West Columbus School

Summary:

West Columbus School is an elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Cerro Gordo, North Carolina, with a student population of 778 and a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. The school's academic performance, however, consistently falls short of state and district averages, with significant challenges in serving its diverse student population effectively.

According to the key insights, West Columbus School's 3rd grade mathematics proficiency was 56.6% in 2023-2024, compared to the state average of 62.7% and the district average of 62.8%. This pattern continues through the higher grades, with the school's 8th grade mathematics proficiency at just 23.7% compared to the state's 46.9%. The school's rankings for specific student groups, such as African American students, White students, and students with special needs, are all in the bottom quartile of North Carolina elementary schools, indicating significant achievement gaps and a need for more equitable educational opportunities.

When comparing West Columbus School to nearby schools, such as Williams Township and Chadbourn Elementary, it becomes clear that the academic performance challenges are not unique to this school. Several of the surrounding schools also struggle with low proficiency rates and poor statewide rankings, suggesting broader systemic issues within the Columbus County Schools district. While the data paints a concerning picture, it also highlights areas where targeted interventions and support could potentially make a significant impact, particularly in improving outcomes for the school's underperforming student subgroups.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

 7685 Andrew Jackson Hwy SW
       Cerro Gordo, NC  28430


(910) 654-4250

District: Columbus County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
1259th of 1,505 North Carolina Elementary Schools


Student/teacher ratio:  15.8 Help
Number of students:  778

Racial breakdown:

White:
52.2%
African American:
31.6%
Hispanic:
8.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  99.6% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details West Columbus School ranks worse than 83.7% of elementary schools in North Carolina. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 21.39. (See more...)
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Compare Details West Columbus School ranks worse than 89.4% of middle schools in North Carolina. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 15. (See more...)
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

West Columbus School:

SchoolDigger ranks West Columbus School 1259th of 1505 North Carolina public elementary schools. (See West Columbus School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
African American students:
White students:

SchoolDigger ranks West Columbus School 709th of 793 North Carolina public middle schools. (See West Columbus School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Columbus County Schools:

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


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Rank History for West Columbus School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at West Columbus School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 21.39 1259th 1505 16.3%
See the entire list of North Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at West Columbus School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 21.41 725th 801 9.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at West Columbus School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 28.56 1153rd 1450 20.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at West Columbus School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 22.99 1202nd 1455 17.4%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Gifted and Talented students at West Columbus School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 49.56 480th 669 28.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at West Columbus School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 21.36 1230th 1464 16.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school African American students at West Columbus School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 22.73 801st 924 13.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at West Columbus School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 14.62 1094th 1166 6.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for White Students!

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

Rank History for West Columbus School

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Rank History for all middle school students at West Columbus School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 15.00 709th 793 10.6%
See the entire list of North Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school English Language Learner students at West Columbus School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 50.32 128th 356 64.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at West Columbus School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 15.36 686th 743 7.7%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at West Columbus School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 17.23 650th 738 11.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Gifted and Talented students at West Columbus School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 53.11 278th 461 39.7%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at West Columbus School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 11.77 694th 751 7.6%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at West Columbus School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 12.08 535th 560 4.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at West Columbus School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 11.28 542nd 564 3.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at West Columbus School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 18.18 568th 652 12.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary 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.

West Columbus School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
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Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for West Columbus School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2023 406 246 0 63 13 3 47 0 778

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 School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2023 778 49.0 15.8 99.6

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 School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2023 778 49.0 15.8 99.6

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.


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Frequently Asked Questions about West Columbus School

Students at West Columbus School are 52% White, 32% African American, 8% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

West Columbus School ranks in the bottom 16.3% of North Carolina elementary schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 778 students attended West Columbus School.


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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.





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