Enrollment
1,061
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 370162000702
North Gaston High — Dallas, NC
Federal NCES profile for North Gaston High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 31/100.
👥 Class size 16
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Gaston County Schools · North Carolina
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
+28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Gaston High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
North Gaston High reports 1,061 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 54.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 21:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 28% above the North Carolina state mean of 16.4:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 32% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 57.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 13% below the North Carolina average and 11% above the national baseline. The school offers 7 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 333 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 51.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Gaston County Schools spends $11,856 per pupil district-wide, below the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 16.3% from local sources (property taxes), 64.3% from the state, and 19.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (F), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How North Gaston High compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against North Carolina state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21:1 | ▲ 28% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.7% | ▼ 13% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,061 | top 91% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
57.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 13% below 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
21:1
students per teacher
— 28% above state mean
Top 94% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
51.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,856
per pupil, district-wide
— below North Carolina avg of $13,042
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.2 FTE
Per 333 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
219
in-school suspensions + 140 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 20.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 33.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 1,061 Top 91% in North Carolina — larger than 9% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 54.0
Students per teacher 21:1 +28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 57.7% -13% vs state
NCES ID 370162000702
Student demographics
White 44.1%
African American 27.0%
Hispanic or Latino 21.3%
Two or More 5.9%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 44.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 3.2
Students per counselor 333:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 51.4%
In-school suspensions 219
Out-of-school suspensions 140
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gaston County Schools, which includes North Gaston High.
$11,856
Per student
-9%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 16.3%
State 64.3%
Federal 19.4%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,386
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,165
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,133
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Enrollment
- 989
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Enrollment
- 959
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
Similar high schools in Dallas
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about North Gaston High
How many students attend North Gaston High?
North Gaston High has 1,061 students enrolled. It is a high school in Dallas, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Gaston High?
The student-teacher ratio at North Gaston High is 21:1, which is 28% higher than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at North Gaston High?
57.7% of students at North Gaston High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Gaston High?
The largest demographic group at North Gaston High is White at 44.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in Dallas, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Gaston High?
North Gaston High has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (F) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.