How to Enroll

Our office is a part of the Student Support Services Department.  The goal of the Student Assignment Office is to develop a relationship with students and parents from the beginning of the enrollment process. Our staff creates a welcoming environment for families who are new to our community as well as families whose students have extenuating circumstances or special needs.

Student Assignment

Our office staff is pleased to serve parents wishing to enroll their child in Gaston County Schools. To enroll a student, you must be the biological parent or court-ordered guardian. You must also bring:

• Proof of age/birthdate/proof of parentage (birth certificate)
• Immunization record and health assessment for first time enrollment in North Carolina public schools
• Parent/legal guardian's valid photo ID (driver license, state identification, passport, or military ID)
• Withdrawal from previous school (middle and high school)
• Scanned copies of TWO (2) proofs of current address received within the last 30 days to verify residence (ex. power bill, gas bill, water bill, cable bill, Internet bill, landline phone bill, home security bill, homeowner's/renter's insurance, sanitation bill, most recent year's home property tax notice and / or lease, rent, or mortgage records).

*If the parents(s) or court-ordered guardian resides with another person who is the homeowner/lessee, you will need to provide a copy of that person's ID. The homeowner/lessee will need to provide two proofs of address.

A student enrolling in the sixth grade or higher who does not currently attend a Gaston County school will need to come to the Student Assignment Office to complete a Discipline Status Document.

It is our pleasure to serve students living in foster homes and group homes. The legal guardian and the foster parent or group home representative must be present during the registration process. The following documentation is needed for initial enrollment and for changing school assignment:

• Guardianship/parental placement form
• Person Centered Plan
• Individualized Education Plan
• Previous school withdrawal and transcript
• Discipline information
• Special needs information

The application window for in-district student transfers for the 2026–2027 school year was open from April 1 through July 15, 2026. At this time, the standard transfer application process is closed.

Families who did not apply during the open window may submit a request only through the Emergency/Hardship Transfer Process linked here. These requests will only be considered for extenuating circumstances that include an unanticipated or significant change impacting the student’s assignment to their zoned school of attendance that occurred after July 15th or other circumstances outside of the parent/guardian’s control that prevented them from meeting the application deadline.

If you feel your request qualifies, you may submit the required documents as outlined in the Emergency/Hardship transfer document linked above.

All foreign exchange programs in Gaston County Schools must have prior approval from the Student Assignment Office to enroll in our school system. Placement in schools with host families must occur by July 15 for the student to be cleared for enrollment. Schools will have no more than two foreign exchange students each year. The application for enrollment can be found in our policy.