2023 Best Schools with Gifted and Talented Programs in Catawba County

• Newton Conover City Schools, NC•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.52 out of 5  66 reviews

Senior: My first year of school was probably my favorite year at Discovery. We had a lot of freedoms such as an hour lunch, sitting outside, freedom on devices, and free roam of the school(to an extent). When the pandemic started we lost a good few freedoms such as the hour lunch because they needed to split up the lunch time in half so that there wouldn't be a lot of students at one time in any classroom or cafeteria. Now that the pandemic has become ver mild I believed that those things implicated would go back to normal but they have not and I would love to have those back. Other than that we have some very wonderful teachers that really strive to teach the students to the best of their ability and you can tell they care about the students a lot. Discovery has lots of things that help the school to feel like a family and I think it does feel like a family. You do lots of things in the community with the school and I love that I can make a difference in my community with may school.... Read 66 reviews

• grade A

• Students 211

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Newton Conover City Schools, NC•

• PK, K-5

• grade A

• Students 432

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Catawba County Schools, NC•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.28 out of 5  156 reviews

Junior: This is a great place to go to High School! The workload sometimes seems insurmountable, but the teachers are always willing to help! They truly do care about their students and will go out of their way to help you understand something! Most teachers actually have a sense of humor which makes the day much more enjoyable. The only complaints I have are about sports, however, when you come to Challenger you have to understand that you didn't come here for the athletics, you came to be challenged academically. I would recommend coming here to anybody that wishes to be challenged and anybody that doesn't believe that sports is the only thing that matters in High School.... Read 156 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 376

• Student-teacher ratio 27:1

• Catawba County Schools, NC•

• PK, K-6

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: This school is by far the best school in the world in my eyes. I attended this school when I was younger and now I currently have a 3rd grader and a 6th grader attending here. The compassion and genuine care for the students is without a doubt a blessing. From the principal, to the custodian, to the volunteers, to the cafeteria workers, the staff here really get involved with the students to let them know that they care, and they are dedicated to educating and inspiring these children to do their very best. They make sure to stay in contact with you to let you know the progress of your child and will also ask you if there's anything that they can do to assist in making sure your child reaches their full potential. I know that when my children leave in the morning for school that they are safe and that they are taken care of and most of all that they're actually learning new things. Thank you to the teachers and all the staff at Mr. View for all that you do.... Read 1 review

• grade A minus

• Students 697

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Catawba County Schools, NC•

• PK, K-6

• grade A minus

• Students 536

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Catawba County Schools, NC•

• K-6

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  4 reviews

Parent: We LOVE SFES! We have a 6th & 1st grader & can say that in the 7 years we have been here, we have had only incredibly positive experiences! Here are a few things we love: 1-The teachers genuinely love the students. And the students love the teachers! They are great at communication using email and other programs like Class Dojo, Remind. 2-They use project-based learning and incorporate STEM across all grade levels. Last year, our kindergartner used robots to learn literacy & digital microscopes to examine owl pellets! And grades 3-6 use Chromebooks with Google Classroom which has been terrific. 3-I feel very safe leaving my kids at SFES. There’s a camera & intercom system to check your driver’s license then you must check in on a computer that scans your license and verifies DOB. Also, you must be certified to volunteer & background checked to chaperone. 4-They believe in the arts! Each week they have Music (w/ an incredibly inspiring music teacher!), PE, Art, & Spanish!... Read 4 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 500

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Catawba County Schools, NC•

• 7-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Freshman: Arndt was overall a very good school, good staff, good teachers, and good classmates. When I first arrived at HMA I was astonished by how nice everyone was, and don’t get me started on the teachers! They taught me very well and they got me ready for high school. They taught me academically but they also taught me life lessons and decisions. Honestly, the only thing I would change about that school is the amount of homework they give. No, I don’t want less homework I want MORE homework because they made school so fun and I was always motivated to learn.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 655

