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Polk County High School

Q: Is Polk County High School a good school?

Polk County High School ranks 324 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

324^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 51% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Polk County High School in Columbus, NC, is a rural comprehensive high school serving 596 students in grades 9–12 as part of Polk County Schools, a district ranked in the 77th percentile statewide. The school itself, however, sits near the state median: 324th out of 662 North Carolina high schools, placing it in the 51st percentile with a 3-star rating. That is a striking contrast with Polk County Early College, located just steps away on the same campus, which ranks in the 87th percentile and posts far stronger test results. Polk High has also slipped from its own past — it ranked in the 87th percentile as recently as 2015–2016 and now holds a more middling position.

Academically, the school has clear strengths in English and math. English II proficiency (66.9%) tops the state rate (64.6%), and Math III proficiency (75.7%) is well above the statewide 68.9%. Biology is the outlier and the most concerning trend: just 51.2% of students are proficient versus the state’s 58.5%. Every neighboring comprehensive high school outperforms Polk in Biology, including West Henderson High (71.2%), Hendersonville High (69.5%), and East Henderson High (64.6%). Biology proficiency at Polk has fallen sharply from 68.2% in 2022–2023. The graduation rate tells a more positive story, though: 91.0% — above the state’s 88.8% and a strong recovery from 80.3% in 2022–2023.

Chronic absenteeism at Polk stands at 22.8% — better than the state rate of 24.2% but well above high schools in neighboring Henderson County, where West Henderson High (8.3%) and North Henderson High (15.9%) report much lower rates. Polk also spends more per student ($12,130) than most nearby traditional high schools, yet that higher spending has not translated into higher rankings. The student-teacher ratio has climbed from 14.0 to 18.5, another trend worth watching. Polk is not a failing school — its graduation rate has recovered and its English and math results are solid — but the steady Biology decline, the low rankings for gifted and special education students, and the attendance gap alongside Henderson County peers deserve attention.

596

Students ?

18.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,130

Per pupil spending ?

99.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1681 East NC 108 Hwy
Columbus, NC 28722-9757

(828) 894-2525

District: Polk County Schools

Feeder schools for Polk County High School:

Elementary:	Polk Central Elementary School
	Saluda Elementary School
	Sunny View Elementary School
	Tryon Elementary School
Middle:	Polk County Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.7%

Hispanic:

15.6%

African American:

7.0%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Polk County High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 87th percentile in 2016 → 51st in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the North Carolina median (51st percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 36 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school61%

District avg64%

North Carolina avg60%

324^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 49%▼ down 36 pts since 2016

From top 13% (2016) to top 49% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2High Schools in the Polk County Schools

57^th of 246Polk 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	50.6	324 of 662	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.0	280 of 641	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.8	292 of 640	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.8	220 of 626	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.8	170 of 621	72.6%	★★★★☆
2021	60.1	206 of 594	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.3	175 of 514	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	76.1	75 of 469	84.0%	★★★★☆
2017	62.0	125 of 476	73.7%	★★★★☆
2016	71.2	68 of 507	86.6%	★★★★☆
2015	62.4	110 of 531	79.3%	★★★★☆
2014	62.2	106 of 451	76.5%	★★★★☆
2013	58.5	85 of 505	83.2%	★★★★☆
2012	65.7	97 of 502	80.7%	★★★★☆
2011	66.7	116 of 506	77.1%	★★★★☆
2010	68.1	94 of 499	81.2%	★★★★☆
2009	66.3	107 of 490	78.2%	★★★★☆
2008	64.1	117 of 477	75.5%	★★★★☆
2007	72.3	60 of 453	86.8%	★★★★☆
2006	60.7	148 of 431	65.7%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.6	407 of 450	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	48.2	190 of 440	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	36.4	261 of 437	40.3%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	66.6	56 of 330	83.0%	★★★★☆
2021	33.2	219 of 334	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.0	234 of 364	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.8	100 of 349	71.3%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	49.8	93 of 262	64.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	50.3	317 of 629	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.6	284 of 610	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.0	316 of 602	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.2	206 of 588	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.6	176 of 594	70.4%	★★★★☆
2021	72.9	73 of 475	84.6%	★★★★☆
2019	64.3	122 of 475	74.3%	★★★★☆
2018	76.5	72 of 449	84.0%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.2	335 of 407	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	48.0	274 of 412	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.2	285 of 403	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	63.9	162 of 403	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.4	110 of 398	72.4%	★★★★☆
2021	74.4	52 of 337	84.6%	★★★★☆
2019	73.8	55 of 325	83.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.4	238 of 474	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.7	122 of 462	73.6%	★★★★☆
2024	64.8	116 of 454	74.4%	★★★★☆
2023	79.1	78 of 449	82.6%	★★★★☆
2022	75.6	88 of 436	79.8%	★★★★☆
2021	48.3	120 of 370	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.7	131 of 354	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.0	172 of 340	49.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	45.9	300 of 620	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.3	238 of 606	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.0	265 of 613	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.6	157 of 597	73.7%	★★★★☆
2022	71.9	116 of 544	78.7%	★★★★☆
2021	61.0	63 of 432	85.4%	★★★★☆
2019	62.5	69 of 446	84.5%	★★★★☆
2018	79.7	38 of 424	91.0%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.3	321 of 624	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.5	278 of 601	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.3	245 of 607	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.0	233 of 602	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.9	159 of 585	72.8%	★★★★☆
2021	47.6	192 of 481	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.3	218 of 488	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	74.6	75 of 463	83.8%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	31.4	195 of 261	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	27.3	273 of 352	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.2	325 of 551	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.0	347 of 542	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.2	352 of 553	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.4	270 of 537	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.6	206 of 534	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.4	158 of 439	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.2	211 of 444	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.7	96 of 427	77.5%	★★★★☆

