Enrollment
146
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Newton, NC
Discovery High School
Federal NCES profile for Discovery High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370336002754
👥 S:T ratio 27
📚 AP courses 65
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 71
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Discovery High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Newton · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.3:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 18.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Discovery High School has class sizes larger than 83% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery High School ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Newton, NC.
School address
District: Newton Conover City Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370336002754 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery High School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Discovery High School
Discovery High School is a lower-poverty, small high school in Newton, North Carolina, enrolling 146 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.3:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 18.1% free-meal eligibility runs 73% below the North Carolina average.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 92% of North Carolina schools, with 146 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 26 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #23, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 60/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 13 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 146 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Newton's high schools, it stands alongside Fred T Foard High (930 students): Discovery High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.3:1 vs 17.5:1).
Newton Conover City Schools also operates Newton-Conover High (724 students) and Newton-Conover Middle (559 students) alongside Discovery High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Discovery High School compares
Discovery High School on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.3:1 | ▲ 16% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.1% | ▼ 73% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 146 | top 92% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.3:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
146
Bigger than 14% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.3:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 83% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
43.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,901
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 146 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 58.2%
Hispanic or Latino 19.2%
Asian 10.3%
Two or More 9.6%
African American 2.7%
Largest group: White at 58.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.4, Discovery High School is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 13
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Newton Conover City Schools, which includes Discovery High School.
$11,901
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.7%
State 58.9%
Federal 20.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Discovery High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton-Conover High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Newton-Conover Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Shuford Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Newton Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| South Newton Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Discovery High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 724
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 559
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 402
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 388
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 328
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar high schools in Newton
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~146 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Discovery High School's federal record.
- Compare Discovery High School against another school. Compare schools
- Newton Conover City Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Discovery High School
How many students attend Discovery High School?
Discovery High School has 146 students enrolled. It is a high school in Newton, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery High School is 18.3:1, which is 16% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Discovery High School?
18.1% of students at Discovery High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery High School?
The largest demographic group at Discovery High School is White at 58.2% of enrollment, in Newton, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery High School?
Discovery High School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Discovery High School rank among high schools in Newton?
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery High School ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Newton, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Newton on the city page.
Is Discovery High School a good school?
Discovery High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of North Carolina schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Newton Conover City Schools?
Besides Discovery High School, Newton Conover City Schools also operates Newton-Conover High (724 students), Newton-Conover Middle (559 students), and Shuford Elementary (402 students). See the Newton Conover City Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.