Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its North Carolina rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

West Columbus School

Public Grades PK, KG-8

1389^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 7% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

West Columbus School in Cerro Gordo, NC, is a PK–8 school serving 814 students in the rural Columbus County Schools district. The school currently ranks in the 7th percentile statewide (1389 out of 1492 schools), a significant drop from the 16th percentile where it stood the prior two years. Nearly all students (99.63%) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, making this a very high-poverty school. Yet several nearby schools serve nearly identical populations with far stronger results. Among comparable schools in the area, only Rosenwald Elementary ranks lower, and both Tabor City School and Williams Township outperform West Columbus School despite similar levels of poverty.

Academically, West Columbus School scores below the state average in every subject and grade, often by wide margins. In 8th grade math, only 20.6% of students are proficient versus 53% statewide; in 5th grade math, just 32% are proficient versus 62.9% statewide. Every major student group — female, male, special education, low-income, and even gifted students — ranks in the bottom 11% compared with statewide peers. The middle school years are a particular concern: 8th grade math has remained stuck in the low-to-mid 20s for several years, and the school posts the lowest 8th grade math proficiency among nearby PK–8 schools. Third grade math also fell sharply in the most recent year, from 65.2% to 41.9% proficiency, a slide that likely contributed to the school's declining rank.

There are some bright spots worth noting. Chronic absenteeism improved dramatically, falling from 38.6% to 26.9% — now better than the Columbus County Schools district average of 29.3% and below several nearby schools. The comparison with Williams Township is especially encouraging: it is located just 13 miles away, serves essentially the same student population (99.54% low-income), and yet ranks at the 50th percentile statewide with proficiency rates often double West Columbus School's in math and reading. In short, West Columbus School faces serious academic challenges, but the attendance gains and the success of a demographically similar neighboring school show that meaningful improvement is possible.

814

Students ?

16.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7685 Andrew Jackson Hwy SW
Cerro Gordo, NC 28430

(910) 654-4250

District: Columbus County Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

51.2%

African American:

30.7%

Hispanic:

8.8%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare West Columbus School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 16th percentile in 2024 → 7th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (38% vs 59% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (7th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2024

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school38%

District avg45%

North Carolina avg59%

Elementary school

1,389^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 7%▼ down 9 pts since 2024

From bottom 16% (2024) to bottom 7% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

684^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 12%▲ up 1 pts since 2024

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	12.8	1389 of 1492	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	21.0	1259 of 1490	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.4	1259 of 1505	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	8.0	888 of 903	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	16.6	851 of 918	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	22.7	801 of 924	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	13.1	1347 of 1447	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	21.9	1229 of 1451	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.0	1202 of 1455	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	26.0	699 of 743	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.9	691 of 710	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	49.6	480 of 669	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	15.2	1344 of 1434	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	28.4	1161 of 1437	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.6	1153 of 1450	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	18.4	1286 of 1451	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.0	1180 of 1450	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.4	1230 of 1464	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	15.3	786 of 815	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	15.0	805 of 821	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	21.4	725 of 801	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	8.2	1116 of 1146	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.3	1090 of 1172	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.6	1094 of 1166	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	15.1	684 of 778	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.5	666 of 773	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.0	709 of 793	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	19.1	490 of 553	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.6	494 of 546	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.1	535 of 560	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	50.3	128 of 356	64.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	15.9	647 of 731	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.8	628 of 733	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.2	650 of 738	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.9	376 of 465	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.4	426 of 458	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	53.1	278 of 461	39.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	15.6	528 of 566	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.3	542 of 564	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	23.1	612 of 725	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.4	646 of 729	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.4	686 of 743	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	13.4	662 of 736	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.1	642 of 733	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.8	694 of 751	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.5	303 of 333	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	29.6	392 of 500	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.3	461 of 478	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	9.5	610 of 644	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	15.1	588 of 649	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	18.2	568 of 652	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Male (2026)11th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)7th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)6th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2026)6th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)4th percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)3rd percentile-4 vs school

African American (2026)2nd percentile-5 vs school

Middle school

English Language Learner (2024)64th percentile+53 vs school

Special Education (2026)22nd percentile+10 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)19th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)16th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)11th percentile~ school

African American (2026)11th percentile~ school

Male (2026)10th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2026)9th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)7th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)5th percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science51%-17 vs state

Reading37%-19 vs state

Mathematics34%-26 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate West Columbus School and help other families decide.

Rate West Columbus School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near West Columbus School

Load more schools when map is moved

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
West Columbus School	Public	PK, KG-8	7685 Andrew Jackson Hwy SW	Cerro Gordo	28430	Columbus County	Columbus County Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(910) 654-4250	814	49	16.5	99.6%	417 (51.2%)	250 (30.7%)	72 (8.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	67 (8.2%)	12.8	1389^th of 1492 public elementary schools	6.9%		21	1259^th of 1490 public elementary schools	15.5%	130	41.9	33.3	32.0	36.6	42.9	20.6	35.1	38.7	40.0	32.1	41.9	33.6	54.7	48.6
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
Classical Charter Schools of Whiteville	Public, Charter	K-8	35 Bacon's Way	Whiteville	28472	Columbus County	Classical Charter Schools of Whiteville	Yes	No	No	Yes	(910) 641-4042	842	19	44.6	90.4%	299 (35.5%)	222 (26.4%)	142 (16.9%)	6 (0.7%)	86 (10.2%)	0 (0.0%)	87 (10.3%)	19.9	1279^th of 1492 public elementary schools	14.3%		29.3	1099^th of 1490 public elementary schools	26.2%	180	46.2	33.3	46.1	26.9	30.4	32.4	40.9	47.6	39.5	54.8	48.1	64.7	39.5	55.9
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
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
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
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
Long Branch Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	10218 NC 72 East	Lumberton	28358	Robeson County	Public Schools of Robeson County	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 739-3864	428	23	18.4	98.6%	98 (22.9%)	123 (28.7%)	25 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	87 (20.3%)	1 (0.2%)	94 (22.0%)	33	1041^st of 1492 public elementary schools	30.2%		19.2	1290^th of 1490 public elementary schools	13.4%	249	59.7	54.3					46.3	44.3							$10,849	$1,890	$8,958
Bladenboro Primary	Public	PK, KG-4	312 Old Whiteville Road	Bladenboro	28320	Bladen County	Bladen County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 863-3387	448	27	16.4	99.3%	225 (50.2%)	96 (21.4%)	68 (15.2%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (10.5%)	16.3	1346^th of 1492 public elementary schools	9.8%		24.9	1189^th of 1490 public elementary schools	20.2%	157	35.4	50.0					31.6	43.0							$11,612	$1,954	$9,658
Rosenwald Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	301 Martin L King Dr	Fairmont	28340	Robeson County	Public Schools of Robeson County	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 628-4291	343	21	16.0	99.1%	34 (9.9%)	172 (50.1%)	25 (7.3%)	4 (1.2%)	72 (21.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (10.5%)	7.5	1447^th of 1492 public elementary schools	3.0%		5.8	1463^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	1.8%	16	45.5	31.1					31.8	27.0							$11,487	$2,147	$9,339

Frequently Asked Questions about West Columbus School

What is the racial makeup of West Columbus School?

Students at West Columbus School are 51% White, 31% African American, 9% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races.

How many students attend West Columbus School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 814 students attended West Columbus School.

Is West Columbus School a good school?

West Columbus School ranks in the bottom 6.9% of North Carolina elementary schools.

What district is West Columbus School in?

Columbus County Schools

Rate West Columbus School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Cerro Gordo, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for West Columbus School!

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.