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What's the most underrated thing about Jacobs Fork Middle that outsiders don't know?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
482
Middle
DISTRICT 492 · STATE 605
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·CATAWBA COUNTY SCHOOLS·NCES 370069001364
Jacobs Fork Middle
3431 Plateau Road, Newton, NC 28658 · (704) 462-1827 · Catawba County
GRADES 07–08MIDDLE41-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL482 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
16.3:1
30 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 16.4:1 · STATE 15.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
53%
255 students
DISTRICT 86% · STATE 82%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 7 | 252 | 52% |
| Grade 8 | 230 | 48% |
Student demographics
51%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 61% · STATE 71% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
NC EOG / EOC 2024-25 . % Grade Level Proficient (Level 3+)English Language Arts
59.4%
NC avg 50.9%
Math
59.5%
NC avg 52.2%
What this means: On the NC EOG / EOC, North Carolina's statewide test, about 59 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 60 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all North Carolina schools, those numbers are about 51 and 52.
Source: NC EOG / EOC. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
62.1%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
62.7%
based on NC schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-0.5pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 62% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 63% typical for North Carolina schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among North Carolina's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Where Jacobs Fork Middle ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In North Carolina | In Catawba County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 62.1% | #109 of 463 | #1 of 8 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 59.5% | #135 of 461 | #1 of 8 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 59.4% | #113 of 463 | #1 of 8 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 482 | #317 of 478 | #3 of 8 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 16.3:1 | #235 of 456 | #4 of 8 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 51.1% | #345 of 456 | #7 of 8 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 52.9% | #373 of 472 | #7 of 8 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +1.3% | #123 of 143 | N/A |
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
482
-47 (-9%) vs 2020
-23% since 2000-01, when it was 628
Student : Teacher
16.3:1
was 18.2:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 482 | 29.5 | 16.3:1 | 53% (255) |
| 2023-24 | 443 | 28 | 15.8:1 | 53% (233) |
| 2022-23 | 440 | 28.5 | 15.5:1 | 48% (209) |
| 2020-21 | 529 | 29 | 18.2:1 | 30% (159) |
| 2017-18 | 476 | 29.4 | 16.2:1 | 38% (182) |
| 2015-16 | 532 | 31 | 17.2:1 | 43% (229) |
| 2010-11 | 566 | 33 | 17.1:1 | 42% (239) |
| 2000-01 | 628 | 48 | 13.1:1 | 17% (107) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Jacobs Fork Middle.
About Jacobs Fork Middle
Among the schools in Newton, North Carolina, is Jacobs Fork Middle, a low-enrollment middle school. It enrolls 482 students in 2024-25. The grades offered are 7 through 8. It has 20% fewer students than the average for middle schools in North Carolina (about 605).
Jacobs Fork Middle is one school in Catawba County Schools, a system of 28 schools with 16,003 students.
The share of White students at Jacobs Fork Middle is 68%, a majority. Other students are 12% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, 7% Asian, and 6% Black. A diversity index of 51% means there is a 51% chance two randomly chosen students at Jacobs Fork Middle are from different groups.
Jacobs Fork Middle reported 29.5 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024-25, a ratio of 16.3:1. The average ratio among middle schools in North Carolina is similar, at 15.9:1. There are 255 students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, 53% of enrollment. That is lower than the 86% average for public schools in Catawba County.
Compared with North Carolina schools that have similar shares of low-income students, Jacobs Fork Middle's results are within a point of predicted: 62.1% against 62.7%.
For Catawba County, Census Bureau data show median household income comes to about $67,864, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 26% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 9%. Public schools in Catawba County number 44, with about 22,392 students.
Measured in a straight line, Fred T Foard High is about 0.2 miles from Jacobs Fork Middle. Other public schools within five miles: 4. The school's 62.1% average proficiency ranks 5th among 8 nearby schools.
The National Center for Education Statistics classifies the school's location as Rural: Fringe, meaning it is in rural territory close to an urban area.
From 529 students in 2020-21, enrollment fell to 482 by 2024-25. Over the same period, the student-to-teacher ratio dropped to 16.3:1, from 18.2:1.
The discussion board for Jacobs Fork Middle is open to topics like pickup and drop-off, after-school programs, and teacher feedback. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to post.
Catawba County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
163,573
Census ACS
Median income
$67,864
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
26%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
9%
Below federal line
Schools in county
44
22,392 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Catawba County Schools
- Saint Stephens HighHigh · 1,268 students
- Bandys HighHigh · 935 students
- Fred T Foard HighHigh · 930 students
- Maiden HighHigh · 852 students
- Bunker Hill HighHigh · 845 students
- Saint Stephens ElementaryElementary · 711 students
Other schools in Newton
- Fred T Foard HighHigh · 930 students
- Newton-Conover HighHigh · 724 students
- Balls Creek ElementaryElementary · 686 students
- Startown ElementaryElementary · 540 students
- Blackburn ElementaryElementary · 484 students
- North Newton ElementaryElementary · 388 students
Nearby schools
- Fred T Foard High0.2 mi · 930
- Blackburn Elementary2.2 mi · 484
- Banoak Elementary3.4 mi · 291
- Mountain View Elementary3.5 mi · 708
- Startown Elementary5.9 mi · 540
- Grandview Middle6.6 mi · 347
Frequently asked questions
About Jacobs Fork MiddleWhat is the total enrollment at Jacobs Fork Middle?
Jacobs Fork Middle enrolls approximately 482 students in grades 07-08.
What age range does Jacobs Fork Middle serve?
Jacobs Fork Middle serves students from grade 07 through grade 08.
How many students per teacher at Jacobs Fork Middle?
Approximately 16.3:1 students per teacher at Jacobs Fork Middle.
What is the student diversity at Jacobs Fork Middle?
Student demographics at Jacobs Fork Middle are roughly 68% White, 12% Hispanic, 6% Black, 7% Asian, 7% Two or more.
Who oversees Jacobs Fork Middle?
Jacobs Fork Middle is overseen by Catawba County Schools in Catawba County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.