Original Research by School Decision on Thomas Academy
Thomas Academy is a small charter district serving students in grades six through twelve in Columbus County, North Carolina. The entire district comprises one school, Thomas Academy, which was founded by Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina and recently received a charter renewal through 2031, extending the school's operational stability over a longer term than its previous authorization.
The enrollment is very small—about seventy students across seven grade levels. The student body is racially and ethnically mixed, with representation across Black, Hispanic, White, and multiracial populations, and a small number of American Indian students. The school's free-or-reduced-price-lunch rate was not available in the data, so a parent interested in whether the school serves a low-income population would want to ask the school directly.
Thomas Academy is not a traditional academic pathway. The school was explicitly designed for students who have struggled in conventional settings. In recent years, the school has adopted what it calls the Waccamaw Way, a trauma-informed, therapeutic instructional model aimed at addressing the needs of at-risk learners. This includes capped class sizes of no more than fifteen students, restructuring the school day so that students can complete homework on campus rather than at home—a practical accommodation for students who work, lack reliable internet, or struggle to focus outside school—and locking phones in cabinets during instructional hours to reduce distraction. The school also uses a points-based positive-behavior system in which students start each week with a set of points and lose them for leaving class or misbehaving. This approach signals that the school is explicitly responsive to trauma and engagement barriers, not a comprehensive academic environment in the traditional sense.
State testing data and graduation rate information were not available, so a parent cannot assess Thomas Academy's academic proficiency or graduation outcomes from the data provided. This absence may reflect either that the school is exempt from certain state reporting requirements or that results are not yet publicly reported. A family considering enrollment should ask the school for its recent graduation and testing results, and what academic supports it offers for students working toward standard diplomas and college or career pathways.
Among Columbus County's three districts, Thomas Academy stands out for two contradictory metrics. Its chronic absenteeism rate is substantially higher than its neighboring districts, which suggests attendance is a persistent challenge—something a parent should discuss directly with school leadership, as chronic absence correlates with lower achievement and graduation risk. In contrast, the school's per-pupil current spending is well above that of other county districts, meaning resources devoted to each student are significantly higher. This reflects the school's small size and the intensive support model it has chosen; higher per-pupil spending does not automatically translate to higher academic outcomes, but it does indicate the school is investing heavily in individualized services and staffing.
The school's recent seven-year charter renewal, approved unanimously by the North Carolina Charter Schools Review Board in January 2026, signals state confidence that the school is making progress and meeting its mission. For a family whose child has not thrived in conventional public schools, this continuity matters. The choice to attend is not about whether Thomas Academy will outperform traditional districts on standardized tests. It is about whether the school's explicit focus on trauma-informed practice, small classes, on-campus homework support, behavior points systems, and intensive engagement fits a student's needs. A parent should clarify with the school what academic pathways it offers, what its track record is for graduation and post-secondary transitions, and how it balances therapeutic support with academic rigor.
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