Enrollment
265
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Whiteville, NC
Old Dock Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Old Dock Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370096000370
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Old Dock Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Whiteville · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 99.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Old Dock Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Old Dock Elementary ranks #2 of 4 schools in Whiteville, NC.
School address
District: Columbus County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370096000370 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Old Dock Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Old Dock Elementary
Old Dock Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Whiteville, North Carolina, enrolling 265 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 99.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 265 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 274 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #142.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 265 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.9% 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.
Among Whiteville's public schools, it stands alongside Williams Township (659 students): Old Dock Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.9:1 vs 15.3:1).
Columbus County Schools also operates West Columbus School (814 students) and South Columbus High (669 students) alongside Old Dock Elementary.
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 Old Dock Elementary compares
Old Dock Elementary 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 | 13.9:1 | ▼ 12% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.0% | ▲ 50% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 265 | top 81% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
265
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 34% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
38.9%
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 265 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 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
White 60.8%
Hispanic or Latino 23.8%
African American 7.2%
Two or More 6.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
Largest group: White at 60.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.5, Old Dock Elementary is about as mixed as the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbus County Schools, which includes Old Dock Elementary.
$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 Old Dock Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Columbus School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Columbus High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Williams Township | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Columbus Junior-Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Columbus High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Old Dock Elementary'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
- 576
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 459
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar other schools in Whiteville
3 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 (~265 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Old Dock Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Old Dock Elementary 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 Old Dock Elementary
How many students attend Old Dock Elementary?
Old Dock Elementary has 265 students enrolled. It is a public school in Whiteville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Old Dock Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Old Dock Elementary is 13.9:1, which is 12% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 11% 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 Old Dock Elementary?
99.0% of students at Old Dock Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Old Dock Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Old Dock Elementary is White at 60.8% of enrollment, in Whiteville, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Old Dock Elementary?
Old Dock Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Old Dock Elementary rank among schools in Whiteville?
By Resource Investment Index, Old Dock Elementary ranks #2 of 4 schools in Whiteville, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Whiteville on the city page.
Is Old Dock Elementary a good school?
Old Dock Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. 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 Old Dock Elementary, 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.