Catawba County Schools

2285 North Anderson Avenue
Newton, NC 28658-1000
(District boundaries shown in map)
: 
7/
10
Top 50%

Top Rankings

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

Category
Attribute
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026-27 school year, there are 7 public high schools serving 5,213 students in Catawba County Schools. This district's average high testing ranking is 9/10, which is in the top 20% of public high schools in North Carolina.
Public High Schools in Catawba County Schools have an average math proficiency score of 78% (versus the North Carolina public high school average of 58%), and reading proficiency score of 61% (versus the 58% statewide average).
Public High School in Catawba County School have a Graduation Rate of 87%, which is more than the North Carolina average of 86%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Challenger Early College High School, with ≥95% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in North Carolina or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 41% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public high school average of 56% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
28 Schools
758 Schools
# Students
16,003 Students
568,636 Students
# Teachers
903 Teachers
31,535 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
18:1
18:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Catawba County Schools, which is ranked within the top 50% 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 86% has decreased from 92% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (NC)
#119 out of 325 school districts
(Top 50%)

Showing 2013–2023. Full 14-year historical data available below ↓

(21-22)
59%
51%

Showing 2012–2022. Full 13-year historical data available below ↓

51%
50%

Showing 2012–2022. Full 13-year historical data available below ↓

71%
63%
86%
86.5%

Showing 2014–2023. Full 13-year historical data available below ↓

(2022-23)
21.7%
28.7%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.61
0.71

Showing 2014–2023. Full 36-year historical data available below ↓

% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
8%
4%

Showing 2014–2023. Full 35-year historical data available below ↓

% Hispanic
20%
21%

Showing 2014–2023. Full 33-year historical data available below ↓

% Black
6%
25%

Showing 2014–2023. Full 36-year historical data available below ↓

% White
58%
44%

Showing 2014–2023. Full 36-year historical data available below ↓

% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
8%
5%

Showing 2014–2023. Full 13-year historical data available below ↓

All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $12,898 in this school district is less than the state median of $13,318. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $12,759 is less than the state median of $13,934. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (NC)
Total Revenue
$206 MM
$20,622 MM

Showing 2014–2023. Full 34-year historical data available below ↓

Spending
$204 MM
$21,575 MM

Showing 2014–2023. Full 34-year historical data available below ↓

Revenue / Student
$12,898
$13,318

Showing 2014–2023. Full 34-year historical data available below ↓

Spending / Student
$12,759
$13,934

Showing 2014–2023. Full 34-year historical data available below ↓

Best Catawba County Schools Public High Schools (2026-27)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Bandys High School
(Math: 85-89% | Reading: 69%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
5040 E Bandys Road
Catawba, NC 28609
(828) 241-1471
Gr: 9-12 | 935 students Student-teacher ratio: 23:1 Minority enrollment: 26%
Rank: #22.
Fred T Foard High School
(Math: 75-79% | Reading: 63%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
3407 Plateau Road
Newton, NC 28658
(704) 462-1496
Gr: 9-12 | 930 students Student-teacher ratio: 22:1 Minority enrollment: 26%
Rank: #33.
Maiden High School
(Math: 75-79% | Reading: 59%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
600 West Main Street
Maiden, NC 28650
(828) 428-8197
Gr: 9-12 | 852 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 38%
Rank: #44.
Saint Stephens High School
(Math: 75-79% | Reading: 54%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
3205 34th Street Drive Ne
Hickory, NC 28601
(828) 256-9841
Gr: 9-12 | 1,268 students Student-teacher ratio: 22:1 Minority enrollment: 56%
Rank: #55.
Bunker Hill High School
(Math: 75-79% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
4675 Oxford School Road
Claremont, NC 28610
(828) 241-3355
Gr: 9-12 | 845 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 46%
Rank: #66.
Challenger Early College High School
(Math: ≥50% | Reading: ≥95%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
2550 Hwy 70 Se
Hickory, NC 28602
(828) 485-2980
Gr: 9-12 | 376 students Student-teacher ratio: 34:1 Minority enrollment: 65%
Rank: #77.
Catawba Rosenwald Education Center
Special Education School
(Math: ≤10% | Reading: ≤10% )
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
403 6th Ave Sw
Catawba, NC 28609
(828) 241-2734
Gr: K-12 | 7 students Student-teacher ratio: 1:1 Minority enrollment: 28%

Recent Articles

How Much Choice Do High School Students Have?
How Much Choice Do High School Students Have?
Learn how graduation requirements, prerequisites, electives, staffing, scheduling conflicts, AP courses, dual enrollment, and career pathways determine how much control high school students have over schedules each year.
Does Your Child Need More Recess?
Does Your Child Need More Recess?
Explore whether your child may benefit more from recess than another academic period, including research on attention, learning, physical activity, stress, social development, and school-day balance today.
Combined Grade Classrooms, What Parents Should Know
Combined Grade Classrooms, What Parents Should Know
Learn how combined-grade classrooms work, why public schools use them, potential benefits and challenges, and the questions parents should ask before enrolling their child in one today.

Quick Facts (26-27)

  • District size: 28 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 16,003 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 18:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 42%
  • : 86% (Top 50% in NC)
  • : Top 50%
  • : 59% (Top 30%)
  • : 51% (Top 50%)
  • : 71% (Top 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NC Dept. of Education

Quick Links