Summary:
In ZIP code 28016, which covers Bessemer City, North Carolina, there is exactly one high school: Bessemer City High, a public school in Gaston County Schools serving grades 9 through 12 with 590 students.
Bessemer City High is a very high-poverty school, with 99.49% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. It also has a chronic absenteeism rate of 39.5%, compared to 23.2% for Gaston County Schools and 24.2% statewide, meaning nearly 4 in 10 students miss enough school to be considered chronically absent. Academically, the school ranks low: it fell from 491st out of 640 North Carolina high schools in 2023-2024 to 580th out of 662 in 2025-2026, putting it in the 12th percentile and giving it a 1-star rating. Proficiency on end-of-course exams is far below district and state averages. In 2025-2026, average proficiency across four subjects was 36.9% at Bessemer City High, compared to 54.5% for its district and 58.5% for North Carolina. The strongest subject is Math III at 45.6% proficient, while Math I is the weakest at just 26.6%.
There are some positive trends. From 2024-2025 to 2025-2026, proficiency improved in Biology, English II, and Math I, with Math I nearly doubling from 16.7% to 26.6%. However, district and state scores also rose, so the achievement gaps remain wide, often exceeding 20 points. The graduation rate of 87.1% is only slightly below the state average of 88.8%, which is encouraging given the poverty rate and attendance challenges. Still, high chronic absenteeism and a declining state rank suggest that, while the school is improving in some subjects, it is not keeping pace with other North Carolina high schools. For parents, Bessemer City High offers a dedicated effort in core courses, but families should be aware of the significant academic and attendance obstacles the school faces.
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