Best Public Schools in Spindale, NC

Summary:

The city of Spindale, North Carolina is home to two schools - Spindale Elementary School and Rutherford Early College High School, both part of the Rutherford County Schools district. While the elementary school faces challenges, the high school stands out as a top performer in the region.

Rutherford Early College High School is consistently ranked among the top 15% of high schools in North Carolina, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's test scores significantly exceed the district and state averages across multiple subjects, including an 88.2% proficiency rate in English II compared to 59.7% for the district and 59.6% for the state. In contrast, Spindale Elementary School has seen its statewide ranking decline from the 757th best elementary school in 2022-2023 to the 1,040th best in 2024-2025, with a 2-star rating.

Both schools face significant socioeconomic challenges, with over 98% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. However, Spindale Elementary School spends significantly more per student ($10,759) compared to Rutherford Early College High School ($6,973), suggesting the district may be allocating more resources to the elementary school to address the needs of its students. The high school's exceptional performance, particularly in its early college model, stands out as a bright spot in the data.

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOC Biology (2025)	EOC English II (2025)	EOC Math I (2025)	EOC Math III (2025)	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	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	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
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
Rutherford Early College High School	Public	9-12	286 ICC Loop Road	Spindale	28160	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 288-2202	208	4	55.0	98.6%	149 (71.6%)	8 (3.8%)	29 (13.9%)	9 (4.3%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.8%)	85.9	104^th of 641 public high schools	83.8%		91.2	65^th of 640 public high schools	89.8%	39	68.8	88.2	58.8	96.3								$6,973	$327	$6,646

Cities Near Spindale

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Forest City	2.96 mi	7	171^st
Rutherfordton	3.14 mi	4	179^th
Bostic	5.34 mi	3	228^th
Ellenboro	8.57 mi	1	18^th
Mooresboro	9.36 mi	1

See the top NC North Carolina cities

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.