Is Newton County High School a good school?

Newton County High School ranks 86 th of 228 Mississippi high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Newton County High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 792 students attended Newton County High School.

What is the racial makeup of Newton County High School?

Students at Newton County High School are 68% White, 22% African American, 6% American Indian, 2% Hispanic.

What schools feed into Newton County High School?

Newton County High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Newton County Elementary School

Newton County High School

Summary:

Newton County High School is a public high school located in Decatur, Mississippi, serving grades 6-12 with a total enrollment of 811 students. The school is part of the Newton Municipal School District, which is ranked 15th out of 130 districts in Mississippi and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Newton County High School has a relatively diverse student population, with 67.57% White, 22.07% African American, 2.47% Hispanic, 0.74% Asian, and 6.29% Native American students. This diversity is higher compared to the nearby West Lauderdale High School, which has a student population that is 77.25% White. Academically, Newton County High School has consistently performed well on state assessments, with several subject areas exceeding the state average. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school had 74% of 7th-grade students proficient or better in MAAP Mathematics, compared to the state average of 57.2%. Additionally, the school's proficiency rates in Algebra I (70.4%), U.S. History (80.3%), and Biology (61.1%) were all higher than the state averages. The school has also shown a positive trend in its statewide ranking, moving from a 2-star rating in 2013-2014 to a 4-star rating in 2020-2021 and 2022-2023.

Despite its strong academic performance, Newton County High School has an exceptionally high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 99.63% to 99.67% over the past three school years. This suggests that the school is serving a predominantly economically disadvantaged student population. When comparing Newton County High School to the nearby West Lauderdale High School, Lake High School, and Union High School, some interesting patterns emerge. West Lauderdale High School and Union High School consistently outperform Newton County High School on state assessments, particularly in subjects like Algebra I, English II, and U.S. History. However, Newton County High School's performance is generally stronger than that of Lake High School, which is in the lower-performing Scott County School District.

Detail:

Public 6-12

16255 Hwy 503
Decatur, MS 39327

(601) 635-4261

District: Newton County School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
86^th of 228 Mississippi High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,001

Feeder schools for Newton County High School:

Elementary:

Newton County Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.6

Number of students: 792

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.4%

African American:

22.3%

American Indian:

5.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 56.7%

See top rated Mississippi high schools

Compare Newton County High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Newton County High School ranks better than 85.2% of middle schools in Mississippi. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 81.76. (See more...)

Compare Details Newton County High School ranks better than 62.3% of high schools in Mississippi. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 63.11. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Newton County High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (68.4%), African American (22.3%), American Indian (5.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 56.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Newton County High School is 14.6. (See more...)

Compare Newton County High School employs 54.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Newton County High School is $12,001.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Newton County High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Newton County High School 39^th of 264 Mississippi public middle schools. (See Newton County High School in the ranking list.)

SchoolDigger ranks Newton County High School 86^th of 228 Mississippi public high schools. (See Newton County High School in the ranking list.)

Newton County School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Newton County School District 15^th of 130 Mississippi school districts. (See district ranking list.)

What do you think?

Your rating for Newton County High School?

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Rank History for Newton County High School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MS State Percentile
2008	73.51	55^th	244	77.5%
2009	64.23	82^nd	247	66.8%
2010	67.05	79^th	255	69.0%
2011	75.91	51^st	264	80.7%
2012	76.33	51^st	270	81.1%
2013	76.73	58^th	269	78.4%
2014	60.72	100^th	264	62.1%
2015	64.65	77^th	266	71.1%
2016	71.12	70^th	260	73.1%
2017	79.87	46^th	272	83.1%
2018	80.35	45^th	252	82.1%
2019	72.24	64^th	264	75.8%
2021	60.48	102^nd	257	60.3%
2022	66.13	93^rd	257	63.8%
2023	70.53	69^th	243	71.6%
2024	81.76	39^th	264	85.2%

See the entire list of Mississippi High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Mississippi Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Newton County High School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MS State Percentile
2004	70.11	51^st	232	78.0%
2005	73.52	39^th	232	83.2%
2006	67.10	75^th	232	67.7%
2007	69.16	67^th	232	71.1%
2008	70.72	60^th	235	74.5%
2009	65.68	82^nd	235	65.1%
2010	49.80	126^th	235	46.4%
2011	58.25	106^th	244	56.6%
2012	69.96	58^th	241	75.9%
2013	70.19	62^nd	238	73.9%
2014	44.41	132^nd	236	44.1%
2015	57.19	77^th	226	65.9%
2016	64.24	74^th	231	68.0%
2017	56.78	93^rd	237	60.8%
2018	62.40	85^th	233	63.5%
2019	65.83	68^th	233	70.8%
2021	73.35	52^nd	231	77.5%
2022	63.87	79^th	228	65.4%
2023	70.23	60^th	226	73.5%
2024	63.11	86^th	228	62.3%

