Enrollment
1,143
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gaston, NC
Kipp Gaston College Preparatory
Federal NCES profile for Kipp Gaston College Preparatory, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370012302597Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kipp Gaston College Preparatory earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Gaston · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.6:1
- students per teacher
- 97.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Kipp Gaston College Preparatory has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kipp Gaston College Preparatory ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Gaston, NC.
School address
District: Kipp Gaston College Preparatory · North Carolina
NCES ID 370012302597 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
69.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
97.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kipp Gaston College Preparatory compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kipp Gaston College Preparatory
Kipp Gaston College Preparatory is a high-poverty, large charter combined-grade school in Gaston, North Carolina, enrolling 1,143 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.6:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 97.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,143 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 131 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #126, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 31/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1143 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 6 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Gaston's public schools, it stands alongside Gaston Stem Leadership Academy (284 students): Kipp Gaston College Preparatory is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.6:1 vs 11.4:1).
Kipp Gaston College Preparatory is a single-school charter district, so Kipp Gaston College Preparatory operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Kipp Gaston College Preparatory compares
Kipp Gaston College Preparatory on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.6:1 | ▲ 5% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 97.7% | ▲ 48% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,143 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,143
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
97.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 69% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,654
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 1143 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 144 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 6 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 82.2%
Hispanic or Latino 7.9%
White 4.5%
Two or More 4.5%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 82.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.4, Kipp Gaston College Preparatory is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kipp Gaston College Preparatory, which includes Kipp Gaston College Preparatory.
$11,654
Per student
-3%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 6.2%
State 77.3%
Federal 16.5%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
Similar other schools in Gaston
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,143 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kipp Gaston College Preparatory's federal record.
- Compare Kipp Gaston College Preparatory against another school. Compare schools
- Kipp Gaston College Preparatory's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Kipp Gaston College Preparatory
How many students attend Kipp Gaston College Preparatory?
Kipp Gaston College Preparatory has 1,143 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gaston, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kipp Gaston College Preparatory?
The student-teacher ratio at Kipp Gaston College Preparatory is 16.6:1, which is 5% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kipp Gaston College Preparatory?
97.7% of students at Kipp Gaston College Preparatory are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kipp Gaston College Preparatory?
The largest demographic group at Kipp Gaston College Preparatory is African American at 82.2% of enrollment, in Gaston, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kipp Gaston College Preparatory?
Kipp Gaston College Preparatory has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Kipp Gaston College Preparatory rank among public schools in Gaston?
By Resource Investment Index, Kipp Gaston College Preparatory ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Gaston, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Gaston on the city page.
Is Kipp Gaston College Preparatory a good school?
Kipp Gaston College Preparatory earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Kipp Gaston College Preparatory?
None; Kipp Gaston College Preparatory is a single-school charter district, and Kipp Gaston College Preparatory is its only campus.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.