Enrollment
930
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Newton, NC
Fred T Foard High
Federal NCES profile for Fred T Foard High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370069000282
👥 S:T ratio 30
📚 AP courses 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fred T Foard High earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Newton · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.5:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 36.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Fred T Foard High has class sizes larger than 77% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fred T Foard High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Newton, NC.
School address
District: Catawba County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370069000282 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.9%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fred T Foard High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fred T Foard High
Fred T Foard High is a large high school in Newton, North Carolina, enrolling 930 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.5:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 930 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 349 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #254, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 44/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 9 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 310 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 22.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 7 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Newton's high schools, it stands alongside Newton-Conover High (724 students): Fred T Foard High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.5:1 vs 16.5:1).
Catawba County Schools also operates Saint Stephens High (1,268 students) and Bandys High (935 students) alongside Fred T Foard High.
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 Fred T Foard High compares
Fred T Foard High 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 | 17.5:1 | ▲ 11% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.9% | ▼ 44% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 930 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
930
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 77% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
42.3%
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
$11,517
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 310 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
47
in-school suspensions + 69 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 7 expulsions.
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 73.5%
Hispanic or Latino 10.5%
Two or More 7.2%
Asian 5.2%
African American 3.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 73.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.0, Fred T Foard High is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 9
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Catawba County Schools, which includes Fred T Foard High.
$11,517
Per student
-4%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.3%
State 55.4%
Federal 22.2%
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 Fred T Foard High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Stephens High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bandys High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Maiden High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bunker Hill High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Saint Stephens Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fred T Foard High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,268
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 935
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 852
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 845
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 711
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- 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 (~930 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fred T Foard High's federal record.
- Compare Fred T Foard High against another school. Compare schools
- Catawba County 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 Fred T Foard High
How many students attend Fred T Foard High?
Fred T Foard High has 930 students enrolled. It is a high school in Newton, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fred T Foard High?
The student-teacher ratio at Fred T Foard High is 17.5:1, which is 11% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fred T Foard High?
36.9% of students at Fred T Foard High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fred T Foard High?
The largest demographic group at Fred T Foard High is White at 73.5% of enrollment, in Newton, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fred T Foard High?
Fred T Foard High has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Fred T Foard High rank among high schools in Newton?
By Resource Investment Index, Fred T Foard High ranks #3 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 Fred T Foard High a good school?
Fred T Foard High earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% 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 Catawba County Schools?
Besides Fred T Foard High, Catawba County Schools also operates Saint Stephens High (1,268 students), Bandys High (935 students), and Maiden High (852 students). See the Catawba County 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.