Newton County's Challenge Charter Academy has been named a Priority School, one of the lowest performing schools in the state, according to information released by the Newton County Board of Education Tuesday.

Out of 78 schools listed, Challenge was 46 on the list due to a lack of achievement. The list, released by the Georgia Department of Education, identified bottom 5 percent of Title I schools in the state as part of a waiver for No Child Left Behind.

At Challenge the overall student body (currently 137 enrolled in middle and high school grades) have consistently performed poorly on tests and have shown a lack of progress in the last three years overall. Because of the designation the school will qualify for state assistance.

"It's not good news, but it's the real news," said Superintendent Gary Mathews.