During the June board meeting, the current Principals of the Year were recognized:
Herman Bland
Chadbourn Elementary
Christian Godwin
Columbus Career & College Academy
Leslie Faulk
Old Dock Elementary
Herman Bland
Chadbourn Elementary
Christian Godwin
Columbus Career & College Academy
Leslie Faulk
Old Dock Elementary
During the June meeting, the Board recognized the current Teachers of the Year.:
Acme Delco Elementary
Alicia Freeman
Chadbourn Elementary
Tonya White
Columbus Career and College Acdemy
Angela Jordan
East Columbus
Ebony Murchinson
Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary
Amber Archie
Nakina Middle
Dawn Holt
Old Dock Elementary
Polly Whitesides
South Columbus H.S.
Breanna Seckman
Tabor City School
Terra Coats
West Columbus School
Dana Fipps
West Columbus High School
Jessica Williamson
Williams Township School
Maxie McPherson
During the June board meeting, the Board thanked the retirees for their many years of service to Columbus County Schools:
Central Services: Phillip Matt Edwards, Selina Gore, Jimmy Faulk, and Georgann Pigott.
Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary School: Barbara Campbell and Darlene Graham.
Nakina Middle School: Julie Sellers.
Old Dock Elementary School: Kimberly Andrews and Cheryl Gerald.
South Columbus High School: Cheryl Cartrette, Carlton Cox, Melissa Jones, Connie Mills, and Denise Price.
Tabor City School: Wanda Hardee, Kelly Miller, and Carolyn Strickland.
Technology Department: Troy Snowden.
Transportation Department: Roy Batten.
West Columbus School: Tullie Herring.
West Columbus High School: Dean Byerly.
Williams Township School: Martha Buffkin, Janet Hewett, Wendy Maguire, and Kimberly Parker.
Congratulations to Ari Britt for being awarded the "Heart of a Champion" award from the NCHSAA Wednesday June 10 at their annual awards ceremony in Greensboro! Ariana Britt was nominated by her cheer coach Tasha Dyson. Ari was also awarded the NCHSAA/Cheersounds scholarship as well as the North Carolina Cheer Coaches Association Cheer Scholarship this year!
TCS Elementary Beta Competition in Greensboro !! Very proud of our Betas!
Columbus County Schools is proud to present live coverage of the Class of 2026 graduation ceremonies. Join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates from West Columbus High School on June 5 at 6:00 PM, South Columbus High School on June 6 at 10:00 AM, and East Columbus Junior-Senior High School on June 6 at 4:00 PM. All ceremonies will be available live through the Columbus County Schools and school Facebook pages, the Columbus County Schools YouTube channel, Spectrum Channel 1304, the Columbus County Schools Mobile App, and the Columbus County Schools Roku App. We invite our community to tune in and celebrate this important milestone as the Class of 2026 takes the next step toward a bright future.
Summer Food Service Program 2026 - Ages 1-18 - Free Meals!
Locations:
Acme-Delco Elementary
Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary
Tabor City School
West Columbus School
Dates: Monday–Thursday, June 15–July 22, 2026
Breakfast: 8:00–8:30 a.m.
Lunch: 12:00–12:30 p.m.
Closed: June 29–July 6, 2026
Chadbourn Elementary
Dates: Monday–Thursday, June 15–July 29, 2026
Breakfast: 8:00–8:30 a.m.
Lunch: 12:00–12:30 p.m.
Locations:
Acme-Delco Elementary
Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary
Tabor City School
West Columbus School
Dates: Monday–Thursday, June 15–July 22, 2026
Breakfast: 8:00–8:30 a.m.
Lunch: 12:00–12:30 p.m.
Closed: June 29–July 6, 2026
Chadbourn Elementary
Dates: Monday–Thursday, June 15–July 29, 2026
Breakfast: 8:00–8:30 a.m.
Lunch: 12:00–12:30 p.m.
Southeastern Community College and Columbus County Schools are partnering to present a FREE Visual Arts Camp for rising 9th–12th grade students this summer!
Areas of concentration will include drawing, painting, paper crafting, 3D typography, and more. The camp will culminate in a student art showcase at SCC, highlighting the creativity and work developed throughout the program. Transportation and lunch will be provided for participating students.
Slots are extremely limited, and interested students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Contact Kelly Jones at kjones@columbus.k12.nc.us if you need more information.
Areas of concentration will include drawing, painting, paper crafting, 3D typography, and more. The camp will culminate in a student art showcase at SCC, highlighting the creativity and work developed throughout the program. Transportation and lunch will be provided for participating students.
Slots are extremely limited, and interested students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Contact Kelly Jones at kjones@columbus.k12.nc.us if you need more information.
THERE WILL BE NO SCHOOL
on Monday, May 25th in observance of Memorial Day.
on Monday, May 25th in observance of Memorial Day.
We still have a few slots left for this FREE camp!!!
