Middle Schools in Columbus County Schools

Columbus County Schools includes one middle school, Nakina Middle, which serves grades 5 through 8 in the Nakina, NC area and enrolls about 194 students. While the overall Columbus County Schools district currently holds a 1-star rating and ranks 176th out of 246 districts in North Carolina, this single middle school has consistently earned 3 stars in each of the last three state rankings and placed in the 57th–63rd percentile statewide. That means Nakina Middle is performing noticeably better than the rest of the district suggests.

Looking at 2025-2026 test scores, Nakina Middle shows dramatic strengths in upper-grade reading and science. Eighth grade reading proficiency is 97.6% — vastly higher than the district’s 40.5% and the state’s 56.1% — and 8th grade science is 83.3%, also far ahead of district and state averages. Seventh grade reading (78%) is another standout. Math, however, is a persistent weakness across all grades, with proficiency ranging from 21.6% in 5th grade to 50% in 6th and 7th grades, and only 35.7% in 8th grade. The lowest results are in 5th grade, where math, reading, and science all trail district and state averages, suggesting a weaker incoming cohort this year. By contrast, 8th grade made remarkable year-over-year gains: reading jumped from 74.5% to 97.6%, science from 64.0% to 83.3%, and math from 23.5% to 35.7%.

Because enrollment is only 194 students spread across four grades, each cohort has roughly 40–50 students, so score swings can be amplified by a few children. That makes the extreme 8th grade results impressive but worth viewing with caution. The school also serves a very high-poverty population, with 97.4% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch, yet it still posts strong outcomes in several areas. Chronic absenteeism is 23.7%, slightly better than the district’s 29.3% and about the same as the state average (24.2%). The only spending figure available is from 2018-2019 ($9,493 per student), so it is too outdated for judging current funding. Overall, Nakina Middle is a school that excels in upper-grade reading and science, maintains solid attendance for its demographic, but faces clear challenges in math, especially in 5th grade.