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West Columbus School

Public Grades PK, KG-8

1259^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 16% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

West Columbus School is an elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Cerro Gordo, North Carolina, with 812 students. The school is part of the Columbus County Schools district, which is ranked 177 out of 242 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Unfortunately, West Columbus School has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of North Carolina elementary schools over the past few years, also earning a 1-star rating.

The school's performance is concerning, with students consistently underperforming the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's 3rd grade math proficiency rate was 65.2% compared to the state average of 64.1%, but its 8th grade math proficiency rate was only 28.6% compared to the state average of 48.7%. Additionally, the school struggles to serve its diverse student population, ranking in the bottom 10% of North Carolina elementary schools for African American, White, Special Education, and Gifted and Talented student groups.

While West Columbus School is underperforming, the nearby schools in the Columbus County Schools district are also struggling, with most of them also ranked in the bottom 20% of North Carolina elementary schools. This suggests a broader systemic issue within the district that needs to be addressed. The school's high free/reduced lunch rate, over 99%, indicates a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population, which may be a significant factor impacting student achievement.

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: Holding steady — 16th percentile in 2024 → 16th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (38% vs 56% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (16th percentile)

!Mathematics scores 21 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school38%

District avg43%

North Carolina avg56%

Elementary school

1,259^th of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 16%▼ down 1 pts since 2024

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

666^th of 773

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 14%▲ up 3 pts since 2024

From bottom 11% (2024) to bottom 14% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

177^th of 242Columbus 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
2024	11.3	542 of 564	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

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

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	18.3	461 of 478	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
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

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)19th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)19th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2025)15th percentile~ school

African American (2025)7th percentile-8 vs school

White (2025)7th percentile-9 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)3rd percentile-13 vs school

Special Education (2025)2nd percentile-14 vs school

Middle school

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

Female (2025)14th percentile~ school

Male (2025)12th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)11th percentile~ school

African American (2025)10th percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)9th percentile-4 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)7th percentile-7 vs school

Hispanic (2024)4th percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2025)4th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Science44%-17 vs state

Reading38%-15 vs state

Mathematics36%-21 vs state

★

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Schools Near West Columbus School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOG Mathematics (2025)						EOG Reading (2025)						EOG Science (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	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%)	21	1259^th of 1490 public elementary schools	15.5%		21.4	1259^th of 1505 public elementary schools	16.3%		65.2	36.0	31.2	35.8	26.6	28.6	34.8	40.0	39.0	32.1	37.6	43.8	50.6	40.0
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%)	39.3	932^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	37.4%		39	953^rd of 1505 public elementary schools	36.7%	21	72.5	79.3	34.3				35.0	58.6	40.0				28.6		$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%)	29.3	1099^th of 1490 public elementary schools	26.2%		16.8	1328^th of 1505 public elementary schools	11.8%	229	48.9	32.6	47.7	45.2	51.3	41.3	34.1	47.2	54.5	45.2	55.1	54.0	48.9	55.6
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%)	22.6	1231^st of 1490 public elementary schools	17.4%					(n/a)	47.3	27.1	39.3	58.7	38.3	25.4	23.0	52.5	39.3	45.7	37.0	29.9	37.7	37.3
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%)	46.8	806^th of 1490 public elementary schools	45.9%		45.9	821^st of 1505 public elementary schools	45.4%	15	65.7	66.7	57.1	47.2	25.7	41.1	30.0	51.7	58.9	47.2	31.1	43.8	62.5	45.2	$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%)	43.9	848^th of 1490 public elementary schools	43.1%		48.3	778^th of 1505 public elementary schools	48.3%	70	66.9	55.3	51.4				40.8	59.3	38.7				56.3		$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%)	19.2	1290^th of 1490 public elementary schools	13.4%		21.3	1260^th of 1505 public elementary schools	16.3%	30	54.8	43.2					27.4	33.3							$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%)	24.9	1189^th of 1490 public elementary schools	20.2%		41.2	908^th of 1505 public elementary schools	39.7%	281	38.5	52.4					28.6	51.2							$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%)	5.8	1463^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	1.8%		5.3	1480^th of 1505 public elementary schools	1.7%	17	36.1	28.4					23.6	16.4							$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 15.5% of North Carolina elementary schools.

What district is West Columbus School in?

Columbus County Schools

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Schools in Cerro Gordo, NC

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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.