Schools

UPDATE: The Board of Commissioners approved the proposed merger plan following a public hearing April 20. The plan has been submitted to the State Board of Education for final approval per state statute. Read the news release HERE.

Proposed School Merger Plan

The Catawba County Board of Commissioners is chiefly responsible for funding public school facility construction. Through its ongoing partnership with local school leadership, the Board is committed to assuring quality learning environments for all students across the county’s three public school systems.

Increasing student enrollment in Catawba County Schools has created a demand for more school classroom capacity, both now and over the long-term. At the same time, student enrollment declines in both Newton-Conover City Schools and Hickory City Schools, which have already led to significant under-utilization in existing school facilities, are projected to continue over the next decade. As a result of this student loss, both districts are expected to continue losing state operating funding at a rate that raises concerns regarding maintaining existing student services.

As the County came to recognize these factors, discussions began about how to maximize underutilized classroom and school facilities for the benefit of all students in the county. The County is required by state statute to fund all three systems on an equal per pupil basis, which is becoming increasingly problematic as the systems experience their own unique enrollment trends and associated funding implications. Driven by these dynamics, the Catawba County Board of Commissioners evaluated merging the three systems as a strategy to address school capacity needs. A proposed merger plan was approved by the board on April 21, 2026. The plan has been submitted to the State Board of Education for final approval per state statute.

A link to the proposed school district merger plan is available below. A hard copy is available for review in the Catawba County Clerk’s office.

Supporting Materials

New additions:
Proposed School District Merger Plan (Updated)
School Merger FAQs (Updated)

Other:
Board of Commissioners Schools Community Meeting Presentation
Catawba County Schools Master Plan
Catawba County Schools - Newton Conover City Schools Merger Possibilities
Hickory City Schools Enrollment and Capacity