Thomas Academy

Summary:

Thomas Academy is a public charter high school located in Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina, serving grades 6-12 with a total enrollment of 71 students. The school has a diverse student population, with a significant percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

Despite its small size and low student-teacher ratio, Thomas Academy has consistently underperformed compared to the state averages in various standardized test scores. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 6.3% of 8th-grade students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to the state average of 46.9%. The school's performance in Reading and Science for 8th-grade students was also significantly lower than the state averages. As a result, Thomas Academy has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Columbus County Schools, with a ranking between 424 and 619 out of the state's high schools over the past several years, and its SchoolDigger rating has been low, ranging from 0 to 2 stars out of 5.

When comparing Thomas Academy to the nearby schools, such as South Columbus High, East Bladen High, and Whiteville High, it becomes evident that the school is significantly underperforming academically. The school's challenges may be attributed to factors such as resource availability, teacher quality, and student support services, which will require a concerted effort to address and improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public, Charter 6-12

206-B Rube MCCRAY Circle
Lake Waccamaw, NC 28450

(910) 646-2237

District: Thomas Academy

Student/teacher ratio: 8.2

Number of students: 71

Racial breakdown:

White:

38.0%

African American:

32.4%

Two or more races:

15.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 39.4%

See top rated North Carolina public schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Thomas Academy ranks worse than 98.2% of middle schools in North Carolina. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 2.47. (See more...)

Compare Details Thomas Academy is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 31.3. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Thomas Academy is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (38%), African American (32.4%), two or more races (15.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Thomas Academy is 8.2. (See more...)

Compare Thomas Academy employs 8.6 full-time teachers.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Thomas Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Thomas Academy 779^th of 793 North Carolina public middle schools. (See Thomas Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

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Rank History for Thomas Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at Thomas Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2015	2.39	692^nd	705	1.8%
2017	3.24	671^st	694	3.3%
2018	17.03	591^st	691	14.5%
2019	12.77	661^st	737	10.3%
2022	6.02	750^th	786	4.6%
2024	2.47	779^th	793	1.8%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Thomas Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	17.58	577^th	639	9.7%
2024	4.61	733^rd	743	1.3%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Thomas Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	4.27	615^th	624	1.4%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Thomas Academy

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Rank History for all high school students at Thomas Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2015	8.80	460^th	531	13.4%
2016	14.49	422^nd	507	16.8%
2017	3.14	453^rd	476	4.8%
2018	5.79	435^th	469	7.2%
2019	17.47	424^th	514	17.5%
2021	23.01	457^th	594	23.1%
2022	2.70	619^th	621	0.3%
2023	31.30	425^th	626	32.1%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Thomas Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	25.18	331^st	446	25.8%
2023	41.06	312^th	597	47.7%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Female students at Thomas Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	26.65	353^rd	475	25.7%
2021	15.47	402^nd	475	15.4%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for high school White students at Thomas Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	15.75	396^th	444	10.8%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Thomas Academy

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Year	White	African American	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2014	25	19	6	3	5	58
2015	21	37	7	5	4	74
2016	35	35	6	2	5	83
2017	44	36	5	5	7	97
2018	56	21	13	1	7	98
2019	49	28	8	5	14	104
2020	43	25	4	3	11	86
2021	42	29	5	2	17	95
2022	46	40	6	3	21	116
2023	27	23	8	2	11	71

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Thomas Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	58	8.7	6.6	67.2
2015	74	12.0	6.1	93.2
2016	83	13.0	6.3	92.8
2017	97	12.3	7.8	86.6
2018	98	10.5	9.3	34.7
2019	104	3.0	34.6	39.4
2020	86	6.2	13.7	n/a
2021	95	5.5	17.1	n/a
2022	116	6.6	17.3	n/a
2023	71	8.6	8.2	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Thomas Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	58	8.7	6.6	67.2
2015	74	12.0	6.1	93.2
2016	83	13.0	6.3	92.8
2017	97	12.3	7.8	86.6
2018	98	10.5	9.3	34.7
2019	104	3.0	34.6	39.4
2020	86	6.2	13.7	n/a
2021	95	5.5	17.1	n/a
2022	116	6.6	17.3	n/a
2023	71	8.6	8.2	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Thomas Academy

