Gaston County released on March 9 a schedule of community events for the week of March 9-15, including film screenings, public meetings, history lectures, fundraisers, gardening workshops, and an animal adoption event.
The announcement provides residents with opportunities to engage in local activities while also drawing attention to recent data on college readiness among Gaston County high school students. According to the county’s statement, these events aim to foster community involvement and awareness.
Events this week include the America 250 Historical Fiction Film Series featuring “All the President’s Men” at the Gaston County Public Library on Monday evening. On Tuesday, the Gaston County Board of Commissioners will hold a work session meeting open to the public at the courthouse and broadcast live. The same evening features the Fireside History Series at the Gaston County Museum of Art & History in Dallas. Wednesday brings Bubba’s 33 Spirit Night supporting Gaston County Animal Care and Enforcement through a dine-to-donate fundraiser. Thursday offers a spring gardening workshop led by Master Gardeners at Belmont Branch Library. Saturday concludes with “Paws Around Park,” an Easter egg hunt and dog adoption event at Dallas Park.
In addition to event listings, recent statistics show that out of 1,850 senior students taking the science portion of the ACT in Gaston County school districts, only 326 (17.6%) were considered ready for college in the 2022-23 school year according to state education data. For juniors, 377 out of 1,886 (20%) met college readiness benchmarks in science according to state education data. In reading, 490 seniors (26.5%) and 511 juniors (27.1%) achieved college-ready scores according to state education data. Math results showed that only 324 seniors (17.5%) and 355 juniors (18.8%) were considered ready for college-level coursework according to state education data.
A full listing of community events is available at GoGastonNC.org, while government and municipal events can be found on GastonGov.com’s Community Calendar.
These figures highlight ongoing challenges in preparing students for post-secondary education as well as efforts by local organizations to keep residents informed about both educational outcomes and opportunities for civic engagement.
