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Brookside Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1332^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 11% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Brookside Elementary serves 512 students in pre-K through 5th grade in Gastonia, NC, as part of Gaston County Schools. Nearly all of its students (about 99%) come from economically disadvantaged households, yet the school's chronic absenteeism rate of 18.6% is actually better than both the district's 23.2% and the state's 24.2%. Attendance has improved steadily since 2022-23, but academics remain the bigger concern: Brookside Elementary ranks in the 11th percentile statewide with a 1-star rating, and its effectiveness score has slid from the 43rd percentile a decade ago.

Test scores tend to decline sharply as students move through the grades. Brookside's 3rd graders meet the district average in reading (46.8% proficient versus 46.4%), but by 4th grade reading drops to 42.5% compared to the district's 51.7%, and by 5th grade it falls to just 32.9% against the district's 49.5%. Math tells a similar story: 55.8% in 3rd grade, 40.0% in 4th grade, and only 32.9% in 5th grade, while the district stays consistently around 57%. The widest gap appears in 5th-grade science, where just 41.1% of Brookside students are proficient versus 64.3% across the district. This pattern suggests learning gaps compound each year, pointing to a need for stronger academic support in grades 4 and 5.

Brookside is not an outlier because of poverty — nearby schools serve nearly identical populations and produce far stronger results. McAdenville Elementary, at 98.4% free/reduced lunch eligibility, ranks in the 86th percentile statewide; Lowell Elementary (99.2%) ranks 48th; and Carr Elementary (99.6%) ranks 45th. Brookside also places in the bottom quarter even when compared specifically to low-income students across North Carolina, and its effectiveness supporting English learners and special education students is among the lowest statewide. Since attendance is relatively strong and poverty rates match its neighbors, the evidence points to curriculum quality, instruction, and intervention intensity — especially in the upper elementary grades — as the most promising levers for improving student outcomes at Brookside.

512

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

98.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1925 Auten Rd.
Gastonia, NC 28054

(704) 866-6283

District: Gaston County Schools

Students who attend Brookside Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Holbrook Middle
High:	North Gaston High

Racial breakdown:

White:

33.4%

African American:

31.6%

Hispanic:

26.8%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Brookside Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 43rd percentile in 2016 → 11th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (42% vs 61% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (11th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 32 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school42%

District avg55%

North Carolina avg61%

1,332^nd of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 11%▼ down 32 pts since 2016

From bottom 43% (2016) to bottom 11% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

145^th of 246Gaston County Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	17.2	1332 of 1492	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.6	1331 of 1490	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.4	1174 of 1505	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.2	1251 of 1502	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.6	1028 of 1514	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.4	970 of 1489	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	21.6	1239 of 1473	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.8	1165 of 1434	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	41.7	893 of 1429	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	46.2	811 of 1425	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	57.4	618 of 1440	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	42.8	803 of 1390	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	39.4	861 of 1403	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	47.6	807 of 1388	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	40.1	917 of 1381	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	37.8	962 of 1363	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	41.7	893 of 1354	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2008	37.7	898 of 1324	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2007	32.9	989 of 1293	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	54.1	642 of 1276	49.7%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	25.1	754 of 903	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.1	786 of 918	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.4	751 of 924	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.5	687 of 933	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.4	630 of 927	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	51.8	329 of 896	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	42.3	563 of 949	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.5	541 of 927	41.6%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	35.3	398 of 634	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	22.5	578 of 646	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.9	781 of 878	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	26.0	435 of 519	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.7	446 of 563	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.9	509 of 533	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	45.6	246 of 514	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.7	151 of 485	68.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	18.9	1272 of 1447	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.9	1276 of 1451	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.9	1148 of 1455	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.4	1229 of 1459	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.3	989 of 1458	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.4	888 of 1440	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	24.6	1166 of 1424	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.9	1106 of 1405	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	19.5	898 of 981	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	33.5	683 of 961	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.4	605 of 951	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.0	538 of 915	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	56.4	320 of 893	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.1	485 of 843	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	24.0	749 of 865	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.1	767 of 851	9.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	31.6	1088 of 1434	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.9	1170 of 1437	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.4	1054 of 1450	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.8	1236 of 1437	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.9	995 of 1366	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	49.8	588 of 1329	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	25.0	1130 of 1361	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.0	1040 of 1332	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	17.3	1307 of 1451	9.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	18.0	1288 of 1450	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.5	1112 of 1464	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.0	1210 of 1461	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.3	1014 of 1464	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.0	974 of 1444	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	21.7	1216 of 1430	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.8	1178 of 1413	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	20.4	134 of 154	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.8	773 of 815	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.7	807 of 821	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	20.2	735 of 801	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	10.1	1106 of 1146	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	6.9	1155 of 1172	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	24.3	981 of 1166	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.5	1131 of 1183	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	30.2	915 of 1194	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.9	1031 of 1172	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	11.6	1129 of 1183	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.7	1119 of 1178	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Disabled (2022)37th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)24th percentile+13 vs school

African American (2026)17th percentile+6 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)16th percentile+5 vs school

Multi-racial (2023)13th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)12th percentile~ school

Male (2026)10th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)8th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)5th percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)3rd percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics43%-21 vs state

Science41%-27 vs state

Reading41%-15 vs state

1.8

5 ratings · 3 written reviews

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, October 14, 2019

My child attends Brookside and I have to disagree with the other reviews. The school is very helpful in the IEP program and has helped my daughter tremendously. There is no principal McGuire, in fact Mr. Hovis (the actual principal) is a very nice man. He has always been helpful in resolving situations and in fact Brookside earned an accreditation as a quality school. This is a great school. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, September 5, 2019

