B+
Catawba County Schools
Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 6 towns
Serves Hickory, Newton, Conover, Maiden, Claremont and Catawba, and parts of Brookford.
Students
16,003
Schools
28
Spent per student
$11,777
NC $13,045
Students per teacher
18:1
Free or reduced lunch
84%
Debt
$81.9M
fiscal 2024
What stands out about Catawba County Schools
- School Grade B+: better than 65% of North Carolina districts
- Math proficiency 12 pts above the state
- Spends 10% less per student than the NC average
- 18 students per teacher
- Debt of $81.9M, about $5,120 per student
Where would my kid go?
The school path for Catawba.
PK–6Catawba Elementary SchoolThis district
7–85 middle schoolsThis district
9–126 high schoolsThis district
Test scores vs. NC
2020–21Math proficiency54%
State average 41.9%
Reading / language arts51%
State average 47.2%
Graduation rate (4-year)89%
State average 87.7%
Where the money goes
fiscal 2024$11,777 per student · 10% below NC
Spending
Classroom instruction 62%Support & administration 33%Other 5%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 29%State 57%Federal 14%
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Enrollment over time
15,575’20
15,494’21
15,678’22
15,880’23
16,003’24
About steady.
Students
White 58%Hispanic 20%Two or more races 8%Asian 8%Black 6%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%
Schools in the district
28 public schools.
Saint Stephens Elementary
C+711 students15:1
Mountain View Elementary
A708 students18:1
Balls Creek Elementary
A−686 students16:1
Sherrills Ford Elementary
A633 students18:1
Maiden Elementary
B562 students18:1
Snow Creek Elementary
A−551 students15:1
Oxford Elementary
C+540 students16:1
Startown Elementary
B+540 students16:1
Clyde Campbell Elementary
A−505 students16:1
Blackburn Elementary
B+484 students17:1
Claremont Elementary
C+462 students16:1
Lyle Creek Elementary
B−458 students15:1
Catawba Elementary School
C+450 students17:1
Webb A Murray Elementary
C+380 students14:1
Charles H Tuttle Elementary
B368 students17:1
Banoak Elementary
B+291 students17:1
Harry M Arndt Middle
B601 students17:1
Jacobs Fork Middle
A−482 students16:1
Mill Creek Middle
B+477 students16:1
Maiden Middle School
B+451 students16:1
River Bend Middle
B−450 students17:1
Saint Stephens High
A−1,268 students22:1
Bandys High
A935 students23:1
Fred T Foard High
A930 students22:1
Maiden High
A−852 students21:1
Bunker Hill High
B+845 students21:1
Challenger Early College High
A+376 students34:1
Catawba Rosenwald Education Center
7 students1:1
Towns served
Nearby districts
Compare spending and schools next door.
District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES directory and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: EDFacts via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Neighbor ratings are opinions.