Total enrollment
30,995
+1,218 (+4%) vs SY 2020-21
56 schools in Gaston County Schools
North Carolina · 30,995 students · 10 cities
In North Carolina's Gaston County Schools, public K-12 schools total 56 and serve approximately 30,995 students (an average of 553 per school).
4-year change in Gaston County Schools
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
56
+1 (+2%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Gaston County Schools ranks
Among districts| Measure | This district | In North Carolina | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 46.2% | #75 of 112 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 30,995 | #10 of 116 | #214 of 9,234 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 56 | #6 of 116 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 16.0:1 | #66 of 116 | #6,408 of 9,044 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 87.7% | #78 of 114 | #818 of 8,164 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 68.7% | #25 of 111 | #540 of 6,853 |
Districts need at least 2 schools and 500 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Inside Gaston County Schools
State test results across the district's 47 scored schools run from Hawks Nest STEAM Academy at 78.0% proficient to Hunter Huss High at 24.5%, a gap of 53.5 points. That is the 33rd widest gap among 104 North Carolina districts with four or more scored schools.
Since 2017-18, the 54 district schools that reported both years went from 31,996 to 30,538 students (down 5%) and from 1,935 to 1,903 full-time teachers (down 2%), as of 2024-25.
Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across each school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25; schools with fewer than 100 students and schools serving specialized populations are left out. Staffing figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data and count only schools that reported students and teachers in both years.
About Gaston County Schools
Gaston County Schools is a middle-population public-school district in North Carolina. The district maintains 56 schools and enrolls approximately 30,995 students.
On the level-by-level breakdown, Gaston County Schools comprises 30 elementary, 11 middle, 13 high schools, and 2 combined or other.
Five-year track record. Across the same 4-year window, public-school enrollment climbed 4%: 29,777 students in SY 2020-21 versus 30,995 in SY 2024-25. Over that span, Gaston County Schools gained 1 school, going from 55 to 56.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Gaston County Schools discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Posts come from current and former families, staff, and alumni.