Is Gateway School a good school?

Gateway School ranks in the bottom 5.0% of North Carolina high schools.

How many students attend Gateway School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 62 students attended Gateway School.

What is the racial makeup of Gateway School?

Students at Gateway School are 66% White, 15% Hispanic, 15% Two or more races, 5% African American.

Gateway School

Summary:

Gateway School is a small public high school serving grades 6-12 in Granite Falls, North Carolina, which is part of the Caldwell County Schools district.

Despite its small size of just 58 students, Gateway School has struggled academically for over a decade, consistently ranking in the bottom 20% of North Carolina high schools. The school's proficiency rates on state standardized tests are significantly lower than the Caldwell County and North Carolina averages across all subjects and grade levels. For example, in 8th grade math, Gateway School had only 9.1% proficiency compared to 42% for Caldwell County and 46.9% for the state. This stark disparity in academic outcomes suggests that students at Gateway are not receiving the same quality of education as their peers at other schools in the area.

Further, Gateway School has an extremely high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, ranging from 93.88% to 94.83% over the past 3 years - much higher than the surrounding schools. This high concentration of poverty likely contributes to the school's struggles, as research shows that poverty can be a significant barrier to academic achievement. Despite the low performance, Gateway School spends $28,313 per student, which is substantially higher than the spending at other nearby high schools like East Burke High, Alexander Central High, and Hickory High. This raises questions about how resources are being utilized and whether they are being effectively targeted to support student learning.

Detail:

Public 6-12

1889 Dudley Shoals Road
Granite Falls, NC 28630-8431

(828) 396-8373

District: Caldwell County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
608^th of 640 North Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $28,313

Student/teacher ratio: 5.1

Number of students: 62

Racial breakdown:

White:

66.1%

Hispanic:

14.5%

Two or more races:

14.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 95.2%

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Compare Gateway School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Gateway School ranks worse than 98% of middle schools in North Carolina. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 2.89. (See more...)

Compare Details Gateway School ranks worse than 95% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks last among 6 ranked high schools in the Caldwell County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.22. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Gateway School has the smallest high school student body size in the Caldwell County Schools District. Student population at Gateway School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (66.1%), Hispanic (14.5%), two or more races (14.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 95.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Gateway School is 5.1, which is the lowest among 6 high schools in the Caldwell County Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Gateway School employs 11.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Gateway School is $28,313, which is the highest among 6 high schools in the Caldwell County Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Gateway School:

SchoolDigger ranks Gateway School 777^th of 793 North Carolina public middle schools. (See Gateway School in the ranking list.)

SchoolDigger ranks Gateway School 608^th of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See Gateway School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Male students:

Caldwell County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Caldwell County Schools 151^st of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Gateway School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Gateway School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2006	14.95	540^th	598	9.7%
2008	10.71	568^th	620	8.4%
2009	5.57	594^th	630	5.7%
2011	16.38	586^th	648	9.6%
2012	24.17	553^rd	662	16.5%
2013	4.22	660^th	673	1.9%
2015	4.04	675^th	705	4.3%
2016	8.45	641^st	692	7.4%
2017	7.46	656^th	694	5.5%
2018	1.03	682^nd	691	1.3%
2019	7.07	696^th	737	5.6%
2021	7.56	713^th	741	3.8%
2022	2.69	774^th	786	1.5%
2023	6.18	745^th	784	5.0%
2024	2.89	777^th	793	2.0%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Gateway School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	26.06	492^nd	633	22.3%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Gateway School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	2.14	655^th	665	1.5%
2019	12.44	636^th	697	8.8%
2022	6.84	719^th	748	3.9%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Gateway School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	0.05	596^th	596	0.0%
2019	1.57	621^st	624	0.5%
2021	1.55	632^nd	632	0.0%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Gateway School

