Is West Columbus High a good school?

West Columbus High ranks in the bottom 16.1% of North Carolina high schools.

How many students attend West Columbus High?

In the 2022-23 school year, 400 students attended West Columbus High.

What is the racial makeup of West Columbus High?

Students at West Columbus High are 49% White, 41% African American, 5% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

What schools feed into West Columbus High?

West Columbus High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Chadbourn Elementary

West Columbus High

Summary:

West Columbus High School is a public high school serving around 400 students in grades 9-12 in Cerro Gordo, North Carolina, which is part of the Columbus County Schools district. However, the school has consistently underperformed academically compared to state and district averages, with declining statewide rankings and concerning performance among student subgroups.

West Columbus High's academic struggles are evident in its low proficiency rates on End-of-Course exams, which lag significantly behind the state and district in key subjects like Biology, English II, and Math I. The school's statewide ranking has steadily declined, dropping from 191 out of 476 high schools in 2016-2017 to 537 out of 640 in 2023-2024. Additionally, the school's performance on subgroup rankings is particularly concerning, with the school ranking 341 out of 437 for African American students, 485 out of 553 for White students, and 530 out of 613 for low socioeconomic status students.

The high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at West Columbus High, ranging from 98.25% to 99.27% over the past three years, suggests that the school serves a population with significant economic disadvantages, which likely contributes to its academic struggles. When compared to other schools in the same district, such as South Columbus High and Columbus Career and College Academy, which have higher proficiency rates and better statewide rankings, the challenges facing West Columbus High become even more apparent. However, the presence of these higher-performing schools in the district suggests that there may be opportunities to learn from their practices and strategies to improve outcomes at West Columbus High.

Detail:

Public 9-12

7294 Andrew Jackson Hwy
Cerro Gordo, NC 28430

(910) 654-6111

District: Columbus County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
537^th of 640 North Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,672

Feeder schools for West Columbus High:

Elementary:

Chadbourn Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 15.4

Number of students: 400

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.5%

African American:

40.5%

Hispanic:

5.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 98.3%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare West Columbus High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details West Columbus High ranks worse than 83.9% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 3^rd among 4 ranked high schools in the Columbus County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.13. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (48.5%), African American (40.5%), Hispanic (5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 98.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Columbus County Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Columbus High is 15.4, which is the lowest among 4 high schools in the Columbus County Schools District! (See more...)

Compare West Columbus High employs 25.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Columbus High is $11,672, which is the highest among 4 high schools in the Columbus County Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

West Columbus High:

SchoolDigger ranks West Columbus High 537^th of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See West Columbus High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

White students:

Columbus County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbus County Schools 183^rd of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for West Columbus High?

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Rank History for West Columbus High

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Rank History for all students at West Columbus High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2006	32.67	335^th	431	22.3%
2007	29.89	344^th	453	24.1%
2008	46.88	273^rd	477	42.8%
2009	40.55	334^th	490	31.8%
2010	54.55	240^th	499	51.9%
2011	54.74	240^th	506	52.6%
2012	66.23	92^nd	502	81.7%
2013	32.19	296^th	505	41.4%
2014	35.90	236^th	451	47.7%
2015	27.15	352^nd	531	33.7%
2016	20.63	379^th	507	25.2%
2017	49.53	191^st	476	59.9%
2018	45.60	237^th	469	49.5%
2019	45.40	244^th	514	52.5%
2021	27.21	421^st	594	29.1%
2022	30.82	431^st	621	30.6%
2023	17.42	528^th	626	15.7%
2024	17.13	537^th	640	16.1%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Columbus High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	42.91	209^th	424	50.7%
2019	49.40	145^th	446	67.5%
2021	21.71	352^nd	432	18.5%
2022	30.38	369^th	544	32.2%
2023	22.89	484^th	597	18.9%
2024	18.40	530^th	613	13.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at West Columbus High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	50.17	222^nd	449	50.6%
2019	45.74	233^rd	475	50.9%
2021	26.13	325^th	475	31.6%
2022	23.53	463^rd	594	22.1%
2023	17.01	503^rd	588	14.5%
2024	16.26	521^st	602	13.5%

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

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at West Columbus High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	49.64	191^st	325	41.2%
2021	46.78	217^th	337	35.6%
2022	28.41	337^th	398	15.3%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at West Columbus High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	37.75	291^st	463	37.1%
2019	42.90	243^rd	488	50.2%
2021	28.31	313^th	481	34.9%
2022	37.27	355^th	585	39.3%
2023	21.00	488^th	602	18.9%
2024	17.99	506^th	607	16.6%

