Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its North Carolina rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Hawks Nest STEAM Academy

Public, Magnet Grades K-5

126^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 92% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Hawks Nest STEAM Academy is a K–5 elementary school in Gastonia, North Carolina, serving 356 students as part of Gaston County Schools. The school is one of the strongest elementary schools in the region, ranking #126 out of 1,492 schools statewide in 2025–2026 — the 92nd percentile, with a 5-star rating. That strong performance has been consistent, with the school landing in the 88th to 97th percentile across recent years. What makes this especially notable is the surrounding context: the district itself ranks only in the 41st percentile statewide, and several elementary schools just minutes away land in the bottom third of North Carolina schools.

Academically, Hawks Nest students score far above both district and state averages on every End-of-Grade test. For example, 3rd grade reading proficiency is 81.7%, compared with 46.4% for the district and 55.6% statewide, while 4th grade math sits at 88.3% versus 57.1% for the district and 61.4% for the state. Among nearby schools, only New Hope Elementary (86th percentile) and W A Bess Elementary School (82nd percentile) come close to Hawks Nest's ranking. Others, including Robinson Elementary, Sherwood Elementary, and Pleasant Ridge Elementary, rank in the bottom third statewide. Hawks Nest also stands out for attendance, with roughly 7% chronic absenteeism versus 26.7% for the district and state in recent years, and more than 20% at several nearby schools.

Hawks Nest's results with historically underserved student groups are a defining strength. Its African American students ranked #15 out of 903 schools statewide (98th percentile), and students from low-income households ranked #63 out of 1,434 (96th percentile) in 2025–2026. Science performance is exceptionally strong as well, with 83.1% proficiency in 5th grade, reflecting the school's STEAM focus. The one area to watch is gifted/talented students, whose statewide percentile has slipped from 90th to 63rd over the past three years. Even so, Hawks Nest achieves all of this without unusually high per-pupil spending, making it an efficient and effective choice among Gastonia-area elementary schools.

356

Students ?

14.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

36%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3430 Robinwood Rd
Gastonia, NC 28054

(704) 866-8467

District: Gaston County Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

57.3%

African American:

23.0%

Hispanic:

10.1%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Hawks Nest STEAM Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 91st percentile in 2019 → 92nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (81% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 8% of North Carolina elementary schools

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school81%

District avg55%

North Carolina avg61%

126^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 8%▬ steady since 2019

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	89.2	126 of 1492	91.6%	★★★★★
2025	88.7	125 of 1490	91.6%	★★★★★
2024	84.5	183 of 1505	87.8%	★★★★☆
2023	89.4	118 of 1502	92.1%	★★★★★
2022	92.0	90 of 1514	94.1%	★★★★★
2021	95.4	47 of 1489	96.8%	★★★★★
2019	87.5	131 of 1473	91.1%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	95.4	15 of 903	98.3%	★★★★★
2025	80.1	107 of 918	88.3%	★★★★☆
2024	80.7	105 of 924	88.6%	★★★★☆
2023	85.1	78 of 933	91.6%	★★★★★
2022	94.6	21 of 927	97.7%	★★★★★
2021	99.9	1 of 896	99.9%	★★★★★
2019	90.4	45 of 949	95.3%	★★★★★
2018	88.2	42 of 927	95.5%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	89.1	111 of 1447	92.3%	★★★★★
2025	84.0	166 of 1451	88.6%	★★★★☆
2024	83.1	178 of 1455	87.8%	★★★★☆
2023	89.2	103 of 1459	92.9%	★★★★★
2022	89.0	106 of 1458	92.7%	★★★★★
2021	92.7	75 of 1440	94.8%	★★★★★
2019	89.1	82 of 1424	94.2%	★★★★★
2018	84.4	144 of 1405	89.8%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.0	273 of 743	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	68.6	158 of 710	77.7%	★★★★☆
2024	69.9	67 of 669	90.0%	★★★★★
2023	54.2	371 of 582	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	69.5	95 of 500	81.0%	★★★★☆
2021	71.8	88 of 494	82.2%	★★★★☆
2019	46.3	486 of 612	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	90.0	63 of 1434	95.6%	★★★★★
2025	88.7	64 of 1437	95.5%	★★★★★
2024	83.3	112 of 1450	92.3%	★★★★★
2023	88.1	70 of 1437	95.1%	★★★★★
2022	98.2	7 of 1366	99.5%	★★★★★
2021	97.4	11 of 1329	99.2%	★★★★★
2019	87.8	69 of 1361	94.9%	★★★★★
2018	83.1	117 of 1332	91.2%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	85.7	149 of 1451	89.7%	★★★★☆
2025	89.2	102 of 1450	93.0%	★★★★★
2024	82.8	192 of 1464	86.9%	★★★★☆
2023	84.7	157 of 1461	89.3%	★★★★☆
2022	92.6	66 of 1464	95.5%	★★★★★
2021	94.4	49 of 1444	96.6%	★★★★★
2019	85.3	159 of 1430	88.9%	★★★★☆
2018	85.1	156 of 1413	89.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	71.1	312 of 1146	72.8%	★★★★☆
2025	77.8	213 of 1172	81.8%	★★★★☆
2024	78.3	219 of 1166	81.2%	★★★★☆
2023	81.6	162 of 1183	86.3%	★★★★☆
2022	86.2	100 of 1194	91.6%	★★★★★
2021	89.2	67 of 1172	94.3%	★★★★★
2019	75.7	236 of 1183	80.1%	★★★★☆
2018	75.6	258 of 1178	78.1%	★★★★☆