Very poor school. Seems very low key racially and segregated towards African Americans. Find ways to deter students of their education proper education and support. Claims it haves a special Education department and class but clearly they are not properly trained or know what they are doing. Just trying to put a label on kids and causing further damage to their own issues that they are supposed to be learning to cop with and do better. Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, April 29, 2018

It is a battlefield for bullies, which includes some of the teachers, and the principal who is the commander in chief..The African American students are labeled “bad & troublemakers” by Principal McGuire... There are 28 kids to 1 teacher..lazy teachers set up the students to FAIL by testing them on areas they didn’t teach, all in the name of “covering the curriculum.”
When there is an issue with black vs black, they couldn’t care less. However, if it’s black vs
white student, principal McGuire always punish the black students even when they’re the victim, while he presents the white student with a badge of honor..This is the only school in the 20th century where white students are allowed to call black kids NEGRO without consequence. Some students are now taking anti-depressants from emotional abuse received from principal McGuire and some of the teachers, not to mention the physical abuse from students..
Some parents have withdrawn their children to homeschool, among other options..
PARENTS, DO YOUR RESEARCH! Check STATISTICS, RATINGS & REVIEWS, This school is a WAR ZONE with a RACIST leader, named principal McGuire.. Close Quote

Schools Near Brookside Elementary

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Ranking:

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOG Mathematics (2026)			EOG Reading (2026)			EOG Science (2026)	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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Brookside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1925 Auten Rd.	Gastonia	28054	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 866-6283	512	34	15.2	98.8%	171 (33.4%)	162 (31.6%)	137 (26.8%)	5 (1.0%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (6.3%)	17.2	1332^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	10.7%		16.6	1331^st of 1490 public elementary schools	10.7%	1	55.8	40.0	32.9	46.8	42.5	32.9	41.1	$9,017	$1,395	$7,622
Woodhill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1027 Woodhill Drive	Gastonia	28052	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 866-6295	577	35	16.6	99.5%	47 (8.1%)	309 (53.6%)	184 (31.9%)	6 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (5.0%)	6.9	1455^th of 1492 public elementary schools	2.5%		3.8	1479^th of 1490 public elementary schools	0.7%	24	34.6	45.8	23.0	25.9	36.1	21.3	32.0	$8,750	$1,400	$7,350
Carr Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	307 S Pine St	Dallas	28034	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 922-3636	665	39	16.9	99.5%	276 (41.5%)	178 (26.8%)	155 (23.3%)	10 (1.5%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	42 (6.3%)	45.6	814^th of 1492 public elementary schools	45.4%		33.7	1021^st of 1490 public elementary schools	31.5%	207	67.3	52.7	65.4	52.3	51.8	44.0	66.9	$8,907	$1,311	$7,596
Sherwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1744 Dixon Road	Gastonia	28054	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 866-6609	553	34	16.3	99.5%	86 (15.6%)	239 (43.2%)	164 (29.7%)	11 (2.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (9.2%)	30.2	1091^st of 1492 public elementary schools	26.9%		10.6	1410^th of 1490 public elementary schools	5.4%	319	56.2	63.5	40.0	34.2	54.1	41.4	52.9	$8,790	$1,325	$7,465
Gardner Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	738 Armstrong Park Road	Gastonia	28054	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 866-6082	560	39	14.4	99.5%	126 (22.5%)	186 (33.2%)	193 (34.5%)	10 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (7.9%)	18.7	1303^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	12.7%		18.5	1308^th of 1490 public elementary schools	12.2%	5	36.7	54.0	35.5	35.8	47.8	34.4	52.7	$9,619	$1,304	$8,314
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%)	47.6	773^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	48.2%		54.1	668^th of 1490 public elementary schools	55.2%	105	46.8	55.2	74.1	41.9	44.8	63.8	84.5	$8,896	$1,107	$7,789
Pleasant Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1260 Floyd Lane	Gastonia	28052	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 866-6096	887	56	15.9	99.7%	150 (16.9%)	388 (43.7%)	282 (31.8%)	7 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (6.8%)	32.1	1053^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	29.4%		26	1154^th of 1490 public elementary schools	22.6%	101	49.6	63.9	57.7	31.7	49.0	40.3	61.3	$8,924	$1,150	$7,774
Lingerfeldt Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1601 Madison Street	Gastonia	28052	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 866-6094	450	27	16.5	99.3%	49 (10.9%)	247 (54.9%)	119 (26.4%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.4%)	10.5	1413^th of 1492 public elementary schools	5.3%		5.4	1468^th of 1490 public elementary schools	1.5%	55	32.0	22.7	52.5	22.7	22.7	37.7	54.1	$9,976	$1,609	$8,367
Springfield Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	900 S Main Street	Stanley	28164	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 836-9106	352	24	14.9	99.1%	195 (55.4%)	60 (17.0%)	65 (18.5%)	11 (3.1%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.4%)								(n/a)								$10,230	$1,346	$8,884
Costner Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	353 Old 277 Loop Hwy	Dallas	28034	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 922-3522	430	30	14.1	99.3%	279 (64.9%)	66 (15.3%)	65 (15.1%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.2%)	33.6	1033^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	30.8%		41.2	895^th of 1490 public elementary schools	39.9%	138	53.2	49.4	58.5	44.3	51.9	45.1	61.0	$9,693	$1,124	$8,569

Frequently Asked Questions about Brookside Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Brookside Elementary?

Students at Brookside Elementary are 33% White, 32% African American, 27% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

Is Brookside Elementary a good school?

Brookside Elementary ranks in the bottom 10.7% of North Carolina elementary schools.

How many students attend Brookside Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 512 students attended Brookside Elementary.

What district is Brookside Elementary in?

Gaston County Schools

What schools do graduates of Brookside Elementary attend?

Students who attend Brookside Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Holbrook Middle
High : North Gaston High

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

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.