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

Rank History for African American students at West Columbus High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	44.70	160^th	359	55.4%
2019	41.55	162^nd	369	56.1%
2021	38.43	173^rd	364	52.5%
2022	30.07	292^nd	430	32.1%
2023	23.99	348^th	434	19.8%
2024	25.52	341^st	437	22.0%

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

Rank History for White students at West Columbus High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	42.60	240^th	427	43.8%
2019	53.30	173^rd	444	61.0%
2021	25.37	316^th	439	28.0%
2022	38.77	329^th	534	38.4%
2023	18.66	470^th	537	12.5%
2024	17.25	485^th	553	12.3%

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 West Columbus High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	424	325	1	0	5	n/a	n/a	-2	753
1989	440	339	1	0	6	n/a	n/a	-1	785
1990	421	377	1	1	7	n/a	n/a	4	811
1991	406	360	1	1	8	n/a	n/a	0	776
1992	380	367	1	1	9	n/a	n/a	-8	750
1993	343	317	0	1	12	n/a	n/a	0	673
1994	344	319	0	1	17	n/a	n/a	0	681
1995	346	333	0	1	13	n/a	n/a	0	693
1996	346	333	0	1	13	n/a	n/a	0	693
1997	350	359	0	1	9	n/a	n/a	0	719
1998	309	350	0	1	10	n/a	n/a	0	670
1999	301	359	0	2	10	n/a	n/a	0	672
2000	301	369	0	1	6	n/a	n/a	0	677
2001	310	354	0	2	4	n/a	n/a	0	670
2002	289	352	1	8	7	n/a	n/a	0	657
2003	289	352	1	8	7	n/a	n/a	0	657
2004	289	355	1	12	6	n/a	n/a	0	663
2005	279	344	0	12	10	n/a	n/a	0	645
2006	259	349	0	12	11	n/a	n/a	0	631
2007	251	298	0	9	9	n/a	n/a	5	572
2008	238	275	1	9	10	n/a	n/a	2	535
2009	257	283	1	14	7	n/a	n/a	0	562
2010	251	263	1	6	4	n/a	n/a	0	525
2011	218	265	3	16	6	0	12	0	520
2012	205	226	1	14	3	0	7	0	456
2013	217	220	1	5	3	0	7	0	453
2014	224	210	1	8	6	0	3	0	452
2015	229	203	0	18	9	0	6	0	465
2016	243	215	0	21	12	0	8	0	499
2017	226	210	0	21	8	0	13	0	478
2018	217	178	0	22	8	0	19	0	444
2019	207	182	0	21	7	0	15	0	432
2020	209	166	0	20	3	0	11	0	409
2021	202	171	0	22	7	0	11	0	413
2022	197	154	0	18	5	0	17	0	391
2023	194	162	0	20	8	1	15	0	400

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 West Columbus High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	753	49.0	15.3	43
1989	785	50.0	15.7	44.3
1990	811	50.0	16.2	40
1991	776	56.0	13.8	41.8
1992	750	56.0	13.3	36
1993	673	52.0	12.9	50.7
1994	681	52.0	13.1	41.6
1995	693	48.0	14.4	45.3
1996	693	48.0	14.4	45.3
1997	719	47.0	15.3	45.8
1998	670	52.0	12.9	48.1
1999	672	52.0	12.9	55.5
2000	677	50.0	13.5	56.7
2001	670	48.0	14.0	59.9
2002	657	42.0	15.6	60.6
2003	657	42.0	15.6	60.6
2004	663	42.0	15.8	61.5
2005	645	42.0	15.4	60
2006	631	42.0	15.0	59.1
2007	572	45.1	12.7	57.3
2008	535	46.9	11.4	62.1
2009	562	45.7	12.3	n/a
2010	525	45.1	11.6	64.8
2011	520	38.0	13.6	65.4
2012	456	39.2	11.6	70
2013	453	36.2	12.4	72.4
2014	452	37.8	11.9	68.1
2015	465	36.0	12.9	70.1
2016	499	35.0	14.2	99
2017	478	33.4	14.2	92.7
2018	444	32.5	13.6	98.4
2019	432	31.4	13.7	99.3
2020	409	30.4	13.4	98.3
2021	413	31.0	13.3	99.3
2022	391	29.0	13.4	99.2
2023	400	25.8	15.4	98.3