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)

African American (2026)98th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)96th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)92nd percentile~ school

Male (2026)90th percentile~ school

White (2026)73rd percentile-19 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)63rd percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics84%+21 vs state

Science83%+15 vs state

Reading76%+20 vs state

1.0

1 rating

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Hawks Nest STEAM Academy

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Hawks Nest STEAM Academy

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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
Hawks Nest STEAM Academy	Public, Magnet	K-5	3430 Robinwood Rd	Gastonia	28054	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(704) 866-8467	356	24	14.7	36.0%	204 (57.3%)	82 (23.0%)	36 (10.1%)	15 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	18 (5.1%)	89.2	126^th of 1492 public elementary schools	91.6%		88.7	125^th of 1490 public elementary schools	91.6%	1	86.7	88.3	78.0	81.7	76.7	69.5	83.1	$9,235	$809	$8,426
Robinson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3122 S Union Road	Gastonia	28056	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 866-6607	420	30	13.8	99.3%	185 (44.0%)	129 (30.7%)	70 (16.7%)	7 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.7%)	40	904^th of 1492 public elementary schools	39.4%		36	981^st of 1490 public elementary schools	34.2%	77	49.2	53.7	55.0	47.5	48.8	47.5	77.5	$8,960	$931	$8,030
H H Beam Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	200 Davis Park Road	Gastonia	28052	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 866-6618	591	39	15.0	99.5%	122 (20.6%)	174 (29.4%)	255 (43.1%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (5.6%)	4.9	1467^th of 1492 public elementary schools	1.7%		3.9	1476^th of 1490 public elementary schools	0.9%	9	39.3	30.9	31.8	25.6	25.8	28.4	36.4	$9,849	$1,567	$8,282
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
W A Bess Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4340 Beaty Road	Gastonia	28056	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 866-6075	674	40	16.9	99.6%	345 (51.2%)	121 (18.0%)	109 (16.2%)	56 (8.3%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	38 (5.6%)	77.7	270^th of 1492 public elementary schools	81.9%		70.5	381^st of 1490 public elementary schools	74.4%	111	78.6	79.2	72.2	62.6	67.7	66.1	78.3	$8,590	$655	$7,934
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
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
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
New Hope Elementary	Public	K-5	137 Stowe Road	Gastonia	28056	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 836-9112	571	34	16.7	34.3%	405 (70.9%)	60 (10.5%)	59 (10.3%)	18 (3.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.9%)	82.6	207^th of 1492 public elementary schools	86.1%		83.4	197^th of 1490 public elementary schools	86.8%	10	84.3	85.9	78.3	70.6	76.8	66.1	71.3	$8,471	$727	$7,744
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Hawks Nest STEAM Academy

How many students attend Hawks Nest STEAM Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 356 students attended Hawks Nest STEAM Academy.

Is Hawks Nest STEAM Academy a good school?

Yes. Hawks Nest STEAM Academy ranks in the top 8.4% of North Carolina elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Hawks Nest STEAM Academy?

Students at Hawks Nest STEAM Academy are 57% White, 23% African American, 10% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

What district is Hawks Nest STEAM Academy in?

Gaston County Schools

Rate Hawks Nest STEAM Academy!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Gastonia, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Hawks Nest STEAM Academy!

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.