Enrollment
328
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Newton, NC
South Newton Elementary
Federal NCES profile for South Newton Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370336001404
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 10
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Newton Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Newton · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 67.1%
- free-lunch eligible
South Newton Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Newton Elementary ranks #2 of 4 schools in Newton, NC.
School address
District: Newton Conover City Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370336001404 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Newton Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Newton Elementary
South Newton Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Newton, North Carolina, enrolling 328 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 67.1% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 328 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 256 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #169.
Its student body is led by White (38%) and Hispanic or Latino (34%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 328 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.0% 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 public schools, it stands alongside Balls Creek Elementary (686 students): South Newton Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.3:1 vs 15.2:1).
Newton Conover City Schools also operates Newton-Conover High (724 students) and Newton-Conover Middle (559 students) alongside South Newton Elementary.
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 South Newton Elementary compares
South Newton Elementary 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 | 14.3:1 | ▼ 9% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.1% | ▲ 2% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 328 | top 74% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
328
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
67.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 39% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
36.0%
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 328 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
31
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.5 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 38.1%
Hispanic or Latino 33.8%
African American 15.9%
Two or More 6.4%
Asian 5.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 38.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.8, South Newton Elementary is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Newton Conover City Schools, which includes South Newton Elementary.
$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 South Newton Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton-Conover High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Newton-Conover Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Shuford Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Newton Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Discovery High School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Newton Elementary'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
- 146
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar other schools in Newton
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~328 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Newton Elementary's federal record.
- Compare South Newton Elementary 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 South Newton Elementary
How many students attend South Newton Elementary?
South Newton Elementary has 328 students enrolled. It is a public school in Newton, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Newton Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at South Newton Elementary is 14.3:1, which is 9% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Newton Elementary?
67.1% of students at South Newton Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Newton Elementary?
The largest demographic group at South Newton Elementary is White at 38.1% of enrollment, in Newton, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Newton Elementary?
South Newton Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Newton Elementary rank among schools in Newton?
By Resource Investment Index, South Newton Elementary ranks #2 of 4 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 schools in Newton on the city page.
Is South Newton Elementary a good school?
South Newton Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. 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 South Newton Elementary, 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.