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Rutherford County Schools

At a glance

71^stof 246 North Carolina districts▲ 2

Better than 71% of North Carolina districts

Elementary 9 Middle 3 High 4Grades PK, KG-12

382 West Main Street
Forest City, NC 28043-3027·(828) 288-2200·All North Carolina district rankings →

Statewide performance 2018–2026

2026: better than 71.1% of districts

Schools

7,081

Students

5-star school

Top rankedCliffside Elementary School85^th of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Sunshine Elementary School up 217 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Cliffside Elementary School 14.9 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

4★

3★

2★

1★

Compare North Carolina districts →See the top-ranked North Carolina schools →

Summary:

Rutherford County Schools is a 16-school district — nine elementary, three middle, and four high schools — serving roughly 7,081 students from elementary through high school across the rural communities of Rutherford County, North Carolina. Every school has a free/reduced-price lunch rate above 94%, yet the district as a whole ranks #71 of 246 North Carolina districts with 4 stars. The most pressing districtwide concern is chronic absenteeism, which averages about 38% compared to 24.2% statewide.

Elementary schools are the district’s clear strength. Cliffside Elementary School is the standout, ranking #85 of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools (94th percentile, 5 stars), with 91.2% third-grade reading proficiency and similarly strong math and science results. Rutherfordton Elementary School and Sunshine Elementary School are also climbing, landing at the 88th and 86th percentiles. Among middle schools, CHASE Middle School leads at the 56th percentile, ahead of R-S Middle School and East Rutherford Middle School. At the high school level, Rutherford Early College High School is the county’s top school (84th percentile, 4 stars), followed by CHASE High School, the best traditional high school and the only one above the state average on Math I.

The district’s biggest weakness is the math pipeline: only 36.3% of eighth graders are proficient in math versus 53.0% statewide, and two traditional high schools — R-S Central High School and East Rutherford High School — score in the low 20s on Math I. Meanwhile, Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School has tumbled from the 82nd percentile in 2023–24 to the 23rd percentile this year. Attendance and spending do not neatly predict outcomes: Pinnacle Elementary School has the lowest chronic absenteeism but ranks only at the 54th percentile, while CHASE High posts strong results despite a 66% absenteeism rate. Graduation rates are solid (91–95%), and elementary schools outperform the state in nearly every subject despite very high poverty.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOC Biology (2026)	EOC English II (2026)	EOC Math I (2026)	EOC Math III (2026)	EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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 Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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	—	265 (57.6%)	37 (8.0%)	92 (20.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (13.9%)	64.2	516^th of 1492 public elementary schools	65.4%		62.6	521^st of 1490 public elementary schools	65.0%	5					81.3	69.5	62.1				67.2	66.1	36.2				74.1		$10,377	$1,479	$8,898
R-S Middle School	Public	6-8	607 Westbrook Dr.	Rutherfordton	28139	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 286-4461	561	30	18.6	—	373 (66.5%)	78 (13.9%)	51 (9.1%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	56 (10.0%)	40.7	473^rd of 778 public middle schools	39.2%		48.9