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Jacobs Fork Middle

Q: Is Jacobs Fork Middle a good school?

Jacobs Fork Middle ranks 279 th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-8

279^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 64% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Jacobs Fork Middle is a 7th–8th grade school in Newton, NC, serving 482 students in the Catawba County Schools district, with a history of solid performance and a current 3-star state rating. One of the most useful context points for parents is economic demographics: about 52.9% of Jacobs Fork students receive free or reduced-price lunch, compared with rates above 98% at nearly every nearby middle school, including Harry M Arndt Middle, Maiden Middle School, and Heritage Middle. That means Jacobs Fork serves a very different student population than most of its neighbors, which matters when comparing test scores and rankings side by side.

Academically, Jacobs Fork shows clear strengths. Seventh grade math proficiency is 68.4%, well above district and state averages and the highest among all nearby middle schools in this comparison. Eighth grade science (73.8%) also outpaces both the district and the state, and reading proficiency is solidly above state averages in both grades. The gifted program is a standout: gifted students ranked 9th in the state this past year, putting the school in the 98th percentile for advanced learner outcomes. Attendance is another bright spot, with a chronic absenteeism rate of 17.9% — far below the state average of 24.2% and better than most area schools such as Lincolnton Middle (25.9%) and Grandview Middle (34.4%).

The school does have areas worth monitoring. Eighth grade math proficiency sits at 51.2% — roughly 5 points below the district average and well behind Maiden Middle School (58.7%). The 17-point gap between Jacobs Fork's 7th and 8th grade math scores is far wider than the statewide gap of about 3 points, suggesting a possible cohort or instructional issue. The school's overall state ranking has also drifted downward gradually over the past several years, from the low 80s percentile to its current 64th percentile. Outcomes for English language learners have slipped in recent years, though small subgroup sizes make these figures volatile. Meanwhile, schools serving far higher poverty populations, such as East Burke Middle and Heritage Middle, are posting comparable state rankings — a reminder that Jacobs Fork's results are best understood with its demographic context in mind.

482

Students ?

16.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

52.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3431 Plateau Road
Newton, NC 28658

(704) 462-1827

District: Catawba County Schools

Students who attend Jacobs Fork Middle usually attend:

High:

Fred T Foard High

Feeder schools for Jacobs Fork Middle:

Elementary:	Banoak Elementary
	Blackburn Elementary
	Mountain View Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.8%

Hispanic:

12.4%

Two or more races:

7.3%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Jacobs Fork Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 72nd percentile in 2016 → 64th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the North Carolina median (64th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school62%

District avg60%

North Carolina avg58%

279^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 36%▼ down 8 pts since 2016

From top 28% (2016) to top 36% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

