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Rutherfordton Elementary School

Q: Is Rutherfordton Elementary School a good school?

Rutherfordton Elementary School ranks 320 th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

320^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 79% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Rutherfordton Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 391 students in grades PK-5 in Rutherfordton, North Carolina, which is part of the Rutherford County Schools district. The school consistently performs above the county and state averages in mathematics, reading, and science proficiency, with particularly strong results for its low-income students. However, the school's performance with male and white students is relatively lower compared to other subgroups.

Rutherfordton Elementary School maintains a relatively low student-teacher ratio and higher per-student spending than the state average, which may contribute to its academic success. The school also outperforms many of its nearby competitors, such as Ellenboro Elementary School and Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School, which also have strong academic performance. Despite these strengths, the school faces significant socioeconomic challenges, with an exceptionally high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

Overall, Rutherfordton Elementary School stands out as a high-performing elementary school within the Rutherford County Schools district, particularly in its academic achievement and support for low-income students. However, the school's mixed performance with certain student subgroups and the high poverty rates in the surrounding community warrant further attention and targeted interventions to ensure equitable outcomes for all students.

397

Students ?

16.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,825

Per pupil spending ?

95.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

201 Bob Hardin Road
Rutherfordton, NC 28139

(828) 287-3778

District: Rutherford County Schools

Students who attend Rutherfordton Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	R-S Middle School
High:	R-S Central High School
	Rutherford Early College High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.3%

Two or more races:

11.6%

Hispanic:

9.6%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Rutherfordton Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 71st percentile in 2015 → 79th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (69% vs 57% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 21% of North Carolina elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school69%

District avg66%

North Carolina avg57%

320^th of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 21%▲ up 8 pts since 2015

From top 29% (2015) to top 21% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 10Elementary Schools in the Rutherford County Schools

73^rd of 242Rutherford County Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	74.7	320 of 1490	78.5%	★★★★☆
2024	61.3	555 of 1505	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.7	451 of 1502	70.0%	★★★★☆
2022	61.8	554 of 1514	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.0	607 of 1489	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.7	392 of 1473	73.4%	★★★★☆
2018	77.3	267 of 1434	81.4%	★★★★☆
2017	75.7	313 of 1429	78.1%	★★★★☆
2016	67.6	434 of 1425	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	69.7	418 of 1440	71.0%	★★★★☆
2014	50.4	695 of 1390	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	49.5	671 of 1403	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	48.5	790 of 1388	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	69.1	432 of 1381	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	58.7	639 of 1363	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	60.7	595 of 1354	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	72.7	303 of 1324	77.1%	★★★★☆
2007	86.5	71 of 1293	94.5%	★★★★★
2006	82.6	140 of 1276	89.0%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	58.6	313 of 924	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.5	577 of 927	37.8%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	59.7	167 of 634	73.7%	★★★★☆
2019	39.7	530 of 878	39.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	74.3	295 of 1451	79.7%	★★★★☆
2024	64.1	472 of 1455	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.8	299 of 1459	79.5%	★★★★☆
2022	58.0	588 of 1458	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.1	483 of 1440	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.6	443 of 1424	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.7	333 of 1405	76.3%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	61.0	305 of 710	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.9	431 of 669	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	68.6	30 of 582	94.8%	★★★★★
2022	54.8	301 of 500	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	12.7	473 of 494	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	37.3	558 of 612	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	85.3	92 of 1437	93.6%	★★★★★
2024	72.1	284 of 1450	80.4%	★★★★☆
2023	76.8	221 of 1437	84.6%	★★★★☆
2022	83.1	110 of 1366	91.9%	★★★★★
2021	62.2	383 of 1329	71.2%	★★★★☆
2019	73.7	251 of 1361	81.6%	★★★★☆
2018	75.5	217 of 1332	83.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	71.1	359 of 1450	75.2%	★★★★☆
2024	58.1	595 of 1464	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.9	588 of 1461	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.8	517 of 1464	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.4	648 of 1444	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	72.5	329 of 1430	77.0%	★★★★☆
2018	78.8	234 of 1413	83.4%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	46.7	374 of 821	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	35.6	517 of 801	35.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	53.9	538 of 1172	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.8	720 of 1166	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.6	646 of 1183	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.9	807 of 1194	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.6	758 of 1172	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.2	574 of 1183	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.2	320 of 1178	72.8%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)94th percentile+15 vs school

Female (2025)80th percentile~ school

Male (2025)75th percentile-3 vs school

Disabled (2022)74th percentile+10 vs school

African American (2024)66th percentile+3 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)57th percentile-21 vs school

Special Education (2025)54th percentile-24 vs school

White (2025)54th percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics77%+16 vs state

