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W.A. Bess Elementary School
Join the 47 supporters who believe in this school.

About this school

W.A. Bess Elementary School is a rural public school in Gastonia, North Carolina that is part of Gaston County School District. It serves 676 students in grades K - 5 with a student/teacher ratio of 19.3:1. Its teachers have had 10 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Equity Focus School

At Equity Focus Schools, students have limited access to resources and learning materials.
Learn more about our Equity Focus

Support towards this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School
Grades K - 5
676 Students
35 Teachers
4340 Beaty Rd Contact info is sourced from our partners at MDR Education, and DonorsChoose updates our site ahead of each school year.
Gastonia, NC 28056 View local requests
http://gaston.k12.nc.us/bess
Evidence-based impact
Inspire teachers to stay in the classroom and boost student achievement.1
Give to this school
Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.
Kindergarten teacher at PS81 - Robert J. Christen School in Bronx, NY
1: "Crowdfunding the Front Lines: An Empirical Study of Teacher-Driven School Improvement," "Stopping the Revolving Door: An Empirical and Textual Study of Crowdfunding and Teacher Turnover" — Samantha Keppler, Jun Li, and Di (Andrew) Wu — University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business

W.A. Bess Elementary School Teachers on DonorsChoose

DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. Each classroom request for funding was created by a classroom teacher and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

See how DonorsChoose works

W.A. Bess Elementary School Demographics

48%
of students receive free or reduced price lunch Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
Source: the National Center for Education Statistics
36%
of students are Black, Latino, Native American, or Asian Data about school demographics comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. The numbers in this chart may not add up to 100% because of limitations in the available data.

Schools in districts that mainly serve students of color receive substantially less state and local support than similar districts that serve primarily White students. Learn more about this gap, why it exists, and how you can help close it.

W.A. Bess Elementary School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Dec 4, 2025

DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.

W.A. Bess Elementary School

$2,766
raised using DonorsChoose
10
projects funded
7
teachers funded
47
donors
3
projects for technology
1
project for art supplies

W.A. Bess Elementary School has received support from 28 individuals from North Carolina and 19 individuals out-of-state.