Gaston County Board of Education South Point Township

Gaston County Schools has jurisdiction over 56 public schools that serve 31,000 students.  The board’s roles include budget priorities, curriculum guidelines, facility improvements and superintendent oversight. It is a nine-member board that has seven representatives chosen from the six townships and two members selected at-large.

The school district has faced significant budget shortfalls that have necessitated layoffs and discussions around closing schools. County commissioners have had to approve approximately $15 million in mid-year emergency funding. The school board has also faced accusations of a lack of transparency and decisions made behind closed doors.

WFAE reported that the Gaston County school superintendent attributed the budget shortfall to declines in federal pandemic funding and state supplemental funding and staffing that was not aligned to those funding cuts. Additionally, the school district relied on a “trusted, long-term employee” that the budget would be balanced, but it was not.

All school board members are elected county-wide. At-large members represent the county while the district representatives represent those jurisdictions.

Gaston County Board of Education South Point Township Candidates