Reading66%+14 vs state

Science55%-7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Rutherfordton Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOG Mathematics (2025)			EOG Reading (2025)			EOG Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Rutherfordton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	201 Bob Hardin Road	Rutherfordton	28139	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 287-3778	397	24	16.4	95.2%	279 (70.3%)	34 (8.6%)	38 (9.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (11.6%)	74.7	320^th of 1490 public elementary schools	78.5%		61.3	555^th of 1505 public elementary schools	63.1%	235	87.1	80.6	63.1	61.3	77.4	60.0	54.5	$10,825	$1,582	$9,243
Spindale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	161 N Oak St	Spindale	28160	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 286-2861	337	20	16.4	95.3%	168 (49.9%)	96 (28.5%)	39 (11.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (10.1%)	32.8	1040^th of 1490 public elementary schools	30.2%		40.7	919^th of 1505 public elementary schools	38.9%	121	67.4	45.3	56.9	46.5	38.5	40.4	37.9	$10,759	$1,904	$8,854
Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	286 Learning Parkway	Forest City	28043	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 245-4978	459	25	18.4	98.3%	140 (30.5%)	161 (35.1%)	89 (19.4%)	8 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (13.3%)	72.3	357^th of 1490 public elementary schools	76.0%		78	278^th of 1505 public elementary schools	81.5%	79	75.8	91.4	55.7	56.1	82.7	44.3	67.2	$12,235	$3,287	$8,948
Harris Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3330 US 221 S Hwy	Forest City	28043	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 248-2354	434	27	16.1	95.9%	367 (84.6%)	5 (1.2%)	37 (8.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.3%)	80.1	242^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	83.8%		80.6	232^nd of 1505 public elementary schools	84.6%	10	80.8	78.3	65.5	60.3	75.4	65.5	67.2	$9,551	$1,364	$8,186
Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2785 Hudlow Road	Forest City	28043	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 287-4792	231	13	17.6	98.7%	182 (78.8%)	8 (3.5%)	15 (6.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (10.8%)	56.7	616^th of 1490 public elementary schools	58.7%		61.9	545^th of 1505 public elementary schools	63.8%	71	78.4	46.2	67.6	37.8	53.8	51.4	83.8	$11,338	$1,542	$9,796
Forrest W. Hunt Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	100 Forrest Hunt Drive	Forest City	28043	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 245-2161	460	24	19.2	98.3%	265 (57.6%)	37 (8.0%)	92 (20.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (13.9%)	62.6	521^st of 1490 public elementary schools	65.0%		63.8	511^th of 1505 public elementary schools	66.0%	10	78.5	63.9	70.1	58.5	55.7	47.8	58.2	$10,377	$1,479	$8,898
Polk Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2141 South NC9 Hwy	Mill Spring	28756	Polk County	Polk County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 894-8233	379	24	15.9	99.2%	299 (78.9%)	20 (5.3%)	39 (10.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.3%)	59.6	570^th of 1490 public elementary schools	61.7%		63.3	521^st of 1505 public elementary schools	65.4%	49	66.7	67.3	66.7	43.9	69.2	49.0	58.8	$12,367	$1,550	$10,818
Pinnacle Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1204 Painters Gap Road	Rutherfordton	28139	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 287-3440	254	16	16.0	96.5%	209 (82.3%)	14 (5.5%)	22 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.5%)	61.5	539^th of 1490 public elementary schools	63.8%		61.4	554^th of 1505 public elementary schools	63.2%	15	84.8	61.5	53.7	57.6	53.8	58.5	63.4	$11,086	$1,573	$9,513
Ellenboro Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	813 Piney Mountain Church Rd	Ellenboro	28040	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 453-8185	567	30	18.7	97.4%	437 (77.1%)	36 (6.3%)	42 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (9.2%)	85.7	163^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	89.1%		78.8	263^rd of 1505 public elementary schools	82.5%	100	87.5	75.9	79.8	67.5	70.9	62.9	78.9	$9,921	$1,677	$8,244
Sunny View Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	86 Sunny View School Road	Mill Spring	28756	Polk County	Polk County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 894-1050	120	10	11.8	97.5%	115 (95.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	60.3	562^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	62.3%		70	401^st of 1505 public elementary schools	73.4%	161	83.3	75.0	53.8	55.6	68.8	50.0	53.8	$15,864	$1,636	$14,228

Frequently Asked Questions about Rutherfordton Elementary School

How many students attend Rutherfordton Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 397 students attended Rutherfordton Elementary School.

Is Rutherfordton Elementary School a good school?

Rutherfordton Elementary School ranks 320^th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Rutherfordton Elementary School in?

Rutherford County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Rutherfordton Elementary School?

Students at Rutherfordton Elementary School are 70% White, 12% Two or more races, 10% Hispanic, 9% African American.

What schools do graduates of Rutherfordton Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Rutherfordton Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : R-S Middle School
High : R-S Central High School
High : Rutherford Early College High School

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.