Enrollment
596
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Columbus, NC
Polk County High School
Federal NCES profile for Polk County High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370372000785
👥 S:T ratio 40
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 60
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Polk County High School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 47.5%
- free-lunch eligible
- 596
- students enrolled
Polk County High School has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Polk County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370372000785 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Polk County High School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Polk County High School
Polk County High School is a mid-sized high school in Columbus, North Carolina, enrolling 596 students.
At 14.9:1, 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 runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 47.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 596 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 464 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #16, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 44/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 7 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 199 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Polk County Schools spends $15,096 per pupil, 26% above the North Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 153 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 596 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Columbus's high schools, it stands alongside Polk County Early College (52 students): Polk County High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.9:1 vs 17.3:1).
Polk County Schools also operates Polk County Middle School (454 students) and Polk Central Elementary School (379 students) alongside Polk County High School.
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 Polk County High School compares
Polk County High School 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 | 14.9:1 | ▼ 6% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.5% | ▼ 28% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 596 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
596
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% below 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
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 48% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.0%
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
$15,096
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 199 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
129
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 21.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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 72.7%
Hispanic or Latino 15.6%
African American 7.0%
Two or More 4.5%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 72.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.0, Polk County High School is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Polk County Schools, which includes Polk County High School.
$15,096
Per student
+26%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.0%
State 50.5%
Federal 19.5%
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 Polk County High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Polk Central Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tryon Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Saluda Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sunny View Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Polk County High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 454
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 379
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 367
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 142
- Students per teacher
- 9.5:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 120
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
Similar high schools in Columbus
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~596 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Polk County High School's federal record.
- Compare Polk County High School against another school. Compare schools
- Polk 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 Polk County High School
How many students attend Polk County High School?
Polk County High School has 596 students enrolled. It is a high school in Columbus, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Polk County High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Polk County High School is 14.9:1, which is 6% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 5% 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 Polk County High School?
47.5% of students at Polk County High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Polk County High School?
The largest demographic group at Polk County High School is White at 72.7% of enrollment, in Columbus, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Polk County High School?
Polk County High School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 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 Polk County High School a good school?
Polk County High School earns 49/100 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 Polk County Schools?
Besides Polk County High School, Polk County Schools also operates Polk County Middle School (454 students), Polk Central Elementary School (379 students), and Tryon Elementary School (367 students). See the Polk 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.