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Rank History for all high school students at Gateway School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2006	14.01	386^th	431	10.4%
2007	12.06	408^th	453	9.9%
2008	22.25	398^th	477	16.6%
2009	18.50	421^st	490	14.1%
2010	10.95	448^th	499	10.2%
2011	9.16	453^rd	506	10.5%
2012	2.84	469^th	502	6.6%
2013	5.57	484^th	505	4.2%
2015	18.61	410^th	531	22.8%
2023	10.47	577^th	626	7.8%
2024	8.22	608^th	640	5.0%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Gateway School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	18.26	516^th	597	13.6%
2024	12.08	579^th	613	5.5%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at Gateway School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	8.27	574^th	602	4.7%
2024	15.18	534^th	607	12.0%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school White students at Gateway School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	1.61	532^nd	537	0.9%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Gateway School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1995	96	18	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	115
1996	96	18	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	115
1997	100	20	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	120
1998	121	21	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	142
1999	144	21	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	166
2000	63	10	0	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	75
2001	70	11	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	82
2002	77	11	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	90
2003	77	11	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	90
2004	75	11	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	86
2005	68	8	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	78
2006	59	9	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	68
2007	52	3	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	6	63
2008	70	3	1	1	1	n/a	n/a	3	79
2009	52	6	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	60
2010	49	13	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	66
2011	42	8	0	2	0	0	3	0	55
2012	28	8	0	3	0	0	3	0	42
2013	39	7	0	5	0	0	4	0	55
2014	29	2	0	5	0	0	3	0	39
2015	29	7	0	4	0	0	4	0	44
2016	32	5	0	5	0	0	4	0	46
2017	39	4	0	2	1	0	3	0	49
2018	49	7	0	4	0	0	3	0	63
2019	49	8	0	2	0	1	7	0	67
2020	45	4	0	4	0	0	9	0	62
2021	35	6	0	4	0	0	8	0	53
2022	33	4	0	6	0	0	6	0	49
2023	39	4	0	7	0	0	8	0	58
2024	41	3	0	9	0	0	9	0	62

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Gateway School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	115	13.0	8.8	15.7
1996	115	13.0	8.8	15.7
1997	120	13.0	9.2	n/a
1998	142	14.0	10.1	n/a
1999	166	14.0	11.9	n/a
2000	75	14.0	5.4	n/a
2001	82	14.0	5.9	n/a
2002	90	14.0	6.4	0
2003	90	14.0	6.4	0
2004	86	14.0	6.1	0
2005	78	14.0	5.6	53.8
2006	68	14.0	4.9	60.3
2007	63	10.0	6.3	91.2
2008	79	11.0	7.2	97.4
2009	60	12.0	5.0	65
2010	66	11.0	6.0	84.8
2011	55	13.0	4.2	94.5
2012	42	13.0	3.2	92.9
2013	55	13.0	4.2	81.8
2014	39	12.0	3.2	92.3
2015	44	12.0	3.6	77.3
2016	46	12.0	3.8	95.7
2017	49	11.8	4.1	93.9
2018	63	11.7	5.3	90.5
2019	67	10.5	6.3	95.5
2020	62	10.7	5.7	95.2
2021	53	10.8	4.8	94.3
2022	49	10.7	4.5	93.9
2023	58	12.0	4.8	94.8
2024	62	11.9	5.1	95.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Gateway School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	115	13.0	8.8	15.7
1996	115	13.0	8.8	15.7
1997	120	13.0	9.2	n/a
1998	142	14.0	10.1	n/a
1999	166	14.0	11.9	n/a
2000	75	14.0	5.4	n/a
2001	82	14.0	5.9	n/a
2002	90	14.0	6.4	0
2003	90	14.0	6.4	0
2004	86	14.0	6.1	0
2005	78	14.0	5.6	53.8
2006	68	14.0	4.9	60.3
2007	63	10.0	6.3	91.2
2008	79	11.0	7.2	97.4
2009	60	12.0	5.0	65
2010	66	11.0	6.0	84.8
2011	55	13.0	4.2	94.5
2012	42	13.0	3.2	92.9
2013	55	13.0	4.2	81.8
2014	39	12.0	3.2	92.3
2015	44	12.0	3.6	77.3
2016	46	12.0	3.8	95.7
2017	49	11.8	4.1	93.9
2018	63	11.7	5.3	90.5
2019	67	10.5	6.3	95.5
2020	62	10.7	5.7	95.2
2021	53	10.8	4.8	94.3
2022	49	10.7	4.5	93.9
2023	58	12.0	4.8	94.8
2024	62	11.9	5.1	95.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Gateway School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,830 (6.5%)	$26,484 (93.5%)	$28,313

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Gateway School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 696^th of 737 Middle schools	Ranks 745^th of 784 Middle schools	0.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
8th Grade Reading (Gateway School)	30	30.8	0.8%
8th Grade Reading (Caldwell County Schools)	53.8	47.6	6.2%
8th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	55.6	51	4.6%
8th Grade Science (Gateway School)	55	30.8	24.2%
8th Grade Science (Caldwell County Schools)	83.8	70.1	13.7%
8th Grade Science (North Carolina)	78.6	70.3	8.3%
End of Course Math I (Gateway School)	31.3	11.8	19.5%
End of Course Math I (Caldwell County Schools)	50.1	35.1	15%
End of Course Math I (North Carolina)	41.2	32.9	8.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	67	58	13.4%
African American	8	4	50%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	2	7	250%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	49	39	20.4%
Two or More Races	7	8	14.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	95.5%	94.8%	0.7%