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Catawba County Schools, NC•

• PK, K-6

• grade B+

• Students 534

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Catawba County Schools, NC•

• 7-8

• •
  Rating 3.86 out of 5  7 reviews

Senior: Overall, my experience with Jacob’s Fork was grand. It prepared me for high school as much as it could due to its wonderful and educated teachers. However, like all schools, the safety factor could have been better with perhaps more involvement with law enforcements. But of course this would be prevented and hindered by finances. Though overall, middle school was more “ordered” than high school, as in, their was more order when it came to fights and other conflict. That was probably due to us not having as much freedom in middle school than high school. But with freedom comes responsibility.... Read 7 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 529

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Catawba County Schools, NC•

• PK, K-6

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: Balls Creek Elementary was a wonderful choice for my daughter during her time there. Each and every member of the staff, including Office Personnel were 100% invested in not only her education but her overall being. They went above and beyond to advocate for her and I both and offer support to our tiny family outside of the school. They created an environment where they were somehow able to make each individual student feel like they were the only one when times were tough. They praised achievements and they supported growth. We are both going to miss them.... Read 1 review

• grade B+

• Students 657

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Newton Conover City Schools, NC•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: My child has LOVED the STEM focus of this school and has been challenged all year. It's not easy, but she feels so prepared for high school. Dr. W and her team are amazing... Read 1 review

• grade B+

• Students 683

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Catawba County Schools, NC•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.68 out of 5  163 reviews

Senior: Overall the school has an invited atmosphere and community of teachers. I never felt like I was put in any harmful or uncomfortable situations at this school, either by teachers or other students. The only downside is the outdated building that has some issues such as leaky ceilings and a one-time sewer fume leak incident!... Read 163 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,165

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Catawba County Schools, NC•

• K-6

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Alum: I attended when it was still Blackburn Middle School and was an extremely shy child that was still involved in a number of clubs and activities, like the newspaper club and battle of the books, thanks to the amazing teachers here.... Read 2 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 496

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Catawba County Schools, NC•

• K-6

• grade B+

• Students 399

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Catawba County Schools, NC•

• K-6

• grade B+

• Students 472

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Hickory City Schools, NC•

• PK, K-5

• grade B+

• Students 328

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Newton Conover City Schools, NC•

• PK, K-5

• grade B

• Students 343

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Catawba County Schools, NC•

• 7-8

• •
  Rating 2.5 out of 5  2 reviews

• grade B

• Students 419

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Hickory City Schools, NC•

• 3-5

• grade B

• Students 320

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Catawba County Schools, NC•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.92 out of 5  197 reviews

Senior: I loved Bandys! I transferred there my sophomore year, and the COVID hit. I thoroughly enjoyed the agricultural activities and classes offered there and the Ag. Dept. was phenomenal and made learning fun. The teachers care about your education and future and do their best to support you in every way. Bandys made sure the transition from in-person, to full virtual, to hybrid, was easy and natural as possible. Even though I did not have the opportunity to embrace the full aspects of high school there, they made me feel like family and made sure I had all the tools to be successful. Go Trojans!... Read 197 reviews

• grade B

• Students 797

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Hickory City Schools, NC•

• 6-8

• grade B

• Students 534

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Catawba County Schools, NC•

• 7-8

• grade B

• Students 461

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Catawba County Schools, NC•

• 7-8

• grade B

• Students 491

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Hickory City Schools, NC•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.5 out of 5  148 reviews

Senior: Hickory High School is a good school to connect to teachers and other peers. The teachers are understanding and communicate very well with students, they are big advocates for a students health and manage time very well. The staff take action seriously and quickly if there is conflict. Overall, personally, I hope more students apply to Hickory High.... Read 148 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,012

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Catawba County Schools, NC•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.91 out of 5  214 reviews

Senior: My experience in high school was one that has changed my life for the better. Maiden high school has lots of educational opportunities for people to choose from which I enjoyed. Students as well as their minds gradually continue to grow both in teaching and learning with free time that was given for that purpose. If I had to choose to see something new or changed in the school, it would most likely be how much homework teachers assign to working students. I often see working students turn in their homework late and are often stressed out by how much teachers assign work for each class. I would like for teachers to understand their situation and ask if they need more time because working after school is quite hard and stressful.... Read 214 reviews

• grade B

• Students 835

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1