Polk County Early College

Summary:

Polk County Early College is a small public high school serving grades 9-12 in Columbus, North Carolina, part of the highly-ranked Polk County Schools district. With just 84 students, this school consistently outperforms the district and state in academic measures, ranking among the top high schools in North Carolina.

Polk County Early College boasts impressive academic performance, with proficiency rates far exceeding the district and state averages on End-of-Course exams. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school achieved 93.3% proficiency in Biology and 100% proficiency in Math I, compared to just 48% and 54.5% for the Polk County Schools district, respectively. This strong academic performance has earned Polk County Early College a 5-star rating and a statewide ranking of 29 out of 640 high schools, a significant improvement from its ranking of 128 just a few years ago.

While Polk County Early College has a relatively homogeneous student population, with 80.95% white students, the nearby Polk County High School has a more diverse student body. Additionally, Polk County Early College has seen an increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 25.93% in 2020-2021 to 46.43% in 2022-2023, suggesting a potential need to address socioeconomic diversity. However, the school's low student-teacher ratio and efficient resource allocation, with lower spending per student compared to Polk County High School, indicate a focus on personalized learning environments.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1545 East NC 108 Hwy
Columbus, NC 28722

(828) 894-2698

District: Polk County Schools

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,557

Student/teacher ratio: 21.7

Number of students: 84

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.0%

Hispanic:

13.1%

Two or more races:

3.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 46.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Polk County Early College ranks better than 95.5% of high schools in North Carolina. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 94.78. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (81%), Hispanic (13.1%), two or more races (3.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 46.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Polk County Early College is 21.7. (See more...)

Compare Polk County Early College employs 3.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Polk County Early College is $9,557.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Polk County Early College:

SchoolDigger ranks Polk County Early College 29^th of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See Polk County Early College in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

White students:

Polk County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Polk County Schools 30^th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Polk County Early College

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Rank History for all students at Polk County Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2021	75.16	128^th	594	78.5%
2022	83.34	116^th	621	81.3%
2023	85.19	104^th	626	83.4%
2024	94.78	29^th	640	95.5%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Polk County Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	79.44	59^th	449	86.9%
2019	74.35	77^th	475	83.8%
2022	83.17	97^th	594	83.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Polk County Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	87.20	100^th	602	83.4%

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

Rank History for White students at Polk County Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	79.04	63^rd	427	85.2%
2019	85.94	30^th	444	93.2%
2021	71.95	75^th	439	82.9%
2022	89.08	57^th	534	89.3%
2023	80.00	110^th	537	79.5%
2024	90.40	53^rd	553	90.4%

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

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 Polk County Early College

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2007	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0
2008	19	0	0	2	n/a	n/a	21
2009	25	5	1	3	n/a	n/a	34
2010	26	11	1	3	n/a	n/a	41
2011	42	5	0	2	0	1	50
2012	39	4	0	0	0	0	43
2013	51	5	0	1	0	1	58
2014	49	3	0	3	0	1	56
2015	52	4	0	4	0	3	63
2016	58	2	0	6	0	3	69
2017	54	3	0	11	0	1	69
2018	51	3	0	6	0	2	62
2019	55	2	0	7	0	4	68
2020	52	1	0	11	0	5	69
2021	40	1	1	9	0	3	54
2022	40	4	2	11	0	3	60
2023	68	1	1	11	0	3	84

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 Polk County Early College

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	0	n/a	n/a	n/a
2008	21	n/a	n/a	23.8
2009	34	0.5	68.0	29.4
2010	41	0.5	82.0	58.5
2011	50	2.0	25.0	50
2012	43	3.0	14.3	39.5
2013	58	1.7	34.1	44.8
2014	56	4.3	12.7	55.4
2015	63	3.0	21.0	41.3
2016	69	4.0	17.2	37.7
2017	69	3.5	19.3	39.1
2018	62	2.5	24.1	41.9
2019	68	3.3	20.1	25
2020	69	4.0	17.0	39.1
2021	54	4.0	13.2	25.9
2022	60	4.2	14.2	43.3
2023	84	3.8	21.7	46.4

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 Polk County Early College

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	0	n/a	n/a	n/a
2008	21	n/a	n/a	23.8
2009	34	0.5	68.0	29.4
2010	41	0.5	82.0	58.5
2011	50	2.0	25.0	50
2012	43	3.0	14.3	39.5
2013	58	1.7	34.1	44.8
2014	56	4.3	12.7	55.4
2015	63	3.0	21.0	41.3
2016	69	4.0	17.2	37.7
2017	69	3.5	19.3	39.1
2018	62	2.5	24.1	41.9
2019	68	3.3	20.1	25
2020	69	4.0	17.0	39.1
2021	54	4.0	13.2	25.9
2022	60	4.2	14.2	43.3
2023	84	3.8	21.7	46.4

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 Polk County Early College

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$126 (1.3%)	$9,430 (98.7%)	$9,557