Schools Near Gateway School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOC Biology (2024)	EOC English II (2024)	EOC Math I (2024)	EOC Math III (2024)	EOG Mathematics (2024)	EOG Reading (2024)	EOG Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Gateway School	Public	6-12	1889 Dudley Shoals Road	Granite Falls	28630	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 396-8373	62	12	5.1	95.2%	41 (66.1%)	3 (4.8%)	9 (14.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (14.5%)	8.2	608^th of 640 public high schools	5.0%		10.5	577^th of 626 public high schools	7.8%	31	18.8		14.3		9.1	9.1	36.4	$28,313	$1,830	$26,484
South Caldwell High	Public	9-12	7035 Spartan Drive	Hudson	28638	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 396-2188	1,299	85	15.2	98.7%	1,082 (83.3%)	18 (1.4%)	129 (9.9%)	9 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	59 (4.5%)	46.9	318^th of 640 public high schools	50.3%		53.1	270^th of 626 public high schools	56.9%	48	50.3	60.4	39.8	60.3				$9,486	$729	$8,757
Caldwell Early College	Public	9-12	2859 Hickory Blvd SW	Hudson	28638	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 759-4636	398	18	21.7	37.4%	300 (75.4%)	9 (2.3%)	69 (17.3%)	7 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.3%)	81.7	126^th of 640 public high schools	80.3%		83.6	110^th of 626 public high schools	82.4%	16	75.8	83.3	92.0	72.0				$7,027	$517	$6,510
Caldwell Applied Sciences Academy	Public	9-12	2857 Hickory Boulevard	Hudson	28638	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 759-4640	215	13	16.7	39.1%	179 (83.3%)	2 (0.9%)	22 (10.2%)	4 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.7%)	80.9	130^th of 640 public high schools	79.7%		78.3	138^th of 626 public high schools	78.0%	8	71.9	87.9	50.0	89.5				$8,388	$210	$8,178
Hickory High	Public	9-12	1234 3rd Street NE	Hickory	28601	Catawba County	Hickory City Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 322-5860	1,034	58	17.9	99.5%	339 (32.8%)	203 (19.6%)	329 (31.8%)	45 (4.4%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	114 (11.0%)	37.8	390^th of 640 public high schools	39.1%		38.8	362^nd of 626 public high schools	42.2%	28	43.6	57.1	44.5	47.3				$8,704	$694	$8,010
Hibriten High	Public	9-12	1350 Panther Trail SE	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 758-7376	811	52	15.7	99.6%	529 (65.2%)	74 (9.1%)	139 (17.1%)	11 (1.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (6.9%)	38.2	382^nd of 640 public high schools	40.3%		39.7	356^th of 626 public high schools	43.1%	26	39.7	55.6	34.6	60.8				$10,067	$942	$9,125
Saint Stephens High	Public	9-12	3205 34th Street Drive NE	Hickory	28601	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 256-9841	1,298	67	19.3	56.9%	611 (47.1%)	98 (7.6%)	427 (32.9%)	64 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	97 (7.5%)	50.2	297^th of 640 public high schools	53.6%		46.9	309^th of 626 public high schools	50.6%	12	50.9	56.5	54.2	59.8				$8,502	$740	$7,761
Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School	Public	9-12	409 8th Avenue NE	Hickory	28601	Catawba County	Hickory City Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 328-6738	232	21	11.2	98.7%	115 (49.6%)	31 (13.4%)	57 (24.6%)	7 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (9.5%)	61.7	224^th of 640 public high schools	65.0%		77.2	143^rd of 626 public high schools	77.2%	81	64.4	82.3	38.5	59.2				$15,342	$1,043	$14,299
Alexander Central High	Public	9-12	223 School Drive	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 632-7063	1,248	85	14.7	99.8%	969 (77.6%)	69 (5.5%)	134 (10.7%)	11 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (5.2%)	54.2	269^th of 640 public high schools	58.0%		56.9	248^th of 626 public high schools	60.4%	21	65.5	58.8	41.1	62.9				$10,255	$776	$9,479
Alexander Early College	Public	9-12	345 Industrial Blvd	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 632-8221	169	7	24.1	30.8%	127 (75.1%)	1 (0.6%)	30 (17.8%)	9 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	86.3	106^th of 640 public high schools	83.4%		95.8	15^th of 626 public high schools	97.6%	91	75.7	84.2	83.8	81.1				$6,455	$116	$6,339

Gateway School

Gateway School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Caldwell County Schools:

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Rank History for Gateway School

Rank History for all middle school students at Gateway School

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Gateway School

Rank History for middle school Male students at Gateway School

Rank History for middle school White students at Gateway School

Rank History for Gateway School

Rank History for all high school students at Gateway School

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Gateway School

Rank History for high school Male students at Gateway School

Rank History for high school White students at Gateway School

Enrollment information for Gateway School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Gateway School

Student/Teacher Ratio Gateway School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Gateway School

Impact of COVID-19 on Gateway School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Gateway School

Frequently Asked Questions about Gateway School

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