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 West Columbus High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	753	49.0	15.3	43
1989	785	50.0	15.7	44.3
1990	811	50.0	16.2	40
1991	776	56.0	13.8	41.8
1992	750	56.0	13.3	36
1993	673	52.0	12.9	50.7
1994	681	52.0	13.1	41.6
1995	693	48.0	14.4	45.3
1996	693	48.0	14.4	45.3
1997	719	47.0	15.3	45.8
1998	670	52.0	12.9	48.1
1999	672	52.0	12.9	55.5
2000	677	50.0	13.5	56.7
2001	670	48.0	14.0	59.9
2002	657	42.0	15.6	60.6
2003	657	42.0	15.6	60.6
2004	663	42.0	15.8	61.5
2005	645	42.0	15.4	60
2006	631	42.0	15.0	59.1
2007	572	45.1	12.7	57.3
2008	535	46.9	11.4	62.1
2009	562	45.7	12.3	n/a
2010	525	45.1	11.6	64.8
2011	520	38.0	13.6	65.4
2012	456	39.2	11.6	70
2013	453	36.2	12.4	72.4
2014	452	37.8	11.9	68.1
2015	465	36.0	12.9	70.1
2016	499	35.0	14.2	99
2017	478	33.4	14.2	92.7
2018	444	32.5	13.6	98.4
2019	432	31.4	13.7	99.3
2020	409	30.4	13.4	98.3
2021	413	31.0	13.3	99.3
2022	391	29.0	13.4	99.2
2023	400	25.8	15.4	98.3

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.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for West Columbus High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,304 (11.2%)	$10,369 (88.8%)	$11,672

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West Columbus High

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 244^th of 514 High schools	Ranks 528^th of 626 High schools	36.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Biology (West Columbus High)	58.8	22.2	36.6%
End of Course Biology (Columbus County Schools)	55	38.6	16.4%
End of Course Biology (North Carolina)	59.6	54.1	5.5%
End of Course English II (West Columbus High)	54.5	42.7	11.8%
End of Course English II (Columbus County Schools)	52.1	46.7	5.4%
End of Course English II (North Carolina)	59.7	58.5	1.2%
End of Course Math I (West Columbus High)	47.9	8.2	39.7%
End of Course Math I (Columbus County Schools)	33.3	24.5	8.8%
End of Course Math I (North Carolina)	41.2	35.9	5.3%
End of Course Math III (West Columbus High)	40.2	46.2	6%
End of Course Math III (Columbus County Schools)	40	46.2	6.2%
End of Course Math III (North Carolina)	46.8	58.3	11.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	432	400	7.4%
African American	182	162	11%
American Indian	7	8	14.3%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	21	20	4.8%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	207	194	6.3%
Two or More Races	15	15
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	99.3%	98.3%	1.1%

Schools Near West Columbus High

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)	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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
West Columbus High	Public	9-12	7294 Andrew Jackson Hwy	Cerro Gordo	28430	Columbus County	Columbus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 654-6111	400	26	15.4	98.3%	194 (48.5%)	162 (40.5%)	20 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.0%)	1 (0.3%)	15 (3.8%)	17.1	537^th of 640 public high schools	16.1%		17.4	528^th of 626 public high schools	15.7%	9	16.8	35.2	27.2	45.8	$11,672	$1,304	$10,369
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
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
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
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
Fairmont High	Public	9-12	5419 Old Stage Road	Fairmont	28340	Robeson County	Public Schools of Robeson County	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 628-6727	840	50	16.9	98.2%	144 (17.1%)	372 (44.3%)	68 (8.1%)	0 (0.0%)	203 (24.2%)	1 (0.1%)	52 (6.2%)	8.7	601^st of 640 public high schools	6.1%		8.7	587^th of 626 public high schools	6.2%	14	18.0	27.3	17.4	27.3	$12,871	$1,995	$10,877

West Columbus High

West Columbus High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Columbus County Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for West Columbus High

Rank History for all students at West Columbus High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Columbus High

Rank History for Female students at West Columbus High

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at West Columbus High

Rank History for Male students at West Columbus High

Rank History for African American students at West Columbus High

Rank History for White students at West Columbus High

Enrollment information for West Columbus High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at West Columbus High

Student/Teacher Ratio West Columbus High

Per Pupil Expenditures for West Columbus High

Impact of COVID-19 on West Columbus High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near West Columbus High