April 9, 2024 at 8:51 p.m.
More Unique Schools In Gaston County
STANLEY––We recently told you about Gaston County’s high schools (see related coverage, only here in The Herald).
In this, the second in our series, we tell you about a few other schools occupying a unique niche within local education.
Among them is Mountain Island Charter School, situated in the rural Riverbend area between Mount Holly and Charlotte. MICS enjoys high rankings, holding the number-76 slots in both elementary and middle schools statewide, according to U.S. News & World Report. The magazine also praises the school for its efforts toward college preparedness and career readiness.
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.
One local parent very satisfied with this educational paradigm is Bill Ward of Stanley. Ward sent his daughters, Jael, Anna and Sara, to MICS, just a few years ago.
Bill Ward“We were concerned about the then-upcoming high school situation for our eldest daughter, Jael,” he said. “These concerns prompted us to begin investigating charter school options. She was in the lottery for Lake Norman and Mountain Island charter schools. At the time, Mountain Island would just be starting the freshman class her upcoming year, so she got in that year. We enrolled our youngest in middle school the following year. The middle daughter finished out middle school in public school, and then we moved her to Mountain Island. We were fortunate they were at MICS together during the last two years that Jael was in high school, which was the first graduating class for MICS in 2016.”
Ward added that Anna was a member of the MICS class of 2018 and Sara, of 2020.
“Even during the COVID craziness, the staff and administrators were always top-notch,” he said. “We never had any issues or concerns academically, socially, athletically or spiritually. All three girls went on to Gaston College and moved on to their respective studies at Catawba Valley Community College, Western Carolina University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.”
Ward revealed that Jael is now a certified nursing assistant at Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte, finishing her ultrasound sonography degree at CVCC. In 2022, Anna was graduated from Western, where she earned a degree in forensic science, and she now works for the United States Department of Agriculture in Gastonia. Sara is working part-time and will be among UNCC’s spring graduates next year, when she earns a degree in public science.
Other schools
In 1979, Gaston Christian School was founded by a group of parents that wanted to have a college-prep Christian school. Located in Lowell on a 50-acre site, it’s the largest private school in Gaston County, with some 900 students, from pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade, all on the same campus. It’s known for its fine arts and athletic efforts. And it also has a brand-new satellite campus in Shelby.
Another local parent very pleased by this educational model is Mayor Steven Denton of Stanley. Denton joined the Gaston Christian School Board of Trustees in 2019, and he is currently its vice-chairman.
Mayor Steven Denton“We joined Gaston Christian School in 2016,” he said, “when our son, Jake, entered kindergarten. The following year, we enrolled our son, Christian, into pre-K. We wanted to give our children a faith-based education with a strong academic curriculum.
“The school has completed a number of capital projects,” Denton added, “which include the construction of a fine arts building and a recently completed student life center. The school has seen tremendous growth over the past few years: so much so that we decided to open a second campus in Cleveland County!”
Established in Gastonia in 1967, Gaston Day is an independent, non-sectarian, college-prep school. It attracts students from a five-county area including Gaston, Mecklenburg, Lincoln, Cleveland and York (S.C.) counties. It’s accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Southern Association of Independent Schools and the North Carolina Association of Independent Schools and approved by the N.C. Department of Education.
Located in Gastonia and celebrating 82 years of excellence in education, St. Michael the Archangel Catholic School is a private, co-ed Roman Catholic classical school for students in pre-K through the eighth grade. Students pursue a superior classical education, empowered by strong faculty-student relationships and a vibrant community life. Parents praise its well-rounded curriculum and Catholic environment.
Talking of Catholic schools, Belmont Abbey College is the region’s premier such institution. In what soon became known as Belmont in 1876, this private, Roman Catholic liberal arts college was founded by Benedictine monks, mostly of German background, who came down from Pennsylvania. The college is affiliated with the Catholic Church and the Order of St. Benedict.
And Gaston College is a public community college in Dallas, with satellite campuses in Belmont and Lincolnton. Serving Gaston and Lincoln counties, it enrolls more than 5,000 students each term in curriculum programs and about 16,000 students in continuing education programs. Part of the N.C. Community College System, it’s accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
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