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)

Disabled (2022)83rd percentile+10 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)65th percentile+10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)52nd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)50th percentile~ school

Female (2026)50th percentile~ school

Male (2026)49th percentile~ school

White (2026)41st percentile-10 vs school

Multi-racial (2024)25th percentile-29 vs school

Special Education (2025)22nd percentile-34 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)18th percentile-33 vs school

African American (2026)10th percentile-42 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III76%+7 vs state

English II67%~ state avg

Biology51%-7 vs state

Math I46%+4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Polk County High School

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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)				EOC Biology (2026)	EOC English II (2026)	EOC Math I (2026)	EOC Math III (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	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%)	50.6	324^th of 662 public high schools	51.1%		52	280^th of 641 public high schools	56.3%	44	51.2	66.9	46.4	75.7	$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%)	89.1	84^th of 662 public high schools	87.3%		90.8	70^th of 641 public high schools	89.1%	14	100.0	90.5		92.9	$9,557	$127	$9,430
Henderson County Career Academy	Public	9-12	300 East Campus Drive	Flat Rock	28731	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 697-4629	114	18	6.4	97.4%	71 (62.3%)	3 (2.6%)	33 (28.9%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (5.3%)	19	560^th of 662 public high schools	15.4%		17.7	540^th of 641 public high schools	15.8%	20	37.9	30.0	40.0	48.6	$18,459	$955	$17,504
Henderson County Early College	Public	9-12	300 East Campus Drive	Flat Rock	28731	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 697-4561	197	6	31.5	50.3%	113 (57.4%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (33.0%)	8 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	10 (5.1%)	94.7	9^th of 662 public high schools	98.6%		95.6	13^th of 641 public high schools	98.0%	4	94.9	100.0	92.9	564.7	$7,590	$759	$6,832
East Henderson High	Public	9-12	150 Eagle Pride Drive	East Flat Rock	28726	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 697-4768	932	61	15.2	62.7%	472 (50.6%)	18 (1.9%)	378 (40.6%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (1.9%)	43 (4.6%)	49.5	335^th of 662 public high schools	49.4%		49.3	307^th of 641 public high schools	52.1%	28	64.6	57.8	54.1	64.3	$9,768	$724	$9,044
North Henderson High	Public	9-12	35 Fruitland Road	Hendersonville	28792	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 697-4500	1,052	69	15.3	60.6%	493 (46.9%)	34 (3.2%)	458 (43.5%)	15 (1.4%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	48 (4.6%)	71.8	178^th of 662 public high schools	73.1%		66.3	194^th of 641 public high schools	69.7%	16	63.9	74.6	72.1	89.8	$8,718	$586	$8,132
R-S Central High School	Public	9-12	641 Hwy 221 North	Rutherfordton	28139	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 287-3304	763	36	21.2	98.2%	539 (70.6%)	99 (13.0%)	60 (7.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	62 (8.1%)	44.9	368^th of 662 public high schools	44.4%		38.1	391^st of 641 public high schools	39.0%	23	56.2	64.0	22.0	75.2	$10,966	$1,171	$9,795
Rutherford Early College High School	Public	9-12	286 ICC Loop Road	Spindale	28160	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 288-2202	208	4	55.0	98.6%	149 (71.6%)	8 (3.8%)	29 (13.9%)	9 (4.3%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.8%)	84.6	108^th of 662 public high schools	83.7%		85.9	104^th of 641 public high schools	83.8%	4	80.4	96.3	46.7	95.7	$6,973	$327	$6,646
Hendersonville High	Public	9-12	1 Bearcat Boulevard	Hendersonville	28791	Henderson County	Henderson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 697-4802	794	47	16.9	44.3%	471 (59.3%)	69 (8.7%)	189 (23.8%)	13 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	5 (0.6%)	46 (5.8%)	61.5	245^th of 662 public high schools	63.0%		54.9	265^th of 641 public high schools	58.7%	20	69.5	80.7	43.8	73.1	$8,966	$700	$8,266
Chase High School	Public	9-12	1603 Chase High Rd	Forest City	28043	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 245-5883	596	29	20.7	98.7%	431 (72.3%)	37 (6.2%)	88 (14.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.4%)	61.8	243^rd of 662 public high schools	63.3%		62	220^th of 641 public high schools	65.7%	23	60.3	65.1	62.7	83.9	$10,771	$989	$9,782

Frequently Asked Questions about Polk County High School

What district is Polk County High School in?

Polk County Schools

Is Polk County High School a good school?

Polk County High School ranks 324^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools feed into Polk County High School?

Polk County High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Polk Central Elementary School
Elementary : Saluda Elementary School
Elementary : Sunny View Elementary School
Elementary : Tryon Elementary School
Middle : Polk County Middle School

How many students attend Polk County High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 596 students attended Polk County High School.

What is the racial makeup of Polk County High School?

Students at Polk County High School are 73% White, 16% Hispanic, 7% African American, 5% Two or more races.

Rate Polk County High School!

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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.