South Columbus High

South Columbus High is one of the middle-of-the-pack senior highs in Tabor City, North Carolina, one of the schools within Columbus County Schools, with 669 students on its rolls from grades 9 through 12.

Columbus County Schools runs 12 schools in total, collectively educating 5,440 students. South Columbus High is one of those campuses.

In terms of who attends, South Columbus High shows that 61% of the student body identifies as White. Other groups include 23% Black, 12% Hispanic, 3% multiracial. That composition is broadly in line with Columbus County as a whole.

On the income-and-resources front, The school reports having 43 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 15.7:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 19.6:1, putting South Columbus High tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 99% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy.

With demographic context factored in, South Columbus High performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 48.5%, the actual is 39.0%, a residual of -9.5 points.

In the surrounding community, census data for Columbus County shows the typical household earns roughly $49,442 per year, 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 15%. Across Columbus County's 21 public schools (combined enrollment of about 8,386 students), South Columbus High is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Williams Township, roughly 3.6 miles away. Within five miles, there are 2 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts South Columbus High at 5th of 6; the average score across the group is 51.5%.

South Columbus High operates from a small-town location.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at South Columbus High has decreased 14%, going from 780 students in 2018 to 669 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 69% to 61% across the same window. Class-load math has narrowed: from 17.1:1 in 2018 to 15.7:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the feed for South Columbus High typically covers school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.