High Schools in Catawba County Schools

Summary:

The Catawba County Schools district in North Carolina is home to 6 high schools, serving students in grades 9-12. The data reveals a mix of high-performing and lower-performing schools, with Challenger Early College High standing out as the top-ranked school in the district and one of the best in the state.

Challenger Early College High consistently ranks among the top 3-21 high schools in North Carolina, with exceptional test scores, high graduation rates, and efficient use of resources. In contrast, Bunker Hill High appears to be the lowest-performing school in the district, with the lowest statewide rank and the highest percentage of free/reduced lunch recipients. The other high schools in the district, including Saint Stephens High, Fred T Foard High, Bandys High, and Maiden High, generally perform at or above the district and state averages on key metrics.

Overall, the Catawba County Schools district provides a solid education for its students, with the standout performance of Challenger Early College High suggesting the early college model may be a successful approach. However, the district may benefit from a more equitable distribution of resources to ensure all students have access to the same level of support and attention, especially at the lower-performing schools.

District Detail

2285 North Anderson Avenue
Newton, NC 28658-1000

(828) 464-8333

SchoolDigger Rank:
82^nd of 242 North Carolina districts

See the 2025 North Carolina District rankings!

Grades served: PK, KG-12
Students: 16,003

Primary Schools: 16
Middle Schools: 5
High Schools: 6
Alternative Schools: 1

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOC Biology (2025)	EOC English II (2025)	EOC Math I (2025)	EOC Math III (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bandys High	Public	9-12	5040 E Bandys Road	Catawba	28609	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 241-1471	935	40	23.1	40.5%	696 (74.4%)	42 (4.5%)	116 (12.4%)	17 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (6.8%)	69.2	181^st of 641 public high schools	71.8%		68.4	192^nd of 640 public high schools	70.0%	11	61.4	63.1	56.8	85.2	$8,843	$732	$8,111
Bunker Hill High	Public	9-12	4675 Oxford School Road	Claremont	28610	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 241-3355	845	40	21.1	99.6%	457 (54.1%)	69 (8.2%)	179 (21.2%)	86 (10.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (6.4%)	30.3	441^st of 641 public high schools	31.2%		38.7	377^th of 640 public high schools	41.1%	64	40.5	43.6	24.7	59.4	$8,880	$745	$8,136
Fred T Foard High	Public	9-12	3407 Plateau Road	Newton	28658	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 462-1496	930	43	21.8	46.9%	684 (73.5%)	30 (3.2%)	98 (10.5%)	48 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.3%)	67 (7.2%)	52.6	274^th of 641 public high schools	57.3%		57.9	245^th of 640 public high schools	61.7%	29	52.8	66.8	50.8	54.0	$8,769	$744	$8,025
Maiden High	Public	9-12	600 West Main Street	Maiden	28650	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 428-8197	852	41	20.7	49.1%	528 (62.0%)	54 (6.3%)	150 (17.6%)	57 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (7.4%)	47.8	320^th of 641 public high schools	50.1%		59.8	235^th of 640 public high schools	63.3%	85	46.2	49.3	43.5	75.0	$9,016	$684	$8,333
Saint Stephens High	Public	9-12	3205 34th Street Drive NE	Hickory	28601	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 256-9841	1,268	57	22.0	99.8%	560 (44.2%)	109 (8.6%)	442 (34.9%)	62 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	95 (7.5%)	58	243^rd of 641 public high schools	62.1%		50.2	297^th of 640 public high schools	53.6%	54	52.3	58.1	52.4	74.7	$8,502	$740	$7,761
Challenger Early College High	Public	9-12	2550 Hwy 70 SE	Hickory	28602	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 485-2980	376	11	33.5	49.5%	131 (34.8%)	10 (2.7%)	122 (32.4%)	72 (19.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	40 (10.6%)	95.5	16^th of 641 public high schools	97.5%		95.6	21^st of 640 public high schools	96.7%	5	92.0	100.0	88.2	99.0	$6,093	$246	$5,847

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Newton Conover City Schools	5.94 mi	7	79^th
Lincoln County Schools	6.67 mi	23	68^th
Iredell-Statesville Schools	10.42 mi	38	102^nd
West Lake Preparatory Academy	11.54 mi	1	109^th
Lincoln Charter School	12.31 mi	1

See the top NC North Carolina districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.