Top Rankings
Polk County Schools 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 2026 school year, there are 7 public schools serving 2,110 students in Polk County Schools. This district's average testing ranking is 9/10, which is in the top 20% of public schools in North Carolina.
Public Schools in Polk County Schools have an average math proficiency score of 65% (versus the North Carolina public school average of 51%), and reading proficiency score of 67% (versus the 50% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 24% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public school average of 58% (majority Black and Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
7 Schools
2,734 Schools
# Students
2,110 Students
1,549,621 Students
# Teachers
151 Teachers
96,132 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
14:1
14:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
Polk County Schools, which is ranked within the top 20% of all 314 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.
Overall District Rank
#51 out of 325 school districts
(Top 20%)
(Top 20%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
(21-22)66%
51%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
67%
50%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
74%
63%
Graduation Rate
(21-22)85-89%
86%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.41
0.72
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
n/a
5%
% Hispanic
13%
22%
% Black
6%
24%
% White
76%
42%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
5%
6%
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $13,832 is higher than the state median of $11,168. The school district revenue/student has grown by 8% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $13,471 is higher than the state median of $11,592. The school district spending/student has grown by 8% over four school years.
Total Revenue
$29 MM
$17,307 MM
Spending
$28 MM
$17,964 MM
Revenue / Student
$13,832
$11,168
Spending / Student
$13,471
$11,592
Best Polk County Schools Public Schools (2026)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Saluda Elementary School
(Math: 70-74% | Reading: 75-79%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 10%10
214 E Main Street
Saluda, NC 28773
(828) 894-1040
Saluda, NC 28773
(828) 894-1040
Gr: PK-5 | 142 students Student-teacher ratio: 10:1 Minority enrollment: 12%
Rank: #22.
Polk County High School
(Math: 70-79% | Reading: 65-69%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
1681 East Nc 108 Hwy
Columbus, NC 28722
(828) 894-2525
Columbus, NC 28722
(828) 894-2525
Gr: 9-12 | 596 students Student-teacher ratio: 19:1 Minority enrollment: 27%
Rank: #33.
Tryon Elementary School
(Math: 70-74% | Reading: 65-69%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
100 School Place
Tryon, NC 28782
(828) 859-6584
Tryon, NC 28782
(828) 859-6584
Gr: PK-5 | 367 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 35%
Rank: #44.
Polk Central Elementary School
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
2141 South Nc9 Hwy
Mill Spring, NC 28756
(828) 894-8233
Mill Spring, NC 28756
(828) 894-8233
Gr: PK-5 | 379 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 21%
Rank: #55.
Polk County Middle School
(Math: 60% | Reading: 67%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
321 Wolverine Trail
Mill Spring, NC 28756
(828) 894-2215
Mill Spring, NC 28756
(828) 894-2215
Gr: 6-8 | 454 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 25%
Rank: #66.
Polk County Early College
(Math: ≥50% | Reading: ≥80%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
1545 East Nc 108 Hwy
Columbus, NC 28722
(828) 894-2698
Columbus, NC 28722
(828) 894-2698
Gr: 9-12 | 52 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 12%
Rank: #77.
Sunny View Elementary School
(Math: 60-69% | Reading: 50-59%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
86 Sunny View School Road
Mill Spring, NC 28756
(828) 894-1050
Mill Spring, NC 28756
(828) 894-1050
Gr: PK-5 | 120 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 4%
Frequently Asked Questions
How many schools belong to Polk County Schools?
Polk County Schools manages 7 public schools serving 2,110 students.
What is the rank of Polk County Schools?
Polk County Schools is ranked #59 out of 314 school districts in North Carolina (top 20%) based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data for the 2021-2022 school year. This district ranks in the top 20% of North Carolina school districts for: Highest overall rank (Top 20%), Highest math proficiency (Top 20%), Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 20%) and Lowest student-teacher ratio (Top 1%)
What is the racial composition of students in Polk County Schools?
76% of Polk County Schools students are White, 13% of students are Hispanic, 6% of students are Black, and 5% of students are Two or more races.
What is the student/teacher ratio of Polk County Schools?
Polk County Schools has a student/teacher ratio of 14:1, which is lower than the North Carolina state average of 16:1.
What is Polk County Schools's spending/student ratio?
The school district's spending/student of $13,471 is higher than the state median of $11,592. The school district spending/student has grown by 8% over four school years.
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