At a glance
Source years shown below
Reported students
2,110
NCES CCD 2024–25
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
Historical enrollment and staffing · CRDC 2021–22
These older figures are kept separate from 2024–25 statistics and benchmarks. Agency figures aggregate matched current school records; they may not cover the complete historical district.
- Students
- 2,051
- Teachers (FTE)
- 186
- Student–teacher ratio
- 11:1
What current records 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.
Within North Carolina agencies of the same NCES type, it ranks 91 of 121 with reported enrollment. 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. Within the same NCES agency type, this places reported current spending 27 of 119 in North Carolina. Local wages, transportation, special education, facilities, and agency responsibilities all affect this comparison.
Reported needs and resources
- 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
Columbus, North Carolina
NCES EDGE 2024–25 · 35.2531, -82.1991
View office location on a map →An office location does not show attendance boundaries. Ask the district to confirm the school assignment for a specific home address.
Enrollment questions to ask →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. English learner and disability context: CRDC 2021–22 matched schools. Totals can differ due to rounding or source privacy rules.
Explore schools in Polk County Schools
7 current directory entries
Search the full district by school name or level, or browse the alphabetical directory. Add schools to your comparison as you go.
Showing 1–7 of 7 schools · enrollment and ratios: NCES 2024–25. Scroll the table to see all columns.
| School | Level / grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk Central Elementary School | ElementaryPK–05 | 379 | 16:1 | |
| Polk County Early College | High09–12 | 52 | 19:1 | |
| Polk County High School | High09–12 | 596 | 18.6:1 | |
| Polk County Middle School | Middle06–08 | 454 | 11.1:1 | |
| Saluda Elementary School | ElementaryPK–05 | 142 | 10.4:1 | |
| Sunny View Elementary School | ElementaryPK–05 | 120 | 11.8:1 | |
| Tryon Elementary School | ElementaryPK–05 | 367 | 13.7:1 |