High Schools in Polk County Schools

Summary:

Polk County Schools in North Carolina is home to two high schools: Polk County High School and Polk County Early College. While both schools serve high school students, the data reveals that Polk County Early College stands out as an exceptional institution within the Polk County Schools district.

Polk County Early College consistently ranks higher in the statewide school rankings, with a ranking of 70 out of 641 schools in the 2024-2025 school year, compared to Polk County High School's ranking of 280. Additionally, Polk County Early College maintains a 4 or 5-star rating from School Digger, while Polk County High School has a 3-star rating. The data also shows that Polk County Early College significantly outperforms Polk County High School and the overall Polk County Schools district in end-of-course (EOC) test scores.

While both schools have similar 4-year graduation rates of around 87.7%, the data reveals that Polk County High School faces some unique challenges, such as a very high rate of 99.49% free/reduced lunch recipients, suggesting a more economically disadvantaged student population. This information highlights the potential opportunities for improvement at Polk County High School, as well as the importance of early college programs like the one offered at Polk County Early College.

District Detail

125 E Mills Street
Columbus, NC 28722

(828) 894-3051

SchoolDigger Rank:
41^st of 242 North Carolina districts

See the 2025 North Carolina District rankings!

Grades served: PK, KG-12
Students: 2,110

Primary Schools: 4
Middle Schools: 1
High Schools: 2
Alternative Schools: 0

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOC Biology (2025)	EOC English II (2025)	EOC Math I (2025)	EOC Math III (2025)	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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
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	596	32	18.5	99.5%	433 (72.7%)	42 (7.0%)	93 (15.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.5%)	52	280^th of 641 public high schools	56.3%		50.8	292^nd of 640 public high schools	54.4%	12	48.2	66.9	34.2	70.7	$12,130	$897	$11,232
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	52	3	18.9	94.2%	46 (88.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (9.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.9%)	90.8	70^th of 641 public high schools	89.1%		94.8	29^th of 640 public high schools	95.5%	41		100.0		91.7	$9,557	$127	$9,430

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Lake Lure Classical Academy	9.03 mi	1
Rutherford County Schools	9.28 mi	18	73^rd
Henderson County Schools	14.31 mi	23	86^th
The Mountain Community School	17.83 mi	1	50^th
Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy	18.8 mi	1

See the top NC North Carolina districts

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.