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Old Dock Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-4

90^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 94% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Old Dock Elementary is a small, rural school in Whiteville, NC, serving 265 students in grades PK–4 within the Columbus County Schools district. Nearly all students (98.9%) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, yet the school is a remarkable academic outlier. It earned a 5-star rating and ranks 90th out of 1,492 elementary schools statewide — the 94th percentile — making it the highest-performing elementary school in its region by a wide margin.

Old Dock's test scores far surpass both its district and the state. In 3rd grade reading, 83.0% of students are proficient, compared to 50.4% for the district and 55.6% for the state. In 4th grade math, proficiency is 81.5%, versus 43.8% for the district and 61.4% statewide. Among nearby schools, Old Dock leads in every comparable subject and grade. Its closest competitor, Union Elementary, still ranks 149 places behind it. The school's results with economically disadvantaged students are especially notable: its low-income students rank 18th out of 1,434 schools statewide, placing them in the top 1% — a powerful sign that poverty does not determine achievement here.

Old Dock's performance has trended strongly upward in recent years, reaching its best ranking in a decade. Its spending of $10,629 per student sits near the middle of nearby schools like Chadbourn Elementary ($12,202) and Edgewood Elementary ($10,409), showing that strong results don't require exceptional funding. The one area for improvement is attendance: chronic absenteeism was 27.9% in 2024–2025, above the state's 24.2% rate, although below the district's 29.3%. Given how strong academics already are, reducing absenteeism could push Old Dock's results even higher.

265

Students ?

13.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

98.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

12489 New Britton Hwy
Whiteville, NC 28472

(910) 642-2084

District: Columbus County Schools

Students who attend Old Dock Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Nakina Middle
High:	South Columbus High

Racial breakdown:

White:

60.8%

Hispanic:

23.8%

African American:

7.2%

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Compare Old Dock Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 90th percentile in 2016 → 94th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (82% vs 60% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 6% of North Carolina elementary schools

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school82%

District avg49%

North Carolina avg60%

90^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 6%▲ up 4 pts since 2016

From top 10% (2016) to top 6% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

176^th of 246Columbus County Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	91.7	90 of 1492	94.0%	★★★★★
2025	73.4	339 of 1490	77.2%	★★★★☆
2024	62.4	536 of 1505	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	78.2	268 of 1502	82.2%	★★★★☆
2022	78.5	261 of 1514	82.8%	★★★★☆
2021	43.5	813 of 1489	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	61.7	548 of 1473	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	83.0	185 of 1434	87.1%	★★★★☆
2017	74.9	327 of 1429	77.1%	★★★★☆
2016	86.1	137 of 1425	90.4%	★★★★★
2015	62.6	523 of 1440	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	44.0	791 of 1390	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	40.8	829 of 1403	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	50.8	760 of 1388	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	53.9	729 of 1381	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	67.3	459 of 1363	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	45.0	855 of 1354	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	45.2	802 of 1324	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2007	49.2	759 of 1293	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2006	16.0	1163 of 1276	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	92.2	64 of 1447	95.6%	★★★★★
2025	78.3	239 of 1451	83.5%	★★★★☆
2024	52.6	677 of 1455	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	78.6	232 of 1459	84.1%	★★★★☆
2022	73.6	322 of 1458	77.9%	★★★★☆
2021	42.8	785 of 1440	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	57.0	610 of 1424	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	77.3	268 of 1405	80.9%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	97.9	11 of 981	98.9%	★★★★★
2025	83.0	83 of 961	91.4%	★★★★★
2024	66.9	238 of 951	75.0%	★★★★☆
2023	82.0	93 of 915	89.8%	★★★★☆
2021	50.9	362 of 843	57.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	96.5	18 of 1434	98.7%	★★★★★
2025	77.1	202 of 1437	85.9%	★★★★☆
2024	71.2	300 of 1450	79.3%	★★★★☆
2023	84.4	100 of 1437	93.0%	★★★★★
2022	92.6	33 of 1366	97.6%	★★★★★
2021	27.9	997 of 1329	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	67.7	350 of 1361	74.3%	★★★★☆
2018	70.2	306 of 1332	77.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	84.4	177 of 1451	87.8%	★★★★☆
2025	65.6	450 of 1450	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.2	446 of 1464	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.2	311 of 1461	78.7%	★★★★☆
2022	78.8	246 of 1464	83.2%	★★★★☆
2021	42.9	805 of 1444	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	65.3	447 of 1430	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	84.3	165 of 1413	88.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	80.2	184 of 1146	83.9%	★★★★☆
2025	58.1	476 of 1172	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.1	592 of 1166	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	67.4	349 of 1183	70.5%	★★★★☆
2022	60.9	431 of 1194	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	30.8	857 of 1172	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	51.2	592 of 1183	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.9	324 of 1178	72.5%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2026)99th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)99th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)96th percentile~ school

Male (2026)88th percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)84th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics85%+21 vs state

