Catawba County officials are reportedly considering a forcible merger of two of the county’s school systems.
Newton-Conover City Schools’ average daily membership has declined for a decade. Enrollment has declined by about 12% since the 2019-20 school year, according to the school district and state data.
As enrollment has declined, so has state funding. The district said they cut three full-time employees for the 2025-2026 school year due to a budget shortfall.
Newton-Conover is currently preparing to begin the second phase of a construction project at Newton-Conover High School. The project was funded by more than $50 million from state grants and local dollars.
The Newton-Conover City Schools issued the following news release.
On Friday, June 6, 2025, Newton-Conover City Schools (N-CCS) was informed by Catawba County Board of Commissioners Chairman Randy Isenhower that the County Commissioners plan to consider a resolution at their July meeting to begin the process of forcibly merging N-CCS into Catawba County Schools. Chairman Isenhower has indicated that the Board of Commissioners have the votes to pass this resolution.
In response, the Newton-Conover Board of Education will consider a resolution at its regularly scheduled business meeting on Monday, June 16 at 5:30 PM, opposing this plan from the County Commissioners.
This meeting will take place at the Newton-Conover City Schools Administrative Office at 605 N. Ashe Ave in Newton.
Story: Rob Eastwood-WHKY