Best Public Schools in Lowell, NC

Summary:

The city of Lowell, North Carolina is home to two schools: Lowell Elementary School and Holbrook Middle School, both part of the Gaston County Schools district. While both schools face economic challenges with high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, the data analysis indicates that Lowell Elementary School is the standout performer in this data set.

Lowell Elementary School consistently outperforms Holbrook Middle School on standardized test scores, particularly in mathematics and reading. In the 2024-2025 school year, Lowell Elementary had significantly higher proficiency rates than Holbrook Middle in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade math and reading. Additionally, Lowell Elementary has a higher statewide school ranking, with a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger, compared to Holbrook Middle's 1-star rating.

The differences in student-teacher ratio and per-student spending may be contributing factors to Lowell Elementary School's superior performance. Lowell Elementary has a lower student-teacher ratio of 13.9, compared to Holbrook Middle's ratio of 17.8, and Lowell Elementary also has a higher per-student spending of $8,896, compared to Holbrook Middle's $7,945 per student. While the overall statewide rankings for both schools are relatively low, Lowell Elementary School stands out as the stronger performer in this data set.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOG Mathematics (2025)						EOG Reading (2025)						EOG Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Holbrook Middle	Public	6-8	418 S Church Street	Lowell	28098	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 836-9607	712	53	13.5	97.8%	242 (34.0%)	217 (30.5%)	197 (27.7%)	9 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (6.5%)	23.2	605^th of 773 public middle schools	21.7%		26.6	597^th of 793 public middle schools	24.7%	8				37.3	36.6	27.1				41.0	38.1	45.6		45.6	$7,945	$752	$7,193
Lowell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1500 Power Drive	Lowell	28098	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 836-9118	367	28	12.9	99.2%	177 (48.2%)	72 (19.6%)	74 (20.2%)	20 (5.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.0%)	54.1	668^th of 1490 public elementary schools	55.2%		52.1	714^th of 1505 public elementary schools	52.6%	46	64.7	65.5	53.8				44.1	56.4	48.1				71.2		$8,896	$1,107	$7,789

Cities Near Lowell

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Gastonia	1.64 mi	25	365^th
Mc Adenville	2.12 mi	1	75^th
Belmont	3.25 mi	7	110^th
Cramerton	3.52 mi	1	8^th
Mount Holly	3.58 mi	5	128^th

See the top NC North Carolina cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.