District overview
At a glance
Source years shown below
Reported students
2,110
NCES CCD 2024–25, where reported
Open schools
7
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Student–teacher ratio
14.1:1
Calculated from NCES 2024–25 enrollment and teacher FTE
Spending per pupil
$15,041
Current expenditure · FY 2023 F-33
Instruction per pupil
$9,365
Calculated from FY 2023 F-33
Grades served
PK–12
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
District interpretation
What the numbers say about Polk County Schools
Polk County Schools operates 7 current public-school records serving grades PK–12 in Columbus, North Carolina. NCES reports 2,110 students and 149.86 classroom teacher FTE for 2024–25.
By reported enrollment, the district ranks 99 of 331 North Carolina districts with data. That position describes scale only—it does not say whether individual schools are a good fit for a particular student.
FY 2023 finance records show $15,041 in current expenditure per pupil and $9,365 per pupil assigned to instruction. This places reported current spending 42 of 318 districts in North Carolina. Local wages, transportation, special education, facilities, and district responsibilities all affect this comparison.
Student context
Needs schools plan for
- English learners
- 4.6%
- Students with disabilities (IDEA)
- 14.1%
- Classroom teachers (FTE)
- 149.86
- Current expenditure (FY 2023)
- $32,579,000
Context measures describe who a district serves and its resources. They are not negative rating inputs.
Polk County Schools location
Columbus, North Carolina · 35.2531, -82.1991. This is the NCES EDGE district-office point, not an attendance boundary.
Open exact point in OpenStreetMap →Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White75.6%
- Hispanic13.1%
- Black5.6%
- Asian0.4%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0%
- Multiracial5.1%
Race/ethnicity: NCES CCD 2024–25 where reported, otherwise CRDC 2021–22. English learner and disability context: CRDC 2021–22. Totals can differ due to rounding or source privacy rules.
Interactive campus directory
Explore schools in Polk County Schools
7 current directory entries
Filter by school level or name, then sort by enrollment or reported student–teacher ratio.
Showing 7 of 7 schools
| School | Level | Grades | Students | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk Central Elementary School | Elementary | PK–05 | 379 | 16:1 |
| Polk County Early College | High | 09–12 | 52 | 19:1 |
| Polk County High School | High | 09–12 | 596 | 18.6:1 |
| Polk County Middle School | Middle | 06–08 | 454 | 11.1:1 |
| Saluda Elementary School | Elementary | PK–05 | 142 | 10.4:1 |
| Sunny View Elementary School | Elementary | PK–05 | 120 | 11.8:1 |
| Tryon Elementary School | Elementary | PK–05 | 367 | 13.7:1 |