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 661^st of 737 Middle schools	Ranks 750^th of 786 Middle schools	5.7%
Ranks 424^th of 514 High schools	Ranks 425^th of 626 High schools	14.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade Mathematics (Thomas Academy)	21.1	14.3	6.8%
7th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	58.4	48.7	9.7%
7th Grade Reading (Thomas Academy)	47.4	8.3	39.1%
7th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	58.8	50.2	8.6%
8th Grade Reading (Thomas Academy)	25	16.7	8.3%
8th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	55.6	50.7	4.9%
8th Grade Science (Thomas Academy)	62.5	25	37.5%
8th Grade Science (North Carolina)	78.6	73.4	5.2%
End of Course Biology (Thomas Academy)	31.8	12.5	19.3%
End of Course Biology (North Carolina)	59.6	54.1	5.5%
End of Course English II (Thomas Academy)	44.4	63.6	19.2%
End of Course English II (North Carolina)	59.7	58.5	1.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	104	71	31.7%
African American	28	23	17.9%
American Indian	5	2	60%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	8	8
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	49	27	44.9%
Two or More Races	14	11	21.4%

Schools Near Thomas Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOC Biology (2024)	EOC English II (2024)	EOC Math I (2024)	EOC Math III (2024)	EOG Mathematics (2024)		EOG Reading (2024)		EOG Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Thomas Academy	Public, Charter	6-12	206-B Rube MCCRAY Circle	Lake Waccamaw	28450	Columbus County	Thomas Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(910) 646-2237	71	9	8.2		27 (38.0%)	23 (32.4%)	8 (11.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (15.5%)								(n/a)						6.3		18.8	25.0
East Columbus Junior-Senior High	Public	7-12	32 Gator Lane	Lake Waccamaw	28450	Columbus County	Columbus County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 646-4094	594	38	15.5	99.5%	172 (29.0%)	182 (30.6%)	98 (16.5%)	0 (0.0%)	86 (14.5%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (9.4%)	15.8	546^th of 640 public high schools	14.7%		17.7	526^th of 626 public high schools	16.0%	20	15.1	34.9	16.5	47.5	50.0	20.2	39.3	30.5	42.1	$10,383	$1,233	$9,149
Whiteville High	Public	9-12	413 N Lee Street	Whiteville	28472	Columbus County	Whiteville City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 914-4189	662	44	15.1	98.6%	273 (41.2%)	244 (36.9%)	83 (12.5%)	7 (1.1%)	6 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (7.4%)	45.2	331^st of 640 public high schools	48.3%		31.7	421^st of 626 public high schools	32.7%	90	49.7	56.4	28.2	70.4						$10,302	$1,532	$8,770
North Whiteville Academy	Public	6-12	310 S Martin Luther King Jr Av	Whiteville	28472	Columbus County	Whiteville City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 914-4161	25	7	3.5	88.0%	10 (40.0%)	12 (48.0%)	1 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (8.0%)								(n/a)										$24,391	$612	$23,779
Columbus Career and College Academy	Public	9-12	4564 Chadbourn Hwy	Whiteville	28472	Columbus County	Columbus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 788-6281	249	14	18.2	98.8%	139 (55.8%)	45 (18.1%)	54 (21.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.8%)	56.1	255^th of 640 public high schools	60.2%		40.7	348^th of 626 public high schools	44.4%	93	56.3	71.7	41.3	63.0						$6,813	$326	$6,488
East Bladen High	Public	9-12	5600 NC Hwy 87 East	Elizabethtown	28337	Bladen County	Bladen County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 247-4610	545	35	15.4	99.4%	173 (31.7%)	262 (48.1%)	70 (12.8%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (6.1%)	43	349^th of 640 public high schools	45.5%		40.5	349^th of 626 public high schools	44.2%		48.4	47.3	38.1	69.1						$10,954	$1,440	$9,513
South Columbus High	Public	9-12	40 Stallion Drive	Tabor City	28463	Columbus County	Columbus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 653-4073	692	43	16.2	99.6%	459 (66.3%)	144 (20.8%)	75 (10.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.6%)	31.3	439^th of 640 public high schools	31.4%		37.4	377^th of 626 public high schools	39.8%	62	43.7	42.0	42.6	43.9						$9,661	$1,025	$8,636

Frequently Asked Questions about Thomas Academy

What is the racial makeup of Thomas Academy?

Students at Thomas Academy are 38% White, 32% African American, 15% Two or more races, 11% Hispanic, 3% American Indian.

How many students attend Thomas Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 71 students attended Thomas Academy.

What district is Thomas Academy in?

Thomas Academy

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.