Old Dock Elementary

Located at 12489 New Britton Hwy, in Whiteville, North Carolina, Old Dock Elementary is a compact primary school that teaches 265 students (grades pre-K through 4), operated by Columbus County Schools. Compared to the state average of about 467 students per school, that is 43% smaller than typical.

Columbus County Schools comprises 12 schools with combined enrollment of 5,440 students; Old Dock Elementary is among them.

Demographically, Old Dock Elementary records that the largest single group is White, at 61% of enrollment. Beyond that, the school lists 24% Hispanic, 7% Black, 6% multiracial. That composition is broadly in line with Columbus County as a whole.

On the income-and-resources front, On paper, Old Dock Elementary has 20 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 13.3:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 14.9:1 average. An estimated 99% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

After controlling for student poverty, Old Dock Elementary is in the OUTPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations model, which fits a per-state line through proficiency and FRL share. Schools with this campus's poverty mix typically land near 48.6%; this one delivers 68.3%, a residual of +19.7 points.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Columbus County put the typical household earns roughly $49,442 per year, roughly 15% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 15% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Columbus County's 21 public schools (combined enrollment of about 8,386 students), Old Dock Elementary is one campus in the mix.

Nakina Middle is the nearest neighboring public school, about 5.2 miles from this campus. Within ten miles, there are 3 other public schools, a sparser pattern than typical urban areas. On composite proficiency, Old Dock Elementary comes 1st of 8 in the immediate cluster, higher than the nearby-schools average of 48.2%.

Geographically, the school is in a small-town area.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count contracted 4%: 277 students in 2018 compared to 265 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 73% to 61% across the same window. Class-load math has narrowed: from 15.8:1 in 2018 to 13.3:1 in 2025.

On this page, recent activity here tends to focus on fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.