Catherine Truitt North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction | North Carolina Department of Public Instruction website
Catherine Truitt North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction | North Carolina Department of Public Instruction website
Saint Stephens High School registered the highest enrollment among Catawba County's 43 schools in the 2023-24 school year, welcoming 1,229 students.
Despite steady enrollment, North Carolina schools continue to face significant funding challenges. The state's per-student spending remains nearly $5,000 below the national average, limiting resources for teachers, classrooms, and student support programs. In fact, North Carolina ranks 48th out of 50 states in per-student funding (after adjusting for regional costs).
Staffing shortages have also become a growing concern, with teacher turnover rising to 11.5% in the most recent school year. Low salaries and high workloads make it difficult to retain experienced educators, potentially increasing class sizes and affecting learning quality.
| School name | Total Enrollment in 2022-23 | Total Enrollment in 2023-24 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Stephens High School | 1,218 | 1,229 | 0.9% |
| Hickory High School | 966 | 974 | 0.8% |
| Fred T. Foard High School | 927 | 919 | -0.9% |
| Bandys High School | 848 | 900 | 6.1% |
| Maiden High School | 853 | 867 | 1.6% |
| Bunker Hill High School | 816 | 866 | 6.1% |
| Newton-Conover High School | 735 | 720 | -2% |
| Saint Stephens Elementary School | 705 | 718 | 1.8% |
| Mountain View Elementary School | 692 | 714 | 3.2% |
| Balls Creek Elementary School | 672 | 687 | 2.2% |
| Harry M. Arndt Middle School | 626 | 626 | 0% |
| Sherrills Ford Elementary School | 527 | 593 | 12.5% |
| Snow Creek Elementary School | 571 | 574 | 0.5% |
| Oxford Elementary School | 554 | 554 | 0% |
| Newton-Conover Middle School | 601 | 543 | -9.7% |
| Maiden Elementary School | 482 | 524 | 8.7% |
| Startown Elementary School | 511 | 514 | 0.6% |
| Blackburn Elementary School | 518 | 495 | -4.4% |
| Clyde Campbell Elementary School | 458 | 481 | 5% |
| Viewmont Elementary School | 514 | 473 | -8% |
| Northview Middle School | 472 | 455 | -3.6% |
| River Bend Middle School | - | 447 | - |
| Jacobs Fork Middle School | 434 | 443 | 2.1% |
| Claremont Elementary School | - | 429 | - |
| Mill Creek Middle School | 416 | 427 | 2.6% |
| Catawba Elementary School | 387 | 410 | 5.9% |
| Shuford Elementary School | 416 | 403 | -3.1% |
| Maiden Middle School | 417 | 401 | -3.8% |
| Lyle Creek Elementary School | 421 | 392 | -6.9% |
| Grandview Middle School | 396 | 390 | -1.5% |
| North Newton Elementary School | 420 | 388 | -7.6% |
| Charles H. Tuttle Elementary School | 411 | 380 | -7.5% |
| Webb A. Murray Elementary School | 374 | 367 | -1.9% |
| Challenger Early College High | - | 359 | - |
| Oakwood Elementary School | 324 | 311 | -4% |
| South Newton Elementary School | 337 | 302 | -10.4% |
| Longview Elementary School | 318 | 293 | -7.9% |
| Banoak Elementary School | 287 | 282 | -1.7% |
| Southwest Primary School | 278 | 274 | -1.4% |
| W. M. Jenkins Elementary School | 256 | 261 | 2% |
| Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School | 233 | 220 | -5.6% |
| Discovery High School | 193 | 161 | -16.6% |
| Conover Special Education | 51 | 49 | -3.9% |
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