Gaston County Schools

Gaston County Schools enrolls students across 56 campuses in Gaston County, North Carolina — 30 elementary schools, 11 middle schools, 13 high schools, and 2 alternative schools — and holds a two-star state rating that places the district in the 41st percentile of North Carolina districts. That overall rating hides a deep divide: a small cluster of low-poverty schools performs at or near the top of the state, while many traditional attendance-zone schools rank among North Carolina's lowest-performing.

The district’s elite options are small, application-based programs: Gaston Early College High School ranks #2 of 662 high schools statewide, Highland School of Technology ranks #5, and Gaston Early College of Medical Sciences ranks #7, each posting near-100% proficiency on state exams. Among traditional comprehensive high schools, South Point High is the standout, with a 94.6% graduation rate, low chronic absenteeism, and EOC scores above state averages. Cramerton Middle leads the district’s middle schools at the 91st percentile, with Belmont Middle also strong. Hawks Nest STEAM Academy, Belmont Central Elementary, and New Hope Elementary anchor the top of the elementary list, while McAdenville Elementary and W. A. Bess Elementary serve student bodies with nearly universal poverty yet still rank in North Carolina’s top 20%.

At the other end of the spectrum, H. H. Beam Elementary and Woodhill Elementary rank in the bottom 5% statewide, York Chester Middle has fallen to the bottom 10% of middle schools, and Hunter Huss High, Bessemer City High, and Ashbrook High all sit in the bottom quarter of high schools. Warlick Academy is the district’s most severe case, with a 23.9% graduation rate and 61.5% chronic absenteeism. Two warning signs separate the highest- and lowest-performing schools across the county: chronic absenteeism and early literacy. Strong schools keep chronic absenteeism near or below 16%, while the weakest schools exceed 35%. Third-grade reading tells a similar story: top elementary schools post proficiency near 70–82%, while several struggling schools fall below 30%. These are the clearest indicators for parents comparing schools in Gaston County.