Latino 18.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 12.3%
Two or More 10.8%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 31.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 76.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 76.8, East Columbus Junior-Senior High is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbus County Schools, which includes East Columbus Junior-Senior High.
$12,909
Per student
+7%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.5%
State 64.6%
Federal 21.9%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How East Columbus Junior-Senior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Columbus School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Columbus High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Williams Township | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Columbus High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tabor City Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to East Columbus Junior-Senior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 814
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 669
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 659
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 459
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 415
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar other schools in Lake Waccamaw
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~576 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on East Columbus Junior-Senior High's federal record.
- Compare East Columbus Junior-Senior High against another school. Compare schools
- Columbus County Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about East Columbus Junior-Senior High
How many students attend East Columbus Junior-Senior High?
East Columbus Junior-Senior High has 576 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lake Waccamaw, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at East Columbus Junior-Senior High?
The student-teacher ratio at East Columbus Junior-Senior High is 15.2:1, which is 4% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at East Columbus Junior-Senior High?
99.5% of students at East Columbus Junior-Senior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of East Columbus Junior-Senior High?
The largest demographic group at East Columbus Junior-Senior High is African American at 31.9% of enrollment, in Lake Waccamaw, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 76.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for East Columbus Junior-Senior High?
East Columbus Junior-Senior High has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is East Columbus Junior-Senior High a good school?
East Columbus Junior-Senior High earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Columbus County Schools?
Besides East Columbus Junior-Senior High, Columbus County Schools also operates West Columbus School (814 students), South Columbus High (669 students), and Williams Township (659 students). See the Columbus County Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.