Enrollment
1,061
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Dallas, NC
North Gaston High
Federal NCES profile for North Gaston High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370162000702
👥 S:T ratio 22
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
North Gaston High earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Dallas · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.6:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 57.7%
- free-lunch eligible
North Gaston High has class sizes larger than 89% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, North Gaston High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Dallas, NC.
School address
District: Gaston County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370162000702 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+24% 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
What stands out at North Gaston High
North Gaston High is a higher-need, large high school in Dallas, North Carolina, enrolling 1,061 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.6:1 is larger than about 89% of North Carolina schools and 24% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 57.7% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 91% of state schools at 1,061 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 238 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #202, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and African American (27%) (diversity index 68/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 7 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 333 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 359 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,061 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Dallas's high schools, it stands alongside Gaston Early College High School (235 students): North Gaston High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.6:1 vs 23.5:1).
Gaston County Schools also operates Ashbrook High (1,386 students) and Hunter Huss High (1,165 students) alongside North Gaston High.
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 North Gaston High compares
North Gaston High 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 | 19.6:1 | ▲ 24% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.7% | ▼ 13% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,061 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,061
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 24% above state mean
Top 89% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
51.4%
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
$11,409
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
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
- 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
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.
Student-body diversity index 68.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.4, North Gaston High is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gaston County Schools, which includes North Gaston High.
$11,409
Per student
-5%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How North Gaston High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashbrook High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hunter Huss High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forestview High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Point High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cramerton Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to North Gaston High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,386
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,165
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,133
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 989
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 959
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar high schools in Dallas
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~1,061 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on North Gaston High's federal record.
- Compare North Gaston High against another school. Compare schools
- Gaston County Schools'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 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 19.6:1, which is 24% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
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% of enrollment, in Dallas, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Gaston High?
North Gaston High has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 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 North Gaston High rank among high schools in Dallas?
By Resource Investment Index, North Gaston High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Dallas, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Dallas on the city page.
Is North Gaston High a good school?
North Gaston High earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of North Carolina schools. 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 Gaston County Schools?
Besides North Gaston High, Gaston County Schools also operates Ashbrook High (1,386 students), Hunter Huss High (1,165 students), and Forestview High (1,133 students). See the Gaston County Schools district page for the complete list.
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.