B−
Gaston County Schools
Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 12 towns
Serves Gastonia, Mount Holly, Belmont, Cherryville, Dallas, Bessemer City, Cramerton, Ranlo, Stanley, Lowell, McAdenville and High Shoals, and parts of Kings Mountain.
Students
30,995
Schools
56
Spent per student
$11,848
NC $13,045
Students per teacher
16:1
Free or reduced lunch
88%
Debt
$198.6M
fiscal 2024
What stands out about Gaston County Schools
- School Grade B−: better than 49% of North Carolina districts
- Reading / language arts 5 pts below the state
- Spends 9% less per student than the NC average
- 16 students per teacher
- Debt of $198.6M, about $6,407 per student
Where would my kid go?
The school path for Cramerton.
PK–526 elementary schoolsThis district
526 elementary schoolsThis district
6–8Cramerton MiddleThis district
9–12Stuart W Cramer HighThis district
Test scores vs. NC
2020–21Math proficiency44%
State average 41.9%
Reading / language arts42%
State average 47.2%
Graduation rate (4-year)88%
State average 87.7%
Where the money goes
fiscal 2024$11,848 per student · 9% below NC
Spending
Classroom instruction 60%Support & administration 34%Other 6%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 28%State 54%Federal 18%
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Enrollment over time
29,777’20
29,856’21
30,281’22
30,253’23
30,995’24
Up 4.1% since 2020.
Students
White 44%Black 25%Hispanic 22%Two or more races 6%Asian 2%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%
Schools in the district
56 public schools.
Pleasant Ridge Elementary
C+887 students16:1
Belmont Central Elementary
A−693 students19:1
W A Bess Elementary School
B+674 students17:1
Carr Elementary
C+665 students17:1
H H Beam Elementary
D−591 students15:1
Woodhill Elementary
D−577 students17:1
New Hope Elementary
B+571 students17:1
Gardner Park Elementary
C+560 students14:1
Sherwood Elementary
D553 students16:1
Ida Rankin Elementary School
B+533 students14:1
Brookside Elementary
C512 students15:1
Pinewood Elementary
B+508 students15:1
Lingerfeldt Elementary
D450 students17:1
Bessemer City Primary
445 students14:1
Costner Elementary
B430 students14:1
Robinson Elementary
C+420 students14:1
J B Page Primary School
396 students15:1
Bessemer City Central Elem
C−392 students16:1
Chapel Grove Elementary
C382 students15:1
Cherryville Elementary
B−378 students14:1
Edward D Sadler Jr Elementary School
C−374 students11:1
North Belmont Elementary
B+371 students14:1
Lowell Elementary
B−367 students13:1
Hawks Nest STEAM Academy
A356 students15:1
Springfield Primary
352 students15:1
Tryon Elementary
C336 students13:1
Kiser Elementary
C328 students17:1
Catawba Heights Elementary
B−238 students12:1
W B Beam Intermediate School
B191 students19:1
McAdenville Elementary
C+190 students17:1
Cramerton Middle
A959 students19:1
Southwest Middle
C832 students15:1
Belmont Middle
A−770 students18:1
Holbrook Middle
C+712 students14:1
W P Grier Middle School
C−659 students16:1
W C Friday Middle School
B−618 students18:1
Stanley Middle
B+602 students16:1
Mount Holly Middle
B570 students15:1
Bessemer City Middle
C497 students17:1
John Chavis Middle School
B−412 students15:1
York Chester Middle
C−398 students16:1
Ashbrook High
B+1,386 students18:1
Hunter Huss High
C+1,165 students19:1
Forestview High
A1,133 students18:1
North Gaston High
B1,061 students17:1
South Point High
A+989 students18:1
Stuart W Cramer High
A953 students18:1
East Gaston High
A917 students19:1
Bessemer City High
C590 students19:1
Highland Sch of Technology
A+538 students14:1
Cherryville High
A−484 students15:1
Gaston Early College High School
A+235 students22:1
Warlick Academy
D−175 students11:1
Gaston Early College of Medical Sciences
174 students22:1
Gaston Virtual Academy
A−283 students14:1
Webb Street School
D163 students8:1
Towns served
District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES directory and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: EDFacts via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Neighbor ratings are opinions.