Student Enrollment for 2020-2021 Grades K-5
12,782
Grades 6-8
7,286
Grades 9-13
9,421
Total (K-13)
29,489
Pre-Kindergarten 290 TOTAL
29,779
School Choice Programs For the 2021-2022 academic year, Gaston County Schools is pleased to offer 21 school choice/magnet school programs – the most ever provided for students. That means more options and more dynamic learning opportunities for discovery, growth, and success not found anywhere else. Many of Gaston’s school choice programs are associated with its Academy concept. Academy programs are available in the following six areas: Career, Collegiate Prep, Health Sciences, Leadership, Public Service, and Technology and Industrial Engineering.
• Gaston County’s school crime rate has been significantly lower than the state rate for the past 11 years • School resource officers serve all schools • Schools are equipped with camera, visitor check-in, and buzz-in entry systems to enhance safety Computers and Technology • More than 61,000 computing devices (desktop and laptop computers, Chromebooks, and tablets) are in use in Gaston County Schools • Number of SMART Boards, SMART Panels, and LCD Displays in our classrooms – 2,265 • Student-to-computer ratio – 1 student to 1 mobile device – all students are assigned a Chromebook computer for use at school and home • All schools have wireless Internet access • Outdoor access points are available at all schools so students and employees can access the district’s WiFi network from the parking lot ELEMENTARY SCHOOL •G ifted and Talented Academy @ Pleasant Ridge Elementary School • Hawks Nest STEAM Academy
Below is a list of the 21-school choice/magnet school programs. For more information visit Gaston County School website @ gaston.k12.nc.us
• Leadership Academy @ Costner Elementary School
High School Graduation Rate The graduation rate for the Class of 2020 is 88.0 percent. All high schools have a graduation rate that exceeds 80 percent. Seven schools have a graduation rate that exceeds 90 percent, and two schools – Gaston Early College High School and Highland School of Technology – have a perfect graduation rate of 100 percent.
• Career Academy @ Southwest Middle School
Here is a look at the Gaston County Schools graduation rate over the past three years: 2020 – 88.0 percent 2019 – 84.8 percent 2018 – 85.6 percent
• STEAM Academy @ Stanley Middle School
MIDDLE SCHOOL • Career Academy @ York Chester Middle School • Gifted and Talented Academy @ Cramerton Middle School • Leadership Academy @ W.C. Friday Middle School • Public Service Academy @ John Chavis Middle School • Technology and Industrial Engineering Academy @ Bessemer City Middle School
When the state first calculated the graduation rate in 2006, Gaston County was at 68.1 percent.
HIGH SCHOOL
High School Graduates – Class of 2020 • Number of graduates: 2,246 • Scholarship money offered to graduates: More than $37.6 million • Approximately 900 academic, athletic, and merit scholarships were offered to graduates, including scholarships to attend prestigious Ivy League schools • Number of colleges/universities presenting scholarships to seniors: 284 • Number of scholarships valued at $100,000 or greater: 93
•C ollegiate Prep Academy @ Forestview High School
School Safety Gaston County Schools continues to have an outstanding school safety record. Of the ten largest school districts in the state, Gaston County once again has the lowest school crime rate. • Lower incidents of crime than the state average • Gaston County Schools average – 1.530 incidents of crime per 1,000 students for the 2019-2020 school year • State average – 4.69 incidents of crime per 1,000 students for the 2019-2020 school year EDUCATION
•C areer Academy @ Hunter Huss High School •G aston Early College High School •G aston Early College of Medical Sciences (new) •H ighland School of Technology • i Accelerate Academy @ Ashbrook High School • L eadership Academy @ North Gaston High School •H ealth Sciences Academy @ East Gaston High School •P ublic Service Academy @ Cherryville High School • Technology and Industrial Engineering Academy @ Bessemer City High School ONLINE LEARNING • Gaston County Virtual Academy (all grade levels)
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