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Polk County Early College

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.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Biology (Polk County Early College)	88.9	70	18.9%
End of Course Biology (Polk County Schools)	70.3	68.3	2%
End of Course Biology (North Carolina)	59.6	54.1	5.5%
End of Course English II (Polk County Early College)	94.4	100	5.6%
End of Course English II (Polk County Schools)	67.8	71.1	3.3%
End of Course English II (North Carolina)	59.7	58.5	1.2%
End of Course Math I (Polk County Early College)	53.3	72.7	19.4%
End of Course Math I (Polk County Schools)	53.3	50	3.3%
End of Course Math I (North Carolina)	41.2	35.9	5.3%
End of Course Math III (Polk County Early College)	71.4	79.2	7.8%
End of Course Math III (Polk County Schools)	41.1	60.6	19.5%
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	68	84	23.5%
African American	2	1	50%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	7	11	57.1%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	55	68	23.6%
Two or More Races	4	3	25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	25%	46.4%	21.4%

Schools Near Polk County Early College

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 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Polk County Early College	Public	9-12	1545 East NC 108 Hwy	Columbus	28722	Polk County	Polk County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 894-2698	84	4	21.7	46.4%	68 (81.0%)	1 (1.2%)	11 (13.1%)	1 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.6%)	94.8	29^th of 640 public high schools	95.5%		85.2	104^th of 626 public high schools	83.4%	75	93.3	94.1	100.0	92.9					$9,557	$127	$9,430
Polk County High School	Public	9-12	1681 East NC 108 Hwy	Columbus	28722	Polk County	Polk County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 894-2525	579	40	14.4	52.0%	426 (73.6%)	32 (5.5%)	91 (15.7%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.7%)	50.8	292^nd of 640 public high schools	54.4%		60.8	220^th of 626 public high schools	64.9%	72	43.9	60.1	50.4	71.8					$12,130	$897	$11,232
Henderson County Career Academy	Public	6-12	300 East Campus Drive	Flat Rock	28731	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 697-4629	151	18	8.6	66.9%	84 (55.6%)	7 (4.6%)	47 (31.1%)	2 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (7.3%)	11.1	584^th of 640 public high schools	8.8%		11.9	558^th of 626 public high schools	10.9%	26	22.9	23.3	36.7	16.4					$18,459	$955	$17,504
Henderson County Early College	Public	9-12	300 East Campus Drive	Flat Rock	28731	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 697-4561	205	7	31.5	46.3%	117 (57.1%)	3 (1.5%)	65 (31.7%)	10 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.9%)	96.7	5^th of 640 public high schools	99.2%		94.7	30^th of 626 public high schools	95.2%	25	100.0	100.0	95.6	99.9					$7,590	$759	$6,832
East Henderson High	Public	9-12	150 Eagle Pride Drive	East Flat Rock	28726	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 697-4768	965	60	16.1	60.8%	509 (52.7%)	18 (1.9%)	374 (38.8%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	16 (1.7%)	45 (4.7%)	40.9	366^th of 640 public high schools	42.8%		45.8	317^th of 626 public high schools	49.4%	49	47.2	48.3	50.6	51.9					$9,768	$724	$9,044
North Henderson High	Public	9-12	35 Fruitland Road	Hendersonville	28792	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 697-4500	1,146	67	17.0	61.4%	588 (51.3%)	37 (3.2%)	446 (38.9%)	18 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (4.9%)	53.9	275^th of 640 public high schools	57.0%		59.5	231^st of 626 public high schools	63.1%	44	45.8	65.2	50.0	71.2					$8,718	$586	$8,132
R-S Central High School	Public	9-12	641 Hwy 221 North	Rutherfordton	28139	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 287-3304	758	54	14.0	99.6%	543 (71.6%)	90 (11.9%)	66 (8.7%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (7.4%)	41.9	359^th of 640 public high schools	43.9%		50.3	287^th of 626 public high schools	54.2%	72	59.6	50.2	32.8	56.4					$10,966	$1,171	$9,795
Rutherford Early College High School	Public	9-12	286 ICC Loop Road	Spindale	28160	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 288-2202	191	6	31.8	98.4%	139 (72.8%)	8 (4.2%)	22 (11.5%)	6 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (8.4%)	91.2	65^th of 640 public high schools	89.8%		88.6	84^th of 626 public high schools	86.6%	19	82.8	92.7	76.5	92.5					$6,973	$327	$6,646
Hendersonville High	Public	9-12	1 Bearcat Boulevard	Hendersonville	28791	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 697-4802	784	45	17.2	43.1%	495 (63.1%)	67 (8.5%)	159 (20.3%)	10 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.1%)	44 (5.6%)	56.4	250^th of 640 public high schools	60.9%		62.3	213^th of 626 public high schools	66.0%	37	58.3	65.1	48.9	61.3					$8,966	$700	$8,266
Rutherford Opportunity Center	Public	6-12	140 Old Caroleen Road	Forest City	28043	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 248-5294	119	17	6.9	97.5%	76 (63.9%)	20 (16.8%)	9 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (11.8%)	2.3	630^th of 640 public high schools	1.6%		3.7	610^th of 626 public high schools	2.6%	20	11.3	11.1			5.3	5.3	10.5	21.1	$26,764	$1,648	$25,116

Frequently Asked Questions about Polk County Early College

What is the racial makeup of Polk County Early College?

Students at Polk County Early College are 81% White, 13% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% African American, 1% Asian.

Is Polk County Early College a good school?

Yes! Polk County Early College is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 29^th of 640 North Carolina high schools.

What district is Polk County Early College in?

Polk County Schools

How many students attend Polk County Early College?

In the 2022-23 school year, 84 students attended Polk County Early College.

Rate Polk County Early College!

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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.