Schools in Zip Code 28722

Zip code 28722, which includes the town of Columbus, NC, is served by two public high schools in Polk County Schools: Polk County High School and Polk County Early College, both serving grades 9–12. The district is rated in the 77th percentile of North Carolina districts with a 4-star rating.

These two schools could hardly be more different in model or outcomes, yet both serve very high-poverty populations. Polk County Early College has just 52 students and posts elite results: 100% proficiency in Biology and 90–93% in English II and Math III, far above state averages. Its chronic absenteeism rate is only 9.2%, compared to 22.8% at Polk County High School and roughly 24% statewide. The early college ranks in the 87th percentile statewide for 2025-2026, though it has slipped from a 5-star, 95th-percentile ranking two years earlier—a shift that likely reflects its tiny cohort more than any real decline. Meanwhile, Polk County High School enrolls 596 students, with 99.5% eligible for free/reduced lunch, and remains a solid, middle-of-the-pack school (51st percentile, 3 stars). It exceeds state proficiency in English II, Math III, and now Math I, and its Math I proficiency jumped an impressive 12.2 percentage points in one year. Its graduation rate of 91.0% is above the state's 88.8%.

For parents, the key takeaway is that school model matters as much as demographics. Both schools serve almost universally low-income families, but the early college's smaller, more selective environment produces dramatically higher test scores and far lower absenteeism. That said, graduation rates are nearly identical—91.0% at the traditional high school versus 90.7% at the early college—showing that Polk County High School excels at guiding students to graduation even if proficiency levels lag. The early college did not report Math I results, and spending data is from 2018-2019, so those figures should be viewed with caution. Overall, Polk County Early College is the standout for rigorous academics, while Polk County High School offers a larger, traditional experience that still beats state averages in several subjects despite immense economic challenges.