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6.5 avg / 10

Best Schools in Newton, North Carolina

10 schools · 6 Elementary · 1 Middle · 3 High

Public: 9
Private: 1
Districts: 2
Avg Rating: 6.5/10
Move-ready shortlistcity map + schools

Choosing a school in Newton?

Use this page to compare every school in Newton by level, neighborhood, and district — and find the right fit, not just the top of the list.

Shortlist starter

Start with these real page-level signals, then use the full table and map below.

North Newton Elementary

8.4/10

Elementary · Newton Conover City Schools. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.

Discovery High School

7.9/10

High · Newton Conover City Schools. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.

Balls Creek Elementary

7.7/10

Elementary · Catawba County Schools. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.

The short answer

The top-rated schools in Newton for 2026 are North Newton Elementary (8.4/10), Discovery High School (7.9/10), and Balls Creek Elementary (7.7/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 10 rated schools. Ratings blend student growth, poverty-adjusted academic achievement, and school environment (plus college readiness for high schools), with equity shown as context, not scored; schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.

Schools

10

9 public · 1 private

Avg Score

6.5

out of 10

Median Home

$192,500

home value · ACS

Districts

2

serving the city

Best value · beats the odds
North Newton Elementary

Rates 8.4/10 despite 79% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 1.5 points higher than its student-poverty level predicts. Roughly as clean a case of strong results without an affluent-ZIP price tag as you'll find among Newton schools.

Top-Rated Schools in Newton

Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (10 of 10). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.

# School Rating
1 North Newton Elementary 8.4 / 10
2 Discovery High School 7.9 / 10
3 Balls Creek Elementary 7.7 / 10
4 Startown Elementary 7.2 / 10
5 South Newton Elementary 7.1 / 10
6 Jacobs Fork Middle 6.6 / 10
7 Blackburn Elementary 6.4 / 10
8 Fred T Foard High 5.7 / 10
9 Newton-conover High 4.3 / 10
10 Montessori at Sandy Ford 4.2 / 10

See every school — including those with estimated data — in the full directory below. How we rate schools.

Family Snapshot

At a glance
Avg school rating
6.5/10

50% of schools rated 7+

Median household income
$67,805

Census ACS, ZIPs in this city

Median home value
$192,500

Owner-occupied units

Bachelor's degree or higher
19%

Adults 25+

Avg commute
24 min

Workers age 16+

Owner-occupied homes
75%

Of occupied housing units

How Newton compares

North Carolina rank

#83 of 253

cities by avg. school score

Vs. state average

+0.3

above North Carolina avg (6.2)

Median household income

$68k

100% of North Carolina median

Schools in this city

10

About Schools in Newton, North Carolina

Newton runs 9 ranked public schools with a city-wide average score of 6.9 out of 10. That average tells part of the story. The more useful figure is the distribution: five of the nine schools — 56% — score 7.0 or above, meaning more than half of Newton's ranked schools clear what most parents consider a solid threshold. The spread below that line matters too; a 6.9 average alongside a strong upper tier signals that a handful of schools are pulling numbers down, and assignment zone carries real weight here.

The elementary tier is Newton's standout layer. North Newton Elementary scores 9.5 out of 10 — the highest-rated school in the city by a significant margin. South Newton Elementary (8.1) and Blackburn Elementary (7.8) are both strong performers, sitting comfortably above 7.0. Balls Creek Elementary (7.7) rounds out a cluster of four elementaries where scores stay tight, pointing to consistent quality across the tier rather than one outlier inflating the picture. For families with young children, Newton's elementary options are a genuine draw.

The secondary picture is thinner. Discovery High School earns a 7.2, clearing the 7.0 mark, but it is the only high school in Newton's ranked set. The gap between the 9.5 at the top and the 7.2 at the high school level is worth tracking as a family's planning horizon extends. Middle school families have even fewer data points to work with in Newton's current ranked set.

For parents comparing schools in Newton, the practical takeaway is straightforward. If your children are elementary-aged and you can access North Newton Elementary, South Newton, or Blackburn, you are in strong territory by any reasonable benchmark. Families with older students should dig into Discovery High School's subject-level data beyond the headline score. The 6.9 city average is decent across a 9-school system, but the 9.5 at North Newton is the number that signals what is achievable here.

Filter by ZIP: 28658 (10)

Elementary Schools

6 schools
# School Rating
1 389 students · Kindergarten–5th 8.4
2 698 students · Pre-K–6th 7.7
3 534 students · Pre-K–6th 7.2
4 326 students · Pre-K–5th 7.1
5 488 students · Kindergarten–6th 6.4
Private Schools 1 school

Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.

1 47 students · Pre-K–8th 4.2

Middle Schools

1 school
# School Rating
1 443 students · 7th–8th 6.6

High Schools

3 schools
# School Rating
1 162 students · 9th–12th 7.9
2 956 students · 9th–12th 5.7
3 749 students · 9th–12th 4.3

Schools in Newton

Newton, North Carolina · 10 schools

Community Demographics

Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code

Median Income

$67,805

Median Home Value

$192,500

Median Rent

$933/mo

Population

25,681

College Educated

19%

Homeownership

75%

Avg Commute

24 min

Poverty Rate

10.3%

Community Profile

Newton has a median household income of $67,805. It is a community where 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $192,500, with a median rent of $933/month. The area has a poverty rate of 10.3%. The average commute for residents is 24 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about schools in Newton, North Carolina

How many schools are in Newton, North Carolina?

Newton has 10 schools, including 9 public and 1 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.

What is the average school rating in Newton, North Carolina?

The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Newton is 6.5 out of 10, built from student growth, poverty-adjusted academic achievement, and school environment — plus college readiness for high schools.

What is the top-ranked school in Newton, North Carolina?

The top-ranked school in Newton on MySchoolScout is North Newton Elementary with a composite score of 8.4/10.

What is the best elementary school in Newton, North Carolina?

The top-ranked elementary school in Newton on MySchoolScout is North Newton Elementary with a composite score of 8.4/10.

What is the best middle school in Newton, North Carolina?

The top-ranked middle school in Newton on MySchoolScout is Jacobs Fork Middle with a composite score of 6.6/10.

What is the best high school in Newton, North Carolina?

The top-ranked high school in Newton on MySchoolScout is Discovery High School with a composite score of 7.9/10.

How many school districts serve Newton, North Carolina?

Newton is served by 2 school districts: Catawba County Schools, Newton Conover City Schools.

What is the education level in Newton, North Carolina?

According to Census data, 19% of adults in Newton have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the median income in Newton, North Carolina?

The median household income in Newton is approximately $67,805 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.

Are there private schools in Newton, North Carolina?

Yes, Newton has 1 private school alongside 9 public schools. The top-rated private school is Montessori at Sandy Ford with a score of 4.2/10.

What is the student-teacher ratio in Newton, North Carolina?

The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Newton is 16.4:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.

How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Newton, North Carolina?

MySchoolScout rates schools using publicly available data from the NCES Common Core of Data and state education departments. Each school receives a 1-10 composite score built from Student Growth, Poverty-Adjusted Academic Achievement, and School Environment — plus College Readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, and equity data is shown for context but not scored.

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Data from NCES Common Core of Data, North Carolina Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.