See the entire list of Mississippi High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Mississippi Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Newton County High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1990	239	113	0	0	41	n/a	n/a	393
1991	319	126	0	0	33	n/a	n/a	478
1992	317	128	0	0	34	n/a	n/a	479
1993	318	132	0	2	26	n/a	n/a	478
1994	331	118	0	2	25	n/a	n/a	476
1995	516	177	3	1	31	n/a	n/a	728
1996	516	177	3	1	31	n/a	n/a	728
1997	492	171	3	0	20	n/a	n/a	686
1998	503	176	3	0	16	n/a	n/a	698
1999	472	179	0	0	24	n/a	n/a	675
2000	456	179	0	1	15	n/a	n/a	651
2001	443	194	0	2	16	n/a	n/a	655
2002	575	228	2	6	28	n/a	n/a	839
2003	575	228	2	6	28	n/a	n/a	839
2004	593	225	2	8	22	n/a	n/a	850
2005	630	233	3	12	22	n/a	n/a	900
2006	675	245	5	13	30	n/a	n/a	968
2007	672	255	5	10	30	n/a	n/a	972
2008	715	263	1	13	27	n/a	n/a	1019
2009	726	236	3	11	24	0	0	1000
2010	727	221	1	15	18	0	0	982
2011	733	215	1	16	22	0	1	988
2012	725	225	4	13	30	0	2	999
2013	718	220	2	16	26	0	3	985
2014	731	215	3	15	26	0	3	993
2015	686	236	3	15	32	0	0	972
2016	682	227	5	19	28	0	0	961
2017	678	216	7	19	45	0	0	965
2018	653	197	6	17	50	0	0	923
2019	649	212	8	21	45	0	1	936
2020	647	217	7	26	54	0	0	951
2021	634	205	5	27	49	0	1	921
2022	552	176	8	24	51	0	3	814
2023	548	179	6	20	51	1	6	811
2024	542	177	3	18	44	2	6	792

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Newton County High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	393	22.9	17.1	n/a
1991	478	34.7	13.7	n/a
1992	479	30.3	15.8	44.7
1993	478	26.0	18.4	46.2
1994	476	25.5	18.7	44.7
1995	728	34.8	20.9	43.1
1996	728	34.8	20.9	43.1
1997	686	34.4	19.9	45.9
1998	698	36.2	19.3	47.6
1999	675	35.4	19.1	55
2000	651	34.2	19.0	57.5
2001	655	33.3	19.7	58.3
2002	839	41.8	20.1	56.9
2003	839	41.8	20.1	56.9
2004	850	43.9	19.4	46.5
2005	900	43.7	20.6	45.4
2006	968	46.6	20.8	47.2
2007	972	50.1	19.4	45.6
2008	1019	56.9	17.9	48.3
2009	1000	57.0	17.5	49.5
2010	982	57.2	17.1	53.3
2011	988	58.7	16.8	53.3
2012	999	63.6	15.6	55.7
2013	985	59.8	16.4	52.6
2014	993	59.8	16.6	51.7
2015	972	57.0	17.0	49.9
2016	961	57.0	16.8	52.2
2017	965	53.7	17.9	56.8
2018	923	52.3	17.6	51.6
2019	936	58.6	15.9	52.8
2020	951	55.1	17.2	52.7
2021	921	57.1	16.1	99.7
2022	814	55.0	14.7	99.6
2023	811	56.2	14.4	99.6
2024	792	54.1	14.6	56.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Newton County High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	393	22.9	17.1	n/a
1991	478	34.7	13.7	n/a
1992	479	30.3	15.8	44.7
1993	478	26.0	18.4	46.2
1994	476	25.5	18.7	44.7
1995	728	34.8	20.9	43.1
1996	728	34.8	20.9	43.1
1997	686	34.4	19.9	45.9
1998	698	36.2	19.3	47.6
1999	675	35.4	19.1	55
2000	651	34.2	19.0	57.5
2001	655	33.3	19.7	58.3
2002	839	41.8	20.1	56.9
2003	839	41.8	20.1	56.9
2004	850	43.9	19.4	46.5
2005	900	43.7	20.6	45.4
2006	968	46.6	20.8	47.2
2007	972	50.1	19.4	45.6
2008	1019	56.9	17.9	48.3
2009	1000	57.0	17.5	49.5
2010	982	57.2	17.1	53.3
2011	988	58.7	16.8	53.3
2012	999	63.6	15.6	55.7
2013	985	59.8	16.4	52.6
2014	993	59.8	16.6	51.7
2015	972	57.0	17.0	49.9
2016	961	57.0	16.8	52.2
2017	965	53.7	17.9	56.8
2018	923	52.3	17.6	51.6
2019	936	58.6	15.9	52.8
2020	951	55.1	17.2	52.7
2021	921	57.1	16.1	99.7
2022	814	55.0	14.7	99.6
2023	811	56.2	14.4	99.6
2024	792	54.1	14.6	56.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Newton County High School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2017	$8,392
2018	$8,402
2019	$8,973
2020	$10,286
2021	$10,803
2022	$12,001

