Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Middle Schools

Best Middle Schools
in Gaston County Schools

This page covers 11 middle schools in Gaston County Schools. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score below the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

11
Schools Ranked
North Carolina
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Middle Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 11
1
rank
Mount Holly Middle
Grades 06–08557 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
48
/100
Student:Teacher
15.3:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,856
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
62%
Near nat'l 52.2%
2
rank
Belmont Middle
Grades 06–08742 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
47
/100
Student:Teacher
19.0:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,856
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
41%
Near nat'l 52.2%
3
rank
Cramerton Middle
Grades 06–08909 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
45
/100
Student:Teacher
19.0:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
41/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,856
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
39%
Near nat'l 52.2%
4
rank
John Chavis Middle School
Grades 06–08413 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
44
/100
Student:Teacher
14.5:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
38/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,856
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
70%
High economic need
5
rank
Stanley Middle
Grades 06–08670 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
43
/100
Student:Teacher
17.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
36/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,856
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
57%
Near nat'l 52.2%
6
rank
Holbrook Middle
Grades 06–08777 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
40
/100
Student:Teacher
18.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,856
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
75%
High economic need
7
rank
Southwest Middle
Grades 06–08804 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
38
/100
Student:Teacher
15.7:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,856
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
100%
High economic need
8
rank
W P Grier Middle School
Grades 06–08610 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
37
/100
Student:Teacher
16.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
38/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,856
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
100%
High economic need
9
rank
W C Friday Middle School
Grades 06–08605 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
36
/100
Student:Teacher
19.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
33/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,856
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
74%
High economic need
10
rank
York Chester Middle
Grades 06–08431 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
34
/100
Student:Teacher
19.3:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$11,856
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
98%
High economic need
1 more middle schools in Gaston County Schools not shown here.
View all schools in Gaston County Schools
How We Rank Middle Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the middle school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
35%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Reflects long-run economic outcomes for children raised in this area.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes. Particularly important during the middle years when academic and social needs are at their most complex.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
15%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Reflects the economic profile of the community the school serves.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
11
Middle Schools
56
Total Schools
48
#1 Score
41
Avg Score
Top Ranked Middle School
1
Mount Holly Middle
Score: 48/100
Compare Gaston County Schools with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.