Enrollment
669
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Tabor City, NC
South Columbus High
Federal NCES profile for South Columbus High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370096000237
👥 S:T ratio 36
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 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
South Columbus High earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Tabor City · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.9:1
- students per teacher
- 99.6%
- free-lunch eligible
South Columbus High has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Columbus High ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Tabor City, NC.
School address
District: Columbus County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370096000237 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.6%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Columbus High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Columbus High
South Columbus High is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Tabor City, North Carolina, enrolling 669 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 99.6% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the North Carolina average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 669 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
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 478 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #425, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and African American (24%) (diversity index 56/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 669 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.3% 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: 329 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 669 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Columbus County Schools also operates West Columbus School (814 students) and Williams Township (659 students) alongside South Columbus 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 South Columbus High compares
South Columbus 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 | 15.9:1 | ▲ 1% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.6% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 669 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
669
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.6%
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
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 61% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
46.3%
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 669 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
238
in-school suspensions + 91 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 35.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 49.2 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 61.1%
African American 23.5%
Hispanic or Latino 12.0%
Two or More 2.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 61.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.6, South Columbus High is about as mixed as the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbus County Schools, which includes South Columbus 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 South Columbus High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Columbus School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Williams Township | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Columbus Junior-Senior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Columbus High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tabor City Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Columbus 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
- 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
- Enrollment
- 415
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
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 (~669 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Columbus High's federal record.
- Compare South Columbus 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 South Columbus High
How many students attend South Columbus High?
South Columbus High has 669 students enrolled. It is a high school in Tabor City, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Columbus High?
The student-teacher ratio at South Columbus High is 15.9:1, which is 1% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Columbus High?
99.6% of students at South Columbus High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Columbus High?
The largest demographic group at South Columbus High is White at 61.1% of enrollment, in Tabor City, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Columbus High?
South Columbus High has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower 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).
How does South Columbus High rank among public schools in Tabor City?
By Resource Investment Index, South Columbus High ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Tabor City, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Tabor City on the city page.
Is South Columbus High a good school?
South Columbus High earns 27/100 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 South Columbus High, Columbus County Schools also operates West Columbus School (814 students), Williams Township (659 students), and East Columbus Junior-Senior High (576 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.