High Schools in Gaston County Schools

The Gaston County Schools district in North Carolina is home to 13 high schools that vary in size, student demographics, academic performance, and other key metrics. The data reveals a mix of high-performing and lower-performing schools, with several standouts that consistently rank among the top schools in the state.

Highland School of Technology, a public magnet high school, is a clear standout with exceptional academic performance, 100% proficiency rates in several end-of-course exams, and a low student-teacher ratio. The Gaston Early College High School and Gaston Early College of Medical Sciences, both early college high schools, also rank very highly in the state with near-perfect proficiency rates. In contrast, some schools like Warlick Academy struggle, with proficiency rates below 20% in several subjects.

The data also reveals significant variation in student racial makeup, free/reduced lunch rates, spending per student, and student-teacher ratios across the schools. While there is a general trend of lower-performing schools having higher free/reduced lunch rates, exceptions like South Point High suggest that other factors, such as teaching quality and school leadership, also play important roles in academic performance. Overall, the Gaston County Schools district presents a diverse landscape of high schools, with opportunities to learn from the practices of the top-performing institutions to help improve outcomes across the district.