Gateway School

History

Gateway opened in 1994 at a time when Caldwell County held the dubious honor of leading the state in the number of student dropouts.  Original plans called for the school to open in Happy Valley utilizing the Patterson School property. When that plan fell through, the school opened in 1994 in an old doctor's office in downtown Granite Falls. Initially serving grades 9-12, a middle school component was added in 1995. When the current Dudley Shoals Elementary School opened in January 1996, the old campus became the permanent home of Gateway School. Four months after moving to the new location, a boiler fire destroyed a large portion of the offices and classrooms. The school remained open and the current office and several classrooms were rebuilt.

The school currently serves grades 6-12.

Purpose

Our priority is to work with traditional schools to meet the unique needs of every student in Caldwell County. The purpose of Gateway is twofold. First, the school serves as a primary strategy in the effort to eliminate dropouts. By providing a smaller environment, performance-based curriculum, intense monitoring, and consistent communication with the home, Gateway has helped to reduce the number of students who drop out of Caldwell County Schools. Another important purpose of the program is to provide an alternative to the traditional school experience. Our smaller class sizes and personalized learning envrionment are exactly what some students need to excel.