Newton Education Foundation

10/12/2026

Eagles soar! Eastside High posted a school-record 95.15% graduation rate, the highest in the district. Thank you, Principal Jeff Cher, and the whole Eastside team for getting the Class of 2026 across that stage.

10/12/2026

Ram strong! Newton High reached a school-record 92.32% graduation rate for the Class of 2026. Congratulations to Principal Dr. Stephen Hammock, the Newton High staff, and every graduate who made history.

10/10/2026

Momentum at Alcovy! The Tigers raised their graduation rate to 88.61%, the school's best in three years and above the state average. Thank you, Principal Michael Chapple and team, for building on that progress.

Stay tuned for an exciting NEF announcement about AHS (along with EHS and NHS).

10/09/2026

Graduation rates are just one part of the good news. Over the past year, NCS also posted:

AP Scholars: 239, up from 104 in 2023
Students in dual enrollment: 640, up from 295
Six schools honored by Georgia's Beating the Odds program

Proud of these students and the educators behind them.
https://www.newtoncountyschools.org/departments/communications/news/a_p_scholars_2026-_historic_numbers

10/08/2026

We love sharing all the great things happening at Newton County Schools!

In the last days of September, Dr. Duke Bradley announced that the Class of 2026 earned the highest graduation rate in Newton County Schools history: 91.72%. That's more than three points above the state rate, and it's the eighth year in a row NCS has beaten it.

Eastside High: 95.15%, a school record
Newton High: 92.32%, a school record
Alcovy High: 88.61%, its best in three years

Longtime Newton County resident and Main Street Land & Properties owner Sam Hay visited with Eastside High School's Principal Jeff Cher after the event.

Dr. Bradley said it best: this belongs to the entire Newton County community.
And the music? All three high school bands showed out. If you love seeing the NCS high school bands, Save Dec. 5. Something big is coming to Sharp Stadium. 🥁

09/24/2026

Congratulations to an outstanding teacher, Mr. Johnny Edwards! We were thrilled to support the life-changing experience you curated for students, taking them to perform at Carnegie Hall and we are glad to see you get this well-deserved recognition.

🎉 AND THE 2027 NEWTON COUNTY SCHOOLS TEACHER OF THE YEAR IS… MR. JOHNNY EDWARDS! 🎉

Congratulations to Mr. Johnny Edwards, Choral Director and AP Music Theory teacher at Newton High School, who was named Newton County Schools’ 2027 Teacher of the Year tonight!

Mr. Edwards has served Newton High School students since 2015, using the power of music to inspire, challenge, and bring out the very best in his students. He will now represent Newton County Schools in the Georgia Teacher of the Year Program!

Please join us in congratulating Mr. Edwards on this tremendous honor! We are proud to have him represent Newton County Schools!

🎶 Congratulations, Mr. Edwards — our 2027 NCS Teacher of the Year! 🎶

Read the full announcement here: https://www.newtoncountyschools.org/departments/communications/news/n_c_s_announces_2027_teacher_of_the_year

09/22/2026

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at Porterdale Elementary

Michelle Jenkins, Newton Education Foundation board member, was honored to serve as one of the judges for Porterdale Elementary School’s Hispanic Heritage Month Bulletin Board Contest! 🇲🇽🇵🇷🇨🇺🇪🇸🌎

A HUGE thank you to all of the amazing teachers who participated! It was an absolute joy to see the creativity, thought, and heart that went into celebrating and honoring the rich cultures, traditions, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities.

The bulletin boards were truly incredible, and it was wonderful to see our teachers creating such meaningful learning experiences for their students!

Pictured: Porterdale Elementary teachers Mrs. Fincher and Ms. Villanueva, along with Newton Education Foundation Board Member Michelle Jenkins.

Thank you, Porterdale Elementary, for allowing us to be part of such a special celebration! We are proud to support our teachers and students throughout Newton County!

09/22/2026

Celebrating the power of partnership! 💙

Through an incredible partnership and investment from Absolics and the Newton Education Foundation (NEF), 74 Newton County students participated in a Georgia Tech summer program filled with hands-on STEM learning and real-world experiences.

Absolics is bringing groundbreaking innovation right here to Newton County, and investing in the students who will become our future workforce. 🚀

74 students. One incredible week. Endless possibilities.

09/21/2026

The cloudy skies only magnified the proud smiles of this West Newton Elementary School family at this month's Covington Fuzz Run/Police Who Care, Inc.. Once Jarron Macknight caught his breath, he eagerly told our NEF roving reporters about his favorite teacher, Ms. Holcombes.

09/18/2026

It is time for FEEL GOOD FRIDAY!
This week its all about our wonderful partnership with Absolics, a company that has invented the first glass substrate for microcomputing chips and they will make them right here in Newton County! Absolics funded a GA Tech Summer program for 74 students to get hands-on STEM learning.

During a recent visit to the company, Newton College & Career Academy seniors Hannah and Anthony presented to executives about their experience

Read about the summer program here: https://newtoneducationfoundation.org/2026/09/absolics-ceismc-funding/