Gaston County Schools
Gaston County Schools is a public school district based in Gastonia, North Carolina, serving 30,995 students in 56 schools. By enrollment it ranks #10 of the 112 North Carolina districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 92% of them. Its schools average 553 students each, more than the North Carolina median of 446. Its superintendent is Dr Morgen Houchard. It spends about $10,074 per student on day-to-day operations, 10% less than the North Carolina median. It has roughly 15.9 students per teacher.
How Gaston County compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Gaston County | North Carolina median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $10,074 | $11,153 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $6,333 | $6,920 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $331.4 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $313.1 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 1,947 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 15.9 | 15.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 341 | 358 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The North Carolina median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
Leadership
Moves tracker →Dr Morgen Houchard
Source: NC Department of Public Instruction, EDDIE, checked 2026-10-19. Report a change
In the news
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Peer districts in North Carolina
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnston County Public SchoolsSmithfield | 37,320 | 48 | $9,681 | 17.0 | #7 |
| Cabarrus County SchoolsConcord | 35,772 | 43 | $9,927 | 16.5 | #8 |
| Durham Public SchoolsDurham | 31,865 | 57 | $12,723 | 15.0 | #9 |
| Gaston County SchoolsGastonia · this district | 30,995 | 56 | $10,074 | 15.9 | #10 |
| Onslow County SchoolsJacksonville | 27,551 | 39 | $10,233 | 15.7 | #11 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Washington School DistrictRedmond, WA | 30,986 | $14,782 | 17.9 |
| Houston CountyPerry, GA | 30,939 | $12,263 | 14.9 |
| Moreno Valley UnifiedMoreno Valley, CA | 30,926 | $14,975 | 22.2 |
| Irving ISDIrving, TX | 30,767 | $11,316 | 15.6 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-nc-gaston-county-schools