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Newton, North Carolina - 28 schools
An equity score of 42/100 ranks Catawba County Schools #149 of 293 districts in North Carolina (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $11,517 per pupil, Catawba County Schools ranks #169 of 322 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (North Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
15,678
Total Enrollment
28
Schools
$11,517
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Catawba County Schools operates 28 public schools serving 15,678 students, placing it in the mid-size range in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 12 combined, 6 high, 5 elementary, 5 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Catawba County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,517 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 322 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending. See how North Carolina compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 22.3% local, 55.4% state, and 22.2% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 42/100, ranked #149 of 293 in North Carolina against a state average of 45, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 6 of 28 schools offering Advanced Placement (51 AP courses district-wide), a 414.2:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 32.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 58.3% White, 19.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Saint Stephens Elementary, with a diversity index of 74.2/100.
Its largest campus is Saint Stephens High, enrolling 1,268 students (8% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Catawba Rosenwald Education Center, at 7 students, a 181x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Catawba County Schools school enrollment varies 181× across entities
Catawba County Schools school enrollment ranges from 7 students (lowest) to 1,268 students (highest), a spread of 1,261 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Catawba County Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 50.9% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Catawba County Schools student-counselor ratio is 414:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Catawba County Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 32.0% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Catawba County Schools has 28 schools, including 6 high, 12 combined, 5 elementary, 5 middle. Total enrollment is 15,678 students.
How much does Catawba County Schools spend per student?
Catawba County Schools spends $11,517 per student. The district has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #149 in North Carolina.
What is the demographic composition of Catawba County Schools?
Catawba County Schools students are 58.3% White, 19.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 6.4% African American, averaged across 28 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Catawba County Schools?
Catawba County Schools has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #149 out of 293 districts in North Carolina.