Enrollment
62
High
STATE 761
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·THOMAS ACADEMY·NCES 370034903299
Thomas Academy
206-B Rube MCCRAY Circle, Lake Waccamaw, NC 28450 · (910) 646-2237 · Columbus County
GRADES 06–12HIGH42-RURALCHARTERALTERNATIVE EDUCATION SCHOOL62 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
Schools serving specialized populations are not graded, because state test results are not a fair comparison for them. How grades work
Student : Teacher
8.8:1
7 FTE teachers
STATE 19.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
STATE 82%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 3 | 5% |
| Grade 7 | 9 | 15% |
| Grade 8 | 13 | 21% |
| Grade 9 | 13 | 21% |
| Grade 10 | 8 | 13% |
| Grade 11 | 6 | 10% |
| Grade 12 | 10 | 16% |
Student demographics
76%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
STATE 71% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
BeatsExpectations
Not computed for this schoolBeatsExpectations is not computed for specialized-population schools (schools for the deaf or blind, therapeutic and behavioral-health placements, juvenile-justice and alternative-education settings, and similar). State ELA/Math proficiency rates are not a comparable metric for these populations, so a demographically-adjusted residual against general-enrollment peers would be misleading. About the methodology →
Where Thomas Academy ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In North Carolina | In Columbus County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 62 | #562 of 598 | #6 of 7 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
62
-33 (-35%) vs 2020
Student : Teacher
8.8:1
was 19.0:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 62 | 7 | 8.8:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 70 | 3.1 | 22.9:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 71 | 8.6 | 8.2:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 95 | 5 | 19.0:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 98 | 10.5 | 9.3:1 | 35% (34) |
| 2015-16 | 83 | 13 | 6.4:1 | 93% (77) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Thomas Academy.
Since 2017-18: students down 37% (98 to 62); teachers down 33% (10.5 to 7).
About Thomas Academy
Thomas Academy, a very small high school, is located in Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina. The school enrolls 62 students in grades 6 through 12. That compares with an average of about 761 students for high schools in North Carolina.
Thomas Academy is not part of a larger district; federal data list it as its own local education agency.
The biggest share of students at Thomas Academy, 27%, is Black. Other reported shares: 26% White, 23% Hispanic, 21% multiracial, and 3% Native American. That is in line with Columbus County, where about 28% of residents are Black. The diversity index for Thomas Academy is 76%. For US public schools as a whole it is 70%.
The school has 7 full-time-equivalent teachers and a ratio of 8.8 students per teacher. High schools in North Carolina average 19.6:1, 10.7 more students per teacher than here.
In Columbus County, where the school is located, median household income comes to about $49,442, about 15% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and roughly 15% of residents are in poverty. There are 21 public schools in the county, enrolling about 8,386, Thomas Academy among them.
Thomas Academy's closest public school neighbor is East Columbus Junior-Senior High, about 1.7 miles away. The five-mile area around Thomas Academy holds 2 other public schools.
The federal government classifies Thomas Academy's location as Rural: Distant. Thomas Academy is a publicly funded charter school.
The school's enrollment decreased 35% from 2020-21 to 2024-25. Students per teacher dropped from 19.0 in 2020-21 to 8.8 in 2024-25.
People who know Thomas Academy can post here about open houses, carpools, and field trips. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
Columbus County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
50,140
Census ACS
Median income
$49,442
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
15%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
15%
Below federal line
Schools in county
21
8,386 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Lake Waccamaw
- East Columbus Junior-Senior HighHigh · 576 students
Nearby schools
- East Columbus Junior-Senior High1.7 mi · 576
- Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary3.2 mi · 394
- Edgewood Elementary9.9 mi · 450
- Whiteville High10.4 mi · 639
- Central Middle10.6 mi · 451
- North Whiteville Academy10.6 mi · 16
Frequently asked questions
About Thomas AcademyHow large is Thomas Academy?
Thomas Academy enrolls approximately 62 students in grades 06-12.
What grades does Thomas Academy serve?
Thomas Academy serves grades 06-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas Academy?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Thomas Academy is approximately 8.8:1 (7 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Thomas Academy?
At Thomas Academy, the student body is approximately 26% White, 23% Hispanic, 27% Black, 21% Two or more.
What district is Thomas Academy in?
Thomas Academy is part of Thomas Academy.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.