Gastonia Times

There were 34,371 students enrolled in Gaston County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 10.3% more than the previous year, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Piedmont Community Charter School registered the highest enrollment among Gaston County's 60 schools in the 2023-24 school year, welcoming 1,907 students.

Despite steady enrollment, North Carolina schools continue to face significant funding challenges. The state's per-student spending remains nearly $5,000 below the national average, limiting resources for teachers, classrooms, and student support programs. In fact, North Carolina ranks 48th out of 50 states in per-student funding (after adjusting for regional costs).

Staffing shortages have also become a growing concern, with teacher turnover rising to 11.5% in the most recent school year. Low salaries and high workloads make it difficult to retain experienced educators, potentially increasing class sizes and affecting learning quality.

School name	Total Enrollment in 2022-23	Total Enrollment in 2023-24	% Change
Piedmont Community Charter School	1,856	1,907	2.7%
Mountain Island Charter School	1,687	1,728	2.4%
Ashbrook High School	1,260	1,296	2.9%
Hunter Huss High School	1,056	1,087	2.9%
Forestview High School	1,057	1,079	2.1%
North Gaston High School	1,083	1,037	-4.2%
South Point High School	-	964	-
Stuart W. Cramer High School	935	939	0.4%
Cramerton Middle School	-	915	-
East Gaston High School	855	881	3%
Pleasant Ridge Elementary School	873	879	0.7%
Southwest Middle School	812	813	0.1%
Holbrook Middle School	772	775	0.4%
Belmont Middle School	-	767	-
Community Public Charter	599	742	23.9%
Belmont Central Elementary School	682	693	1.6%
W. A. Bess Elementary School	621	649	4.5%
Carr Elementary School	629	615	-2.2%
W. C. Friday Middle School	603	609	1%
Stanley Middle School	664	605	-8.9%
W. P. Grier Middle School	613	587	-4.2%
H. H. Beam Elementary School	521	553	6.1%
Gardner Park Elementary School	513	546	6.4%
Mount Holly Middle School	549	544	-0.9%
New Hope Elementary School	508	539	6.1%
Highland School of Technology	510	526	3.1%
Bessemer City High School	536	524	-2.2%
Brookside Elementary School	515	500	-2.9%
Ida Rankin Elementary School	487	496	1.8%
Bessemer City Middle School	504	494	-2%
Woodhill Elementary School	466	491	5.4%
Cherryville High School	482	490	1.7%
Sherwood Elementary School	503	479	-4.8%
Pinewood Elementary School	464	461	-0.6%
Costner Elementary School	477	454	-4.8%
Bessemer City Primary School	393	416	5.9%
Lingerfeldt Elementary School	388	404	4.1%
John Chavis Middle School	411	404	-1.7%
Robinson Elementary School	386	398	3.1%
Cherryville Elementary School	369	379	2.7%
York Chester Middle School	421	377	-10.5%
Lowell Elementary School	404	371	-8.2%
Bessemer City Central Elementary School	405	359	-11.4%
Chapel Grove Elementary School	340	356	4.7%
Hawks Nest STEAM Academy	352	355	0.9%
Kiser Elementary School	331	336	1.5%
J. B. Page Primary School	337	336	-0.3%
Edward D. Sadler Jr. Elementary School	301	329	9.3%
North Belmont Elementary School	310	323	4.2%
Tryon Elementary School	314	316	0.6%
Gaston Virtual Academy	417	293	-29.7%
Springfield Primary School	283	284	0.4%
Ridgeview Charter School	-	280	-
Catawba Heights Elementary School	258	255	-1.2%
Warlick Academy	176	232	31.8%
Gaston Early College High School	227	231	1.8%
W. B. Beam Intermediate School	200	190	-5%
McAdenville Elementary School	177	179	1.1%
Webb Street School	150	152	1.3%
Gaston Early College of Medical Sciences	112	152	35.7%