Catawba County Schools School District

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

Top Rankings

Catawba County Schools School District 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 2025-26 school year, there are 10 public preschools serving 5,076 students in Catawba County Schools School District. This district's average pre testing ranking is 7/10, which is in the top 50% of public pre schools in North Carolina.
Public Preschools in Catawba County Schools School District have an average math proficiency score of 57% (versus the North Carolina public pre school average of 51%), and reading proficiency score of 45% (versus the 46% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 42% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public preschool average of 59% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
28 Schools
994 Schools
# Students
15,880 Students
464,055 Students
# Teachers
1,007 Teachers
33,275 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
16:1
16:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Catawba County Schools School District, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 320 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%)
(21-22)
59%
51%
51%
50%
71%
63%
(21-22)
86%
86%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.60
0.72
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
7%
4%
% Hispanic
19%
23%
% Black
6%
25%
% White
60%
41%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
8%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $10,638 in this school district is less than the state median of $11,187. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $10,571 is less than the state median of $11,612. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (NC)
Total Revenue
$169 MM
$17,307 MM
Spending
$168 MM
$17,964 MM
Revenue / Student
$10,638
$11,187
Spending / Student
$10,571
$11,612

Best Catawba County Schools School District Public Preschools (2025-26)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Clyde Campbell Elementary School
(Math: 69% | Reading: 58%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
2121 35th Avenue Drive Ne
Hickory, NC 28601
(828) 256-2769
Gr: PK-6 | 501 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 38%
Rank: #22.
Snow Creek Elementary School
(Math: 67% | Reading: 58%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
3238 Snow Creek Rd
Hickory, NC 28601
(828) 256-2335
Gr: PK-6 | 569 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 39%
Rank: #33.
Balls Creek Elementary School
(Math: 71% | Reading: 51%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
2620 Balls Creek Road
Newton, NC 28658
(828) 464-4766
Gr: PK-6 | 698 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 22%
Rank: #44.
Startown Elementary School
(Math: 57% | Reading: 50%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
4119 Startown Road
Newton, NC 28658
(828) 464-1257
Gr: PK-6 | 534 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 44%
Rank: #55.
Maiden Elementary School
(Math: 54% | Reading: 43%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
201 N Main Avenue
Maiden, NC 28650
(828) 428-8769
Gr: PK-6 | 538 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 35%
Rank: #66.
Claremont Elementary School
(Math: 53% | Reading: 43%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
3384 E Main Street
Claremont, NC 28610
(828) 459-7921
Gr: PK-6 | 440 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 47%
Rank: #77.
Catawba Elementary School
(Math: 54% | Reading: 36%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
5415 Hudson Chapel Road
Catawba, NC 28609
(828) 241-3131
Gr: PK-6 | 421 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 39%
Rank: #88.
Lyle Creek Elementary School
(Math: 50% | Reading: 35%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
1845 Edgewater Drive Nw
Conover, NC 28613
(828) 464-0299
Gr: PK-6 | 444 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 61%
Rank: #99.
Oxford Elementary School
(Math: 45% | Reading: 38%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
5915 Oxford School Road
Claremont, NC 28610
(828) 459-7220
Gr: PK-6 | 547 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 42%
Rank: #1010.
Webb A Murray Elementary School
(Math: 44% | Reading: 33%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
3901 Section House Road
Hickory, NC 28601
(828) 256-2196
Gr: PK-6 | 384 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 70%

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Quick Facts (2025-26)

  • District size: 28 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 15,880 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 16:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 40%
  • : 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

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