Enrollment
659
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Whiteville, NC
Williams Township
Federal NCES profile for Williams Township, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370096000374
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Williams Township earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Whiteville · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.3:1
- students per teacher
- 99.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Williams Township has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Williams Township ranks #4 of 4 schools in Whiteville, NC.
School address
District: Columbus County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370096000374 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Williams Township compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Williams Township
Williams Township is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Whiteville, North Carolina, enrolling 659 students.
At 15.3:1, 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.
Enrollment of 659 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 487 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #306.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 659 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.2% 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 Whiteville Primary (486 students): Williams Township is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.3:1 vs 13.9:1).
Columbus County Schools also operates West Columbus School (814 students) and South Columbus High (669 students) alongside Williams Township.
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 Williams Township compares
Williams Township 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 | 15.3:1 | ▼ 3% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.5% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 659 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
659
Bigger than 77% 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
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 53% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
30.2%
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 659 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
38
in-school suspensions + 40 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.8 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 82.9%
African American 9.4%
Hispanic or Latino 4.9%
Two or More 2.3%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 82.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.1, Williams Township is less mixed than 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 Williams Township.
$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 Williams Township Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Columbus School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Columbus High | 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 Williams Township'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
- 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 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 (~659 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Williams Township's federal record.
- Compare Williams Township 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 Williams Township
How many students attend Williams Township?
Williams Township has 659 students enrolled. It is a public school in Whiteville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Williams Township?
The student-teacher ratio at Williams Township is 15.3:1, which is 3% 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 Williams Township?
99.5% of students at Williams Township are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Williams Township?
The largest demographic group at Williams Township is White at 82.9% of enrollment, in Whiteville, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Williams Township?
Williams Township has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Williams Township rank among schools in Whiteville?
By Resource Investment Index, Williams Township ranks #4 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 Williams Township a good school?
Williams Township earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. It is also less 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 Williams Township, Columbus County Schools also operates West Columbus School (814 students), South Columbus High (669 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.