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CHERRYVILLE––The Gaston County Schools have much of which to be justifiably proud and a lot happening nowadays.

Just the 15 high schools alone are one big beehive of collective and amazing activity.

For example, according to Gaston County Schools (or GCS) spokesman Todd Hagans, Cherryville High recently held a dedication ceremony for its Howard Homesley Outdoor Learning Center. It’s a lovely shelter for gatherings, activities and fellowship, as Hagans recently told The Herald.

“Several features,” he said, “that make the shelter a stately, eye-catching structure are the decorative rock, a vibrant, blue paint scheme and an atmosphere that is conducive for academic engagement, enrichment and collaboration.” 

Then there’s the Highland School of Technology. It’s Gaston County’s first magnet high school and a 2017 and 2023 National Blue Ribbon School award-winner. Highland is a world-class school that prepares students for a world-class future. Students complete courses in one of three academies: health sciences; business, legal, and information sciences; and manufacturing/engineering technology and graphics.

Ashbrook High is the result of the merger of two former high schools, Holbrook and Ashley. The first class was graduated in 1971. In 2002, Ashbrook won the state-level football championship and, in 2003, the state baseball championship as well. And in 2015, the Ashbrook men’s basketball team made it to the Three-A state championship basketball game.

Then there’s the Gaston Early College High School, located on the Gaston College Dallas Campus. This unique scholastic option has become increasingly popular nationwide in recent years. Students enrolled simultaneously earn credit not only toward a diploma but also an associate’s degree, thus enabling them, upon high school graduation, to enter four-year institutions not as freshmen but as juniors.  

Opened 62 years ago, Hunter Huss High is named for the late Gaston County Schools superintendent of the same name, a Cherryville native who served from 1937 to 1968. The school’s career academy is part of the system’s school choice programs. The career academy prepares students for careers in business, trade, industry, food service, public safety, health science and technology.

Located near Mount Holly, East Gaston High was created 52 years ago as the consolidation of high schools that were then in the neighboring municipalities of Mount Holly and Stanley. Feeder middle schools are likewise in Mount Holly and Stanley. A member of the Big South Two-A/Three-A Conference, East Gaston’s main rival is South Point High.

Forestview High was created in 1998. According to a recent article in U.S. News & World Report, students at Forestbrook have the opportunity to take coursework and exams at the advanced-placement (or AP) level. The AP participation rate at Forestview High is 20 percent. U.S News also rates the school as among the best in the country.

Bessemer City High is known for the work of its clubs. Its Impact Club recently delivered 150 Easter treat bags to Bessemer City Primary and 102 bags to Tryon Elementary. And its technology and industrial engineering academy is focused on preparing students for promising careers in engineering, technology and such industry-based professions as masonry, carpentry and advanced manufacturing. 

Also occupying a unique niche is the three-campus Piedmont Community Charter. Rather like dual-enrollment early college programs, charter schools have become very popular nationwide in recent years. According to The Washington Post, they receive government funding but operate independently of established state school systems. They work according to the basic principle of autonomy for accountability, freed from the rules but accountable for results.

North Gaston High is known for its leadership academy. As part of the “leader in me” model, students learn about empowerment, responsibility, integrity, vision, teamwork and collaboration, which are the qualities found in an effective leader. Additionally, students learn how to handle challenges that teenagers face, and they gain a sense of purpose, belonging and direction in life.

The Warlick Academy is actually more than a high school. It serves students in grades six through 12, and it provides outstanding opportunities in academics, athletics, the fine arts and career and technical education. With a student-teacher ratio of six to one, students have access to a diverse range of educational experiences, and the school fosters a supportive learning environment.

Also occupying a unique position is the Webb Street School. It serves students with intellectual disabilities, from the ages of 5 to 22 years of age. The school’s instructional program follows the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. In addition, students are instructed within Gaston County through the school system’s community-based training program.

Opened in 2013, Stuart Cramer High is the county’s newest high school. Nestled on 99 acres in Cramerton, which has the same namesake as that of the school (textiles baron and Duke Power co-founder Stuart Cramer), the school was part of a multimillion-dollar bond package and built in part to relieve overcrowding at South Point and East Gaston.

South Point High is known for its athletic prowess, and it has produced Carolina Panthers football coach Perry Fewell, amongst other sports figures. South Point’s football camp starts May 29. And the AVID (advancement via individual determination) program is expanding at SPHS, offering ninth, 10^th and 11^th graders a proven method to enhance collegiate preparedness.

And perhaps the most unique such institution of all is the brand-new Gaston Virtual Academy, which serves K-12 students in a remote, Internet-based learning environment. Based out of the former Forest Heights Elementary building, the school offers personalized learning and a flexible schedule, as well as advanced-placement courses and a dual-enrollment program for juniors and seniors.

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