Summary
Thomas Academy, in Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina, is a small alternative public school serving grades 3 through 12 with just 62 students, and no other schools are located within 20 miles. Because it is an alternative school, students may arrive already behind academically, making state averages a tough comparison point. The school also operates as its own district — Thomas Academy — and has typically maintained a student-teacher ratio of roughly 8 or 9 students per teacher in recent years.
The graduation rate at Thomas Academy has fallen sharply in recent years. After climbing from 68.1% in 2021-2022 to 71.6% in 2023-2024, the school's on-time graduation rate dropped to 56.1% in 2025-2026, far below the statewide average of 88.8%. That means only about 56 percent of students graduate on time. Chronic absenteeism remains a challenge, with 28.5% of students chronically absent in the most recent year compared to 24.2% statewide, but this is a considerable improvement from 44.7% two years earlier. Test proficiency rates lag the state across nearly all subjects, including only 20% proficient in Biology, 33.3% in English II, and 10% in Math III compared to state averages of 58.5%, 64.6%, and 68.9% respectively.
The small size of Thomas Academy means a single student can shift metrics considerably from year to year, so swings in test scores and graduation rates often reflect changes in the makeup of an alternative school's enrollment rather than a change in school quality. There are some bright spots: English II proficiency reached 63.6% in 2022-2023, actually exceeding the state's 58.5% rate, and the steady drop in chronic absenteeism from 44.7% to 28.5% in two years is encouraging since attendance is closely linked to academic success. Parents considering this school should understand that most academic indicators currently run well below state averages, though the specialized mission, high staff-to-student ratio, and smaller setting may offer important benefits for students who need an alternative environment.
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