Summary:
Zip code 27938 is home to just one high school, Gates County Senior High, which serves grades 9–12 with an enrollment of 432 students in the rural Gatesville area. Because this is the only high school in the zip code, all comparisons are made against the Gates County Schools district and state averages rather than neighboring schools.
Gates County Senior High posts a graduation rate of 92.0%, comfortably above the state average of 88.8%. That is a clear strength. However, academic proficiency trails the state in every End-of-Course subject. In 2025–2026, proficiency rates were 49.0% in Biology, 54.7% in English II, 34.1% in Math I, and 62.2% in Math III — all below state levels. The school has improved significantly in Biology (from 35.1% to 49.0% in one year) and slightly in English II, but its Math I gap with the state has actually widened. Chronic absenteeism is another concern: 28.8% of students are chronically absent, higher than the district’s 27.1% and the state’s 24.2%. Economically disadvantaged students make up 54.63% of the enrollment, and the student-teacher ratio is 18.6:1.
In statewide rankings, Gates County Senior High sits at the 31st percentile for 2025–2026 (454th out of 662 high schools), earning 2 stars. Its rank improved from the 29th percentile in 2023–2024 to 35th in 2024–2025 before slipping back. Interestingly, the district as a whole ranks in the 52nd percentile of NC districts, suggesting other schools in the district outperform the senior high. For parents, the takeaway is a school that successfully graduates students above the state rate but struggles with core academic proficiency, especially in Math I, and faces significant attendance challenges. Strong progress in Biology and relatively solid Math III results show pockets of promise, but chronic absenteeism and foundational math remain the most urgent areas for targeted support.
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