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Newton County High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 64^th of 264 Middle schools	Ranks 69^th of 243 Middle schools	4.2%
Ranks 68^th of 233 High schools	Ranks 60^th of 226 High schools	2.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts (Newton County High School)	56.3	41.1	15.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Newton County School District)	56.3	41.1	15.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	39	40.2	1.2%
7th Grade Mathematics (Newton County High School)	69.7	65.3	4.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Newton County School District)	69.7	65.3	4.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	51.1	55.6	4.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Newton County High School)	37.5	45.5	8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Newton County School District)	37.5	45.5	8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	35.5	40.5	5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Newton County High School)	36.9	46.2	9.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Newton County School District)	36.9	46.2	9.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	44.8	46.1	1.3%
8th Grade Science (Newton County High School)	56.3	64.8	8.5%
8th Grade Science (Newton County School District)	56.3	64.8	8.5%
8th Grade Science (Mississippi)	52.7	53.3	0.6%
End of Course Algebra I (Newton County High School)	53.7	80.2	26.5%
End of Course Algebra I (Newton County School District)	53.7	80.2	26.5%
End of Course Algebra I (Mississippi)	49.3	65.8	16.5%
End of Course English II (Newton County High School)	55.2	44.6	10.6%
End of Course English II (Newton County School District)	55.2	44.6	10.6%
End of Course English II (Mississippi)	43.9	50.1	6.2%
End of Course Biology (Newton County High School)	62.2	72.4	10.2%
End of Course Biology (Newton County School District)	62.2	72.4	10.2%
End of Course Biology (Mississippi)	57.2	60.9	3.7%
End of Course U.S. History1 (Newton County High School)	64.3	84.7	20.4%
End of Course U.S. History1 (Newton County School District)	64.3	84.7	20.4%
End of Course U.S. History1 (Mississippi)	55.5	71.4	15.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	936	811	13.4%
African American	212	179	15.6%
American Indian	45	51	13.3%
Asian	8	6	25%
Hispanic	21	20	4.8%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	649	548	15.6%
Two or More Races	1	6	500%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	52.8%	99.6%	46.9%

Schools Near Newton County High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAAP English Language Arts (2024)		MAAP Mathematics (2024)		MAAP Algebra I (2024)	MAAP English II (2024)	MAAP Science (2024)	MAAP Biology (2024)	MAAP U.S. History1 (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAAP Algebra I End of Course	MAAP English II End of Course	MAAP Science 8th Grade	MAAP Biology End of Course	MAAP U.S. History1 End of Course	Total
Newton County High School	Public	6-12	16255 Hwy 503	Decatur	39327	Newton County	Newton County School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 635-4261	792	54	14.6	56.7%	542 (68.4%)	177 (22.3%)	18 (2.3%)	3 (0.4%)	44 (5.6%)	2 (0.3%)	6 (0.8%)	63.1	86^th of 228 public high schools	62.3%		70.2	60^th of 226 public high schools	73.5%	26	51.3	47.6	74.0	80.9	70.4	52.1	66.7	61.1	80.3	$12,001
Newton High School	Public	9-12	201 W. First Street	Newton	39345	Newton County	Newton Municipal School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 683-2232	238	30	7.9	100.0%	5 (2.1%)	225 (94.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.1%)	35.7	151^st of 228 public high schools	33.8%		48.3	126^th of 226 public high schools	44.2%	25					58.3	39.7		59.4	50.0	$13,838
Newton Municipal Career Center	Public	9-12	203 W. First Street	Newton	39345	Newton County	Newton Municipal School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 683-6338	0	2	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Union High School	Public	9-12	101 Forest Street	Union	39365	Neshoba County	Union Public School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 774-8257	271	28	9.7	100.0%	202 (74.5%)	63 (23.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	88.9	6^th of 228 public high schools	97.4%		83.1	19^th of 226 public high schools	91.6%	13					92.8	59.8		86.2	90.0	$13,445
Lake High School	Public	9-12	24442 Hwy 80	Lake	39092	Scott County	Scott County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 775-3248	205	16	12.6	100.0%	91 (44.4%)	106 (51.7%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.4%)	62	89^th of 228 public high schools	61.0%		43.8	134^th of 226 public high schools	40.7%	45					67.7	49.0		83.3	69.3	$11,721
West Lauderdale High School	Public	9-12	9916 West Lauderdale Road	Collinsville	39325	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 737-2277	551	38	14.4	31.9%	418 (75.9%)	104 (18.9%)	12 (2.2%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.4%)	77.5	44^th of 228 public high schools	80.7%		84.4	17^th of 226 public high schools	92.5%	27					80.0	54.1		71.3	88.5	$10,115

Newton County High School

Newton County School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Newton County High School

Rank History for Newton County High School

Enrollment information for Newton County High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Newton County High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Newton County High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Newton County High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Newton County High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Newton County High School