District overview
KIPP Gaston College Preparatory (KIPP Eastern North Carolina)
Funding structure, how it compares to peers, and where major projects stand.
Who runs KIPP Pride and how it is paid for
KIPP Gaston College Preparatory is the state charter for the three KIPP Pride schools in Gaston, Northampton County: KIPP Pride Elementary (K-5), KIPP Pride Middle (6-8) and KIPP Pride High (9-12). It is free and open by lottery. It is part of KIPP North Carolina, a nonprofit that also runs schools in Durham and Charlotte. One appointed board of directors governs all of them; members are not elected by voters. The schools are paid mostly by the state per student, plus a smaller county share and federal money.
Appointed board
The KIPP NC board (chair Rich Richards) adds its own members by vote; it serves as the KIPP ENC and KIPP Charlotte boards at the same meetings.
Money follows students
State funding is set by enrollment in the first weeks of school. Only about 10% of Gaston's money comes from the county, compared with 40% in Durham.
Gaston pays the network
Leaders said the Gaston schools pay most of the management fees that fund KIPP NC's central office.
10-year charter
The KIPP Pride schools were approved for a 10-year charter renewal in February 2026.
Leaders report the best growth results in the network at Gaston and clean audits, so the budget squeeze has not shown up as audit problems. These figures come from board minutes, not a full financial report.
Where the district stands
Closed in the budget approved June 4, 2026, mostly through staffing changes.
Down from 2,844; the 2026-27 budget assumes 2,734.
About 40% in Durham and one third in Charlotte.
$8.7 million unrestricted.
Network-wide; down 9 points from the year before, per staff.
Major projects
Enrollment and retention push
in progressWith fewer students in Gaston and across the network, KIPP is adding enrollment specialists (one at KIPP Pride Middle), calling families before they withdraw, and using transportation and athletics to recruit.
- 2026-27 lottery opens
- Gaston grades 3-8 flagged as softening
- Budget assumes 2,734 students
- Target date for 3,017 total enrollment
Funding
Operating budget; KIPP Foundation-funded attendance software at Pride
KIPP NC strategic plan
approvedA multi-year plan written with school and regional input. Family engagement became a core part of the plan after parent feedback.
- Draft shared with stakeholders
- Board approves plan
- Board retreat on goals
Funding
Not stated
Recent news
Board minutes (November 2025 to June 2026), posted agendas (September and October 2026) and Parents' Bill of Rights documents from kippnc.org, read in full.
Get alerts for KIPP Gaston College Preparatory (KIPP Eastern North Carolina)
We read every agenda, packet, recording, and set of minutes, and write up the decisions that affect families — each one linked to the document it came from.
Copy the RSS link into your feed reader to get new published alerts.