Reading79%+23 vs state

★

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Schools Near Old Dock Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Old Dock Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	12489 New Britton Hwy	Whiteville	28472	Columbus County	Columbus County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 642-2084	265	20	13.3	98.9%	161 (60.8%)	19 (7.2%)	63 (23.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.5%)	2 (0.8%)	16 (6.0%)	91.7	90^th of 1492 public elementary schools	94.0%		73.4	339^th of 1490 public elementary schools	77.2%	249	89.4	81.5					83.0	75.9							$10,629	$1,731	$8,898
Waccamaw	Public	K-8	5901 Waccamaw School Road NW	Ash	28420	Brunswick County	Brunswick County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 756-5560	415	30	13.6	99.3%	235 (56.6%)	49 (11.8%)	109 (26.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (4.3%)	65	507^th of 1492 public elementary schools	66.0%		65.6	472^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	68.3%	35	86.1	75.0	62.2	85.0	75.0	77.3	55.6	56.3	53.3	60.0	69.2	68.2	66.7	86.4	$10,391	$955	$9,435
Williams Township	Public	PK, KG-8	10400 James B White Hwy	Whiteville	28472	Columbus County	Columbus County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 653-3791	659	44	15.0	99.5%	546 (82.9%)	62 (9.4%)	32 (4.9%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.3%)	49.3	741^st of 1492 public elementary schools	50.3%		46.8	806^th of 1490 public elementary schools	45.9%	65	68.8	45.7	60.3	61.1	55.8	34.2	63.5	47.1	54.0	53.7	42.9	46.6	68.3	53.4	$9,580	$1,302	$8,278
Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1337 Giles Byrd Road	Hallsboro	28442	Columbus County	Columbus County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 646-3510	394	23	17.0	98.2%	102 (25.9%)	90 (22.8%)	60 (15.2%)	1 (0.3%)	73 (18.5%)	1 (0.3%)	67 (17.0%)	34.8	1010^th of 1492 public elementary schools	32.3%		39.3	931^st of 1490 public elementary schools	37.5%	79	61.4	42.6	45.8	35.3			52.3	48.9	52.1	47.1			70.8		$10,419	$1,866	$8,554
Edgewood Elementary	Public	3-5	317 E Calhoun Street	Whiteville	28472	Columbus County	Whiteville City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 642-3121	450	27	16.6	99.3%	183 (40.7%)	167 (37.1%)	59 (13.1%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (8.4%)	48.5	759^th of 1492 public elementary schools	49.1%		43.9	848^th of 1490 public elementary schools	43.1%	89	77.8	45.0	63.2				61.5	48.8	43.8				74.3		$10,409	$1,863	$8,546
Whiteville Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	805 Barbcrest Avenue	Whiteville	28472	Columbus County	Whiteville City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 642-4119	486	28	17.4	99.0%	187 (38.5%)	198 (40.7%)	65 (13.4%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.6%)								(n/a)															$11,650	$2,013	$9,637
Jessie Mae Monroe Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	250 Pea Landing Road NW	Ash	28420	Brunswick County	Brunswick County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 756-5910	390	29	13.4	99.2%	215 (55.1%)	43 (11.0%)	86 (22.1%)	5 (1.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (10.0%)	49.2	742^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	50.3%		55	654^th of 1490 public elementary schools	56.1%	88	62.1	64.7	55.0				53.0	63.2	43.3				68.3		$10,522	$1,286	$9,235
Tabor City School	Public	PK, KG-8	203 Stake Road	Tabor City	28463	Columbus County	Columbus County Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(910) 653-3618	598	37	16.3	99.5%	274 (45.8%)	264 (44.1%)	41 (6.9%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	14 (2.3%)	16.4	1344^th of 1492 public elementary schools	9.9%		22.6	1231^st of 1490 public elementary schools	17.4%	113	48.4	25.4	27.3	58.9	49.0	34.2	45.2	25.4	34.5	44.6	40.8	34.2	29.1	44.3
Union Elementary	Public	K-5	180 Union School Road NW	Shallotte	28470	Brunswick County	Brunswick County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 756-5900	654	41	15.8	99.5%	428 (65.4%)	73 (11.2%)	101 (15.4%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	46 (7.0%)	80.5	239^th of 1492 public elementary schools	84.0%		79.7	249^th of 1490 public elementary schools	83.3%	10	73.8	72.5	83.6				61.5	68.6	75.0				87.1		$10,404	$975	$9,429
Chadbourn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	409 E Third Avenue	Chadbourn	28431	Columbus County	Columbus County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 654-3825	233	18	13.0	98.7%	55 (23.6%)	127 (54.5%)	26 (11.2%)	2 (0.9%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.4%)	20 (8.6%)	34.5	1019^th of 1492 public elementary schools	31.7%		39.3	932^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	37.4%	87	75.0	41.5	64.3				41.7	24.4	53.6				64.3		$12,202	$2,284	$9,918

Frequently Asked Questions about Old Dock Elementary

What schools do graduates of Old Dock Elementary attend?

Students who attend Old Dock Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Nakina Middle
High : South Columbus High

What district is Old Dock Elementary in?

Columbus County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Old Dock Elementary?

Students at Old Dock Elementary are 61% White, 24% Hispanic, 7% African American, 6% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

How many students attend Old Dock Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 265 students attended Old Dock Elementary.

Is Old Dock Elementary a good school?

Yes. Old Dock Elementary ranks in the top 6.0% of North Carolina elementary schools.

Rate Old Dock Elementary!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

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.