Application is here - https://tinyurl.com/26ccsmquncw
Highlights from last year here- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enVnL4fOCy8
University of North Carolina Wilmington MarineQuest is offering a free four-day marine biology camp from July 27–30, 2026, for current 5th, 6th, and 7th graders at NMS, TCS, and WTS. During the day camp, students will travel to UNCW to explore the ecology of coastal habitats, kayak on the Cape Fear River, study wave dynamics through boogie boarding, build a remotely operated vehicle, investigate the effects of climate change on the ocean, and tour the UNCW campus. The program also introduces students to marine chemistry, geology, physics, and sustainable fisheries through hands-on activities and guidance from UNCW research scientists. Transportation to and from the camp, as well as meals, will be provided for all participants. Students will be selected based on grades and teacher recommendations, and applications are due by June 6th.
The students at Tabor City School enjoyed spending their Accelerated Reader points for prizes at Tabor City School for the fourth nine weeks!
The students at Tabor City School participated in the Daughters of American Revolution reading program, “America 250 Kids Book Club”. Eighty students read ten books or more about America and then tested their knowledge on what they learned by taking an Accelerated Reader test. The students thoroughly enjoyed reading about their country, historical places, and the founding fathers of America. Ms. Karen Dawsey recognized Taylor Lewis, a fourth grade student who read 40 books and Mrs. Debra Rogers, Media Coordinator, for encouraging the students to participate in the program.
Dr. Norris and the staff would like to thank the NC DAR Association in Whiteville for sponsoring this event.
Southeastern Community College and Sampson Community College are launching the NC HE²ALS Summer Program in Summer 2026 as an initiative for rising 9th and 10th grade students. The program is designed to introduce students to careers in the healthcare field while helping them build awareness of educational pathways and workforce opportunities available in our region.
During the program, students will have the opportunity to:
Learn about a variety of healthcare careers
Engage in hands-on learning experiences
Interact with healthcare professionals
Explore educational pathways that lead to high-demand healthcare careers
Because this is our first year, we are intentionally starting with Summer 1 and focusing on rising 9th and 10th graders.
This program is made possible through the support and funding provided by the J.M. Belk Endowment. Summer programming for high school students is one of several strategies supported by JMBE to address workforce shortages in our region through NC HE²ALS (Health Education & Employer Aligned Local Strategies).
During the program, students will have the opportunity to:
Learn about a variety of healthcare careers
Engage in hands-on learning experiences
Interact with healthcare professionals
Explore educational pathways that lead to high-demand healthcare careers
Because this is our first year, we are intentionally starting with Summer 1 and focusing on rising 9th and 10th graders.
This program is made possible through the support and funding provided by the J.M. Belk Endowment. Summer programming for high school students is one of several strategies supported by JMBE to address workforce shortages in our region through NC HE²ALS (Health Education & Employer Aligned Local Strategies).
TCS celebrated their 6-8 student's hard work and positive behavior last night at the Colts Gala. It was a fun night for students and staff with good food, music, dancing, and lots of smiles! 💜
Columbus County Schools is hosting a Job Fair on Saturday, May 16, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the CCS Central Services Building (2586 James B. White Hwy, Whiteville, NC). This event offers job seekers the opportunity to meet with recruiters, explore available positions, and learn more about careers within the district. For more information, call 910-642-5168 ext. 24013 or 24014, or visit the CCS careers page at https://columbus.schoolspring.com/
to view openings and apply online.
to view openings and apply online.
TCS would like to congratulate Mrs. Hagan Suggs. She graduated from SCC with an Associate of Arts degree.
Columbus County Schools: Teacher Assistants to Teachers! 🍎
Tabor City School: Ana Blake, Taylor Housand, and Lacey Sykes.
Old Dock Elementary: Lorena Baker
Congratulations! 🎉 🎉🎉
Our online student registration portal is currently experiencing technical difficulties. Please do not attempt to use the portal until further notice. We will post an update as soon as the system is working again.
We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.
We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.
Private School/Homeschool Administrators:
Federal law provides services for Exceptional Children who are parentally placed in private schools or homeschools. The Columbus County School District is in the process of contacting administrators of private schools to determine what services might be appropriately provided. If your private school/homeschool is no longer operational, please notify our office.
If you feel that a child might be disabled, and an evaluation is necessary, or if a child has already been classified as disabled and you would like services for that child, please plan to attend a meeting at the Columbus County Schools Board of Education, 2586 James B. White Hwy North, Building A, Whiteville, NC 28472 on May 18th, 2026 at 5:00pm to discuss services for 2026-2027 school year. If you are unable to attend, please contact me at 910-642-5168 ext. 24016 to discuss services.
Melanie McCready
Director of Exceptional Children’s Programs
Federal law provides services for Exceptional Children who are parentally placed in private schools or homeschools. The Columbus County School District is in the process of contacting administrators of private schools to determine what services might be appropriately provided. If your private school/homeschool is no longer operational, please notify our office.
If you feel that a child might be disabled, and an evaluation is necessary, or if a child has already been classified as disabled and you would like services for that child, please plan to attend a meeting at the Columbus County Schools Board of Education, 2586 James B. White Hwy North, Building A, Whiteville, NC 28472 on May 18th, 2026 at 5:00pm to discuss services for 2026-2027 school year. If you are unable to attend, please contact me at 910-642-5168 ext. 24016 to discuss services.
Melanie McCready
Director of Exceptional Children’s Programs
Thanks to a collaboration between Columbus County Schools and Duke Children’s Project Adam, Nakina Middle School is a Heart Safe School! Project ADAM North Carolina is a specialized program dedicated to preventing sudden cardiac death in schools
