Polk County Schools School District

125 E Mills Street
Columbus, NC 28722
(District boundaries shown in map)
9/
10
Top 20%

Top Rankings

Polk County Schools School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:

Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 20%)
Math Proficiency
Highest math proficiency (Top 20%)
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 20%)
Student Attention
Lowest student-teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 4 public preschools serving 1,037 students in Polk County Schools School District. This district's average pre testing ranking is 10/10, which is in the top 5% of public pre schools in North Carolina.
Public Preschools in Polk County Schools School District have an average math proficiency score of 69% (versus the North Carolina public pre school average of 51%), and reading proficiency score of 65% (versus the 46% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 22% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public preschool average of 59% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
7 Schools
994 Schools
# Students
2,156 Students
464,055 Students
# Teachers
171 Teachers
33,275 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
13:1
13:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Polk County Schools School District, which is ranked within the top 20% of all 320 school districts in North Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 82% has decreased from 90-94% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (NC)
#51 out of 325 school districts
(Top 20%)
(21-22)
66%
51%
67%
50%
74%
63%
(21-22)
85-89%
86%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.40
0.72
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
1%
4%
% Hispanic
12%
23%
% Black
6%
25%
% White
76%
41%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
5%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $13,537 is higher than the state median of $11,187. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $13,184 is higher than the state median of $11,612. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (NC)
Total Revenue
$29 MM
$17,307 MM
Spending
$28 MM
$17,964 MM
Revenue / Student
$13,537
$11,187
Spending / Student
$13,184
$11,612

Best Polk County Schools School District Public Preschools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Saluda Elementary School
(Math: 70-74% | Reading: 75-79%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
214 E Main Street
Saluda, NC 28773
(828) 894-1040
Gr: PK-5 | 145 students Student-teacher ratio: 9:1 Minority enrollment: 6%
Rank: #22.
Tryon Elementary School
(Math: 70-74% | Reading: 65-69%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
100 School Place
Tryon, NC 28782
(828) 859-6584
Gr: PK-5 | 386 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 31%
Rank: #33.
Polk Central Elementary School
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
2141 South Nc9 Hwy
Mill Spring, NC 28756
(828) 894-8233
Gr: PK-5 | 382 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 25%
Rank: #44.
Sunny View Elementary School
(Math: 60-69% | Reading: 50-59%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
86 Sunny View School Road
Mill Spring, NC 28756
(828) 894-1050
Gr: PK-5 | 124 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 6%

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Quick Facts (2025)

  • District size: 7 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 2,156 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 13:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 24%
  • : 85-89% (Top 50% in NC)
  • : Top 20%
  • : 66% (Top 20%)
  • : 67% (Top 20%)
  • : 74% (Top 30%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NC Dept. of Education

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