Catawba County Schools

Public Regional · 6 towns Grades PK–12 B+School Grade

Public schools for Hickory, Newton, Conover, Maiden, Claremont and Catawba, and parts of Brookford.

At a glance

16,003Students enrolled

28Schools

6Towns served

$11,777Spent per student

18:1Student–teacher ratio

84%Free / reduced lunch

School path

Where would my kid go?

HickoryNewtonConoverMaidenClaremontCatawba

Grades PK–6

4 schoolsDepends on your address · see the listThis district

Grades 6

5 middle schoolsDepends on your address · see the listThis district

Grades 7–8

5 middle schoolsDepends on your address · see the listThis district

Grades 9–12

Challenger Early College High376 students · HickoryThis district

Grades PK–6

Startown Elementary or North Newton Elementary or South Newton ElementaryDepends on your addressThis district

Grades 7–8

6 middle schoolsDepends on your address · see the listThis district

Grades 9–12

6 high schoolsDepends on your address · see the listThis district

Grades PK–6

Lyle Creek Elementary or Shuford ElementaryDepends on your addressThis district

Grades 7–8

Newton-Conover Middle559 students · ConoverNewton-Conover City Schools

Grades 9–12

6 high schoolsDepends on your address · see the listThis district

Grades PK–6

Maiden Elementary562 students · MaidenThis district

Grades 7–8

Maiden Middle School451 students · MaidenThis district

Grades 9–12

Maiden High852 students · MaidenThis district

Grades PK–6

Claremont Elementary462 students · ClaremontThis district

Grades 7–8

5 middle schoolsDepends on your address · see the listThis district

Grades 9–12

6 high schoolsDepends on your address · see the listThis district

Grades PK–6

Catawba Elementary School450 students · CatawbaThis district

Grades 7–8

5 middle schoolsDepends on your address · see the listThis district

Grades 9–12

6 high schoolsDepends on your address · see the listThis district

Based on district boundaries from the U.S. Department of Education. Where a town has more than one school at a grade, your street decides; check with the district before you enroll.

Academic performanceDistrict vs NC

Math proficiency54%

State average 41.9%

Reading / language arts51%

State average 47.2%

Graduation rate (4-year)89%

State average 87.7%

EDFacts via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (tests 2020–21; graduation 2019–20). The tick marks the state average.

Where the money goes

$11,777

per student each year · 10% below the NC average

Spending

Classroom instruction62%

Support & administration33%

Other5%

Paid for by

Local (mostly property tax)29%

State57%

Federal14%

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances (fiscal 2024).

Enrollment · last 5 years

15,575’20

15,494’21

15,678’22

15,880’23

16,003’24

Students

White · 58%9,290

Hispanic · 20%3,137

Two or more races · 8%1,298

Asian · 8%1,241

Black · 6%1,021

American Indian/Alaska Native · 0%8

Across the district's schools, as reported to NCES.

Towns served

📍

Hickory44,258 people

📍

Newton13,333 people

📍

Conover8,580 people

📍

Maiden3,788 people

📍

Claremont1,922 people

📍

Catawba628 people

Also covers small parts of Brookford.

Schools28 in district

Level

All 28 Elementary 16 Middle 5 High 6 Other 1

📚

Saint Stephens ElementaryElementary · Grades K–6 · 711 students · Conover

C+Public 📚

Mountain View ElementaryElementary · Grades K–6 · 708 students · Hickory

APublic 📚

Balls Creek ElementaryElementary · Grades PK–6 · 686 students · Newton

A-Public 📚

Sherrills Ford ElementaryElementary · Grades K–6 · 633 students · Sherrills Ford

APublic 📚

Maiden ElementaryElementary · Grades PK–6 · 562 students · Maiden

BPublic 📚

Snow Creek ElementaryElementary · Grades PK–6 · 551 students · Hickory

A-Public 📚

Oxford ElementaryElementary · Grades PK–6 · 540 students · Claremont

C+Public 📚

Startown ElementaryElementary · Grades PK–6 · 540 students · Newton

B+Public 📚

Clyde Campbell ElementaryElementary · Grades PK–6 · 505 students · Hickory

A-Public 📚

Blackburn ElementaryElementary · Grades K–6 · 484 students · Newton

B+Public 📚

Claremont ElementaryElementary · Grades PK–6 · 462 students · Claremont

C+Public 📚

Lyle Creek ElementaryElementary · Grades PK–6 · 458 students · Conover

B-Public 📚

Catawba Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades PK–6 · 450 students · Catawba

C+Public 📚

Webb A Murray ElementaryElementary · Grades PK–6 · 380 students · Hickory

C+Public 📚

Charles H Tuttle ElementaryElementary · Grades K–6 · 368 students · Maiden

BPublic 📚

Banoak ElementaryElementary · Grades K–6 · 291 students · Vale

B+Public

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES). Ratings are from neighbors on TownTapestry.

Nearby districts

🏫

Caldwell County SchoolsGranite Falls · $12,425 per student

District facts from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory and school district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau's school finance survey. Test scores and graduation rates from EDFacts via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Neighbor ratings reflect opinions, not an official measure of school quality.