Thomas Academy

Lake Waccamaw · NC · Thomas Academy · Public charter · K-12 combined


At a glance

Programs & features
  • Dual-enrollment program (college credit while in HS)
Academic signals
  • AP rigor: Bottom 22% of US high schools
  • SAT/ACT participation: Bottom 16% by test-taker volume
  • 4-yr grad rate: 69% in 2019 (Bottom 14% of US high schools by 4-yr grad rate)

Composed from federal CRDC offerings, EDFacts graduation data, and other public data. Full breakdowns below.

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How Thomas Academy compares for families

What families should know about Thomas Academy.

  • LocallyNC sits right at the US average on NAEP 8th-grade math — local school quality will set your kid apart.
  • vs Similar SchoolsThe closest comparables nearby: Ramsey Street High, North Whiteville Academy, Pender Innovative Learning Academy and 5 more. See the sidebar to compare side-by-side.

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Objective, government-grade data — no school pays us for placement.

SAT / ACT participation

CRDC federal data · 2020-21

Bottom 16% by test-taker volume

50th 90th
SAT/ACT test-takers
12
11th-12th graders who took 1+ college admissions test
Test-taking intensity
32.4
takers per 100 students in grades 9-12
Compared against
18,426
US high schools reporting SAT/ACT participation

Source: federal Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC 2020-21). Volume — not score — is what's reported here. A higher count means more students at this school are entering the college admissions pipeline. Note: 2020-21 was COVID-disrupted; some districts (especially those that stayed remote longer) report unusually low or zero takers.

4-year graduation rate · federal EDFacts

What % of students graduate on time?

Bottom 14% of US high schools by 4-yr grad rate

50th 90th
4-year graduation rate
69%
Range: 60–79%
4-year cohort size
22
Students in the 9th-grade entry class tracked over 4 years
Compared against
17,988
US high schools reporting 4-year ACGR

Source: federal EDFacts ACGR (Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate), 2019 vintage via Urban Institute. EDFacts publishes a range (low-high) to preserve privacy on small cohorts; we display the midpoint.

Teacher workforce · federal CRDC

Teacher experience & reliability

% inexperienced teachers (1st-2nd yr)
4.8%
Strong: experienced corps. New teachers rotate through but most have ≥3 years in.
% chronic teacher absence (≥10 days/yr)
0.0%
Strong attendance culture among teachers.

Source: federal Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC 2017-18 — the most recent vintage that publishes per-school teacher quality fields; the 2020-21 sweep had them suppressed). "Inexperienced" = teachers in their first or second year. "Chronic absence" = teachers absent 10+ days/year.

Your state's public flagship

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

19%
admit rate
$8,994
in-state tuition/yr · $41,203 out-of-state
1370–1530
SAT 25–75 · ACT 30–34

The in-state tuition gap is the flagship's biggest draw — most in-state families pay far less than the out-of-state sticker. Average net price after aid runs about $11,655/yr. Admission odds depend on your student's GPA and test scores, not which high school they attend.

See the full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill profile → Estimate your odds with your scores →

Source: IPEDS admissions, tuition & enrollment + College Scorecard net price. Flagship = the state's primary public research university.

Chronic absenteeism

Share of students absent 15+ days
19.0%
Roughly average. The national post-COVID rate climbed to ~16% nationwide; this school is in the middle of the pack.
Students absent 15+ days
22
Federal definition: absent (excused or unexcused) for at least 15 of ~180 school days — about 10% of the school year.

Why this matters to enrollment: Chronic absence is the strongest early indicator of dropout, transfer-out, and family disengagement. A school's absenteeism trend forecasts its enrollment trend 1-3 years out.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Civil Rights Data Collection 2020–2021. Rate = students chronically absent ÷ 2021 total enrollment.

Counselor capacity

Student : Counselor
31:1
Below the ASCA 250:1 recommendation — strong capacity for college planning, course selection, and student supports.
Counselor FTE
2.0
Full-time-equivalent school counselors on staff.
Teacher FTE
17
Full-time-equivalent classroom teachers.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Civil Rights Data Collection 2020-2021. Counselor ratio = the school's most recent total enrollment ÷ counselor FTE. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommends a 250:1 maximum; the US national median across schools with on-staff counselors is roughly 430:1.

Enrollment trend & projection

Total enrollment + grade 12, NCES Common Core of Data (2021–2024).

Most similar nearby high schools

The schools most like this one — same type, blended on distance and size — and where their enrollment is heading. These are the schools families here weigh against each other.

SchoolTypeMilesHS enrollmentTrend
Ramsey Street High
Fayetteville
Public 56.2 39
North Whiteville Academy
Whiteville
Public 10.6 8
Pender Innovative Learning Academy
Rocky Point
Public 35.2 23
The COAST
Bolivia
Public 25.5 94 +34.3%
Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy
Elizabethtown
Public · charter 21.4 126 +68.0%
East Columbus Junior-Senior High
Lake Waccamaw
Public 1.7 383 -2.0%
J W Turlington School
Raeford
Public 60.8 17
Career Readiness Academy at Mosley PLC
Wilmington
Public 36.0 115 +22.3%

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