East Columbus Junior-Senior High

East Columbus Junior-Senior High, a cozy secondary school in Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina, run under Columbus County Schools, educates 576 students, covering grades 7 through 12. Enrollment runs roughly 24% smaller than the state mean of about 761.

Across the 12 schools in Columbus County Schools (5,440 students total), East Columbus Junior-Senior High accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, East Columbus Junior-Senior High shows that the most-represented group is Black (32%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups; the rest reads as 26% White, 18% Hispanic, 12% Native American, 11% multiracial. That composition is broadly in line with Columbus County as a whole.

Looking at school resources, East Columbus Junior-Senior High lists 34 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 17.0:1. The state averages around 19.6:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 99% of students at East Columbus Junior-Senior High qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, East Columbus Junior-Senior High sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 48.5%; this one delivers 32.9%.

Around the school, Columbus County reports that median household earnings sit near $49,442, 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 15%. East Columbus Junior-Senior High is one of 21 public schools in Columbus County (combined enrollment of about 8,386 students).

The closest other public school is Thomas Academy, roughly 1.7 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 2 other public schools cluster around East Columbus Junior-Senior High. Among the 6 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), East Columbus Junior-Senior High ranks 5th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 42.7%.

East Columbus Junior-Senior High operates from an outlying location.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at East Columbus Junior-Senior High has rose 36%, going from 423 students in 2018 to 576 in 2025. Hispanic enrollment moved from 9% to 18% across the same window. Class-load math has rose: from 13.7:1 in 2018 to 17.0:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.