87^th of 246Catawba County Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	61.9	279 of 778	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	68.0	221 of 773	71.4%	★★★★☆
2024	70.3	209 of 793	73.6%	★★★★☆
2023	68.9	214 of 784	72.7%	★★★★☆
2022	77.8	153 of 786	80.5%	★★★★☆
2021	81.4	122 of 741	83.5%	★★★★☆
2019	73.3	172 of 737	76.7%	★★★★☆
2018	80.6	106 of 691	84.7%	★★★★☆
2017	73.3	161 of 694	76.8%	★★★★☆
2016	68.7	193 of 692	72.1%	★★★★☆
2015	69.9	192 of 705	72.8%	★★★★☆
2014	68.6	168 of 627	73.2%	★★★★☆
2013	78.9	112 of 673	83.4%	★★★★☆
2012	79.9	90 of 662	86.4%	★★★★☆
2011	82.8	55 of 648	91.5%	★★★★★
2010	85.5	33 of 640	94.8%	★★★★★
2009	83.9	56 of 630	91.1%	★★★★★
2008	78.4	100 of 620	83.9%	★★★★☆
2007	79.4	79 of 606	87.0%	★★★★☆
2006	78.7	79 of 598	86.8%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	25.7	439 of 553	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	44.2	277 of 546	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	89.1	38 of 519	92.7%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	14.2	110 of 121	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.5	105 of 111	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.9	92 of 110	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.8	85 of 110	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.8	79 of 109	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.6	63 of 99	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.4	81 of 102	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	49.2	57 of 95	40.0%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	43.2	204 of 449	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.0	146 of 478	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.7	220 of 504	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.0	58 of 475	87.8%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	34.9	246 of 363	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	59.9	81 of 371	78.2%	★★★★☆
2024	65.4	54 of 356	84.8%	★★★★☆
2023	58.5	72 of 318	77.4%	★★★★☆
2022	72.3	31 of 312	90.1%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.8	240 of 731	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.5	213 of 733	70.9%	★★★★☆
2024	72.7	170 of 738	77.0%	★★★★☆
2023	65.6	220 of 731	69.9%	★★★★☆
2022	76.5	154 of 733	79.0%	★★★★☆
2021	82.3	92 of 706	87.0%	★★★★☆
2019	68.9	196 of 684	71.3%	★★★★☆
2018	79.1	112 of 656	82.9%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	77.2	9 of 465	98.1%	★★★★★
2025	77.0	20 of 458	95.6%	★★★★★
2024	61.8	191 of 461	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.1	244 of 452	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	71.7	54 of 450	88.0%	★★★★☆
2021	78.6	21 of 448	95.3%	★★★★★
2019	62.5	162 of 416	61.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	38.5	349 of 566	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	72.0	103 of 562	81.7%	★★★★☆
2024	73.9	89 of 564	84.2%	★★★★☆
2023	40.9	342 of 553	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	76.0	75 of 541	86.1%	★★★★☆
2021	87.3	35 of 522	93.3%	★★★★★
2019	57.0	161 of 493	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	77.8	61 of 472	87.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.7	258 of 725	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.3	162 of 729	77.8%	★★★★☆
2024	64.7	213 of 743	71.3%	★★★★☆
2023	62.7	212 of 735	71.2%	★★★★☆
2022	81.6	71 of 689	89.7%	★★★★☆
2021	81.7	57 of 633	91.0%	★★★★★
2019	71.5	123 of 639	80.8%	★★★★☆
2018	80.8	55 of 604	90.9%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	59.0	289 of 736	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.4	207 of 733	71.8%	★★★★☆
2024	64.5	237 of 751	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.3	199 of 747	73.4%	★★★★☆
2022	76.6	153 of 748	79.5%	★★★★☆
2021	78.2	136 of 711	80.9%	★★★★☆
2019	75.1	144 of 697	79.3%	★★★★☆
2018	81.5	89 of 665	86.6%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.4	218 of 333	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	56.0	127 of 328	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.1	87 of 306	71.6%	★★★★☆
2023	52.7	125 of 302	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.5	149 of 283	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	75.8	39 of 248	84.3%	★★★★☆
2019	51.2	107 of 237	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.4	66 of 221	70.1%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	35.9	311 of 500	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	23.5	432 of 478	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	52.0	304 of 644	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.4	293 of 649	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.8	298 of 652	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.7	264 of 656	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.9	219 of 658	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.3	199 of 632	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.2	276 of 624	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.9	202 of 596	66.1%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Gifted and Talented (2026)98th percentile+34 vs school

Female (2026)67th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)64th percentile~ school

Male (2026)61st percentile-3 vs school

Disabled (2022)55th percentile-26 vs school

White (2026)53rd percentile-11 vs school

Hispanic (2026)38th percentile-26 vs school

Special Education (2026)38th percentile-26 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)35th percentile-30 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)32nd percentile-32 vs school

African American (2026)21st percentile-44 vs school

Asian (2026)9th percentile-55 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science74%+5 vs state

Mathematics60%+5 vs state

Reading59%+3 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, June 23, 2012

Love this school. Both of my boys have had great teachers and seem ready for high school now. Our little girl starts this year and I know she will have as good an experience at JFM. Close Quote

Schools Near Jacobs Fork Middle

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)			EOG Reading (2026)			EOG Science (2026)	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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Jacobs Fork Middle	Public	7-8	3431 Plateau Road	Newton	28658	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 462-1827	482	30	16.3	52.9%	327 (67.8%)	28 (5.8%)	60 (12.4%)	32 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.3%)	61.9	279^th of 778 public middle schools	64.1%		68	221^st of 773 public middle schools	71.4%	58		68.4	51.2		59.0	58.6	73.8	$8,548	$885	$7,663
Grandview Middle	Public	6-8	451 Catawba Valley Boulevard S	Hickory	28602	Catawba County	Hickory City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 328-2289	347	24	14.5	99.1%	112 (32.3%)	79 (22.8%)	100 (28.8%)	23 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (9.2%)	24.3	611^th of 778 public middle schools	21.5%		36.1	504^th of 773 public middle schools	34.8%	107	42.6	53.9	36.0	36.9	38.2	46.3	50.0	$9,432	$1,144	$8,288
Lincolnton Middle	Public	6-8	2361 Startown Road	Lincolnton	28092	Lincoln County	Lincoln County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 735-1120	563	41	13.8	99.5%	250 (44.4%)	79 (14.0%)	166 (29.5%)	10 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (10.3%)	35.3	512^th of 778 public middle schools	34.2%		29.8	551^st of 773 public middle schools	28.7%	39	47.4	46.2	49.7	44.8	44.5	42.9	68.3	$8,847	$1,187	$7,659
East Burke Middle	Public	6-8	3519 Miller Bridge Road	Connelly Springs	28612	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 397-7446	630	40	15.9	99.2%	459 (72.9%)	14 (2.2%)	59 (9.4%)	58 (9.2%)	2 (0.3%)	6 (1.0%)	32 (5.1%)	64.9	249^th of 778 public middle schools	68.0%		50.7	383^rd of 773 public middle schools	50.5%	134	74.1	58.9	57.9	56.2	61.1	59.5	74.4	$8,638	$679	$7,959
Maiden Middle School	Public	7-8	518 North C Avenue	Maiden	28650	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 428-2326	451	28	16.4	98.9%	292 (64.7%)	21 (4.7%)	71 (15.7%)	38 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.4%)	56.1	338^th of 778 public middle schools	56.6%		57.8	299^th of 773 public middle schools	61.3%	39		57.3	58.7		61.6	54.3	65.0	$8,168	$563	$7,604
West Lincoln Middle	Public	6-8	260 Shoal Rd	Lincolnton	28092	Lincoln County	Lincoln County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 276-1760	563	39	14.4	98.8%	473 (84.0%)	6 (1.1%)	48 (8.5%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.9%)	57.8	324^th of 778 public middle schools	58.4%		52.8	359^th of 773 public middle schools	53.6%	35	57.4	53.8	56.7	56.5	56.5	58.8	77.8	$8,615	$996	$7,618
Northview Middle	Public	6-8	302 28th Avenue NE	Hickory	28601	Catawba County	Hickory City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 327-6300	481	28	17.3	99.4%	191 (39.7%)	86 (17.9%)	110 (22.9%)	24 (5.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	68 (14.1%)	42	463^rd of 778 public middle schools	40.5%		40.4	468^th of 773 public middle schools	39.5%	5	59.1	43.8	49.4	53.2	47.9	52.1	60.2	$8,178	$747	$7,431
Newton-Conover Middle	Public	6-8	873 Northern Dr NW	Conover	28613	Catawba County	Newton Conover City Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 464-4221	559	37	14.9	99.5%	206 (36.9%)	71 (12.7%)	180 (32.2%)	47 (8.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (9.7%)	53.2	370^th of 778 public middle schools	52.4%		52.7	360^th of 773 public middle schools	53.4%	10	60.5	61.2	60.2	45.2	57.4	54.7	64.7	$7,899	$565	$7,334
Harry M Arndt Middle	Public	7-8	3350 34th Street Drive NE	Hickory	28601	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 256-9545	601	36	16.7	99.5%	275 (45.8%)	44 (7.3%)	204 (33.9%)	28 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (8.3%)	53.2	368^th of 778 public middle schools	52.7%		49.2	392^nd of 773 public middle schools	49.3%	24		56.2	53.1		56.7	51.1	72.4	$7,986	$496	$7,490
Granite Falls Middle	Public	6-8	4 West Highland Ave	Granite Falls	28630	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 396-2341	518	34	15.3	99.4%	402 (77.6%)	16 (3.1%)	65 (12.5%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	31 (6.0%)	47.2	420^th of 778 public middle schools	46.0%		65.9	243^rd of 773 public middle schools	68.6%	177	58.6	42.1	53.5	49.7	53.9	63.0	61.8	$9,031	$920	$8,111

Frequently Asked Questions about Jacobs Fork Middle

What district is Jacobs Fork Middle in?

Catawba County Schools

Is Jacobs Fork Middle a good school?

Jacobs Fork Middle ranks 279^th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Jacobs Fork Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 482 students attended Jacobs Fork Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Jacobs Fork Middle?

Students at Jacobs Fork Middle are 68% White, 12% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 7% Asian, 6% African American.

What high school do graduates of Jacobs Fork Middle attend?

Students who attend Jacobs Fork Middle usually go on to attend Fred T Foard High

Rate Jacobs Fork Middle!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

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.