NEWTON, N.C. — Newton-Conover City Schools has a new superintendent.
Emily Shaw most recently worked for the Montgomery County School District, our partners at the Hickory Daily Record reported.
Superintendent Aron Gabriel is stepping into a new role as president of Mayland Community College in Spruce Pine.
Shaw will take over Jan. 1, 2026.
“This reminded me a lot of my small hometown that I’m from,” Shaw told the newspaper. “I knew that it had the family feeling and I knew it was a place that I wanted to work and put students first. All the initiatives they have in place, with their CTE programs, curriculum in elementary school, it fell right into my skill set and I knew this was where I needed to be.”
The announcement comes during a push to merge Newton-Conover, Hickory City and Catawba County schools.
Catawba County leaders say a merger would help with budget deficits in those districts.
Parents in all three districts have told us they’re against the idea.
VIDEO: Community divided over proposed merger of Catawba County school districts
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