Top Rankings
Gaston County Schools School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:
Category
Attribute
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 15 public middle schools serving 7,740 students in Gaston County Schools School District. This district's average middle testing ranking is 5/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public middle schools in North Carolina.
Public Middle Schools in Gaston County Schools School District have an average math proficiency score of 46% (versus the North Carolina public middle school average of 48%), and reading proficiency score of 46% (versus the 50% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 54% of the student body (majority Black), which is less than the North Carolina public middle school average of 56% (majority Black and Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
58 Schools
882 Schools
# Students
30,403 Students
494,023 Students
# Teachers
1,816 Teachers
31,644 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
17:1
17:1
District Rank
Gaston County Schools School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 320 school districts in North Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 85% has decreased from 88% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#181 out of 325 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
(Bottom 50%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
49%
51%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
46%
50%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
61%
63%
Graduation Rate
85%
86%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.68
0.71
# American Indian Students
67 Students
5,633 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
1%
# Asian Students
522 Students
19,933 Students
% Asian Students
2%
4%
# Hispanic Students
6,244 Students
98,873 Students
% Hispanic Students
20%
20%
# Black Students
7,475 Students
122,407 Students
% Black Students
25%
25%
# White Students
14,229 Students
215,701 Students
% White Students
47%
44%
# Hawaiian Students
32 Students
646 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
1,873 Students
30,848 Students
% of Two or more races Students
6%
6%
Students by Grade:
# Students in PK Grade:
316
1,882
# Students in K Grade:
2,176
16,660
# Students in 1st Grade:
2,184
16,806
# Students in 2nd Grade:
2,370
17,050
# Students in 3rd Grade:
2,145
16,530
# Students in 4th Grade:
2,095
16,849
# Students in 5th Grade:
2,247
19,618
# Students in 6th Grade:
2,315
111,560
# Students in 7th Grade:
2,374
116,793
# Students in 8th Grade:
2,399
119,029
# Students in 9th Grade:
2,814
12,380
# Students in 10th Grade:
2,493
10,877
# Students in 11th Grade:
2,369
9,420
# Students in 12th Grade:
2,106
8,569
# Ungraded Students:
-
-
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $10,299 in this school district is less than the state median of $11,187. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $10,900 is less than the state median of $11,612. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
Total Revenue
$313 MM
$17,307 MM
Spending
$331 MM
$17,964 MM
Revenue / Student
$10,299
$11,187
Spending / Student
$10,900
$11,612
Best Gaston County Schools School District Public Middle Schools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Cramerton Middle School
(Math: 76% | Reading: 73%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 10%10
601 Cramer Mountain Road
Cramerton, NC 28032
(704) 836-9603
Cramerton, NC 28032
(704) 836-9603
Grades: 6-8
| 919 students
Rank: #22.
Belmont Middle School
(Math: 59% | Reading: 57%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
1020 South Point Road
Belmont, NC 28012
(704) 836-9611
Belmont, NC 28012
(704) 836-9611
Grades: 6-8
| 765 students
Rank: #33.
Stanley Middle School
(Math: 55% | Reading: 55%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
317 Hovis Road
Stanley, NC 28164
(704) 836-9600
Stanley, NC 28164
(704) 836-9600
Grades: 6-8
| 606 students
Rank: #44.
Mount Holly Middle School
(Math: 52% | Reading: 49%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
124 S Hawthorne Street
Mount Holly, NC 28120
(704) 836-9610
Mount Holly, NC 28120
(704) 836-9610
Grades: 6-8
| 552 students
Rank: #55.
John Chavis Middle School
(Math: 46% | Reading: 43%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
103 South Chavis Drive
Cherryville, NC 28021
(704) 836-9606
Cherryville, NC 28021
(704) 836-9606
Grades: 6-8
| 395 students
Rank: #66.
W C Friday Middle School
(Math: 45% | Reading: 42%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
1221 Ratchford Drive
Dallas, NC 28034
(704) 922-5297
Dallas, NC 28034
(704) 922-5297
Grades: 6-8
| 612 students
Rank: #77.
Gaston Virtual Academy
Magnet School
(Math: 33% | Reading: 49%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
1 Learning Place
Gastonia, NC 28052
(704) 836-9125
Gastonia, NC 28052
(704) 836-9125
Grades: K-12
| 323 students
Rank: #88.
Holbrook Middle School
(Math: 37% | Reading: 40%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
418 S Church Street
Lowell, NC 28098
(704) 836-9607
Lowell, NC 28098
(704) 836-9607
Grades: 6-8
| 786 students
Rank: #99.
Southwest Middle School
(Math: 37% | Reading: 36%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
1 Roadrunner Drive
Gastonia, NC 28052
(704) 866-6290
Gastonia, NC 28052
(704) 866-6290
Grades: 6-8
| 809 students
Rank: #1010.
Bessemer City Middle School
(Math: 33% | Reading: 34%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
525 Ed Wilson Road
Bessemer City, NC 28016
(704) 836-9602
Bessemer City, NC 28016
(704) 836-9602
Grades: 6-8
| 502 students
Rank: #1111.
York Chester Middle School
(Math: 35% | Reading: 30%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
601 S Clay Street
Gastonia, NC 28052
(704) 836-9609
Gastonia, NC 28052
(704) 836-9609
Grades: 6-8
| 381 students
Rank: #1212.
W P Grier Middle School
(Math: 24% | Reading: 28%)
Rank:
Rank:
1/
Bottom 50%10
1622 E Garrison Boulevard
Gastonia, NC 28054
(704) 836-9604
Gastonia, NC 28054
(704) 836-9604
Grades: 6-8
| 587 students
Rank: #1313.
Webb Street School
Special Education School
(Math: 11-19% | Reading: 11-19%)
Rank:
Rank:
1/
Bottom 50%10
1623 N Webb Street
Gastonia, NC 28052
(704) 864-9667
Gastonia, NC 28052
(704) 864-9667
Grades: PK-12
| 161 students
Rank: #1414.
Warlick Academy
Alternative School
(Math: ≤5% | Reading: 15-19%)
Rank:
Rank:
1/
Bottom 50%10
1316 Spencer Mountain Road
Gastonia, NC 28054
(704) 836-9608
Gastonia, NC 28054
(704) 836-9608
Grades: 6-12
| 153 students
Rank: n/an/a
1 Learning Place
Gastonia, NC 28052
(704) 866-6100
Gastonia, NC 28052
(704) 866-6100
Grades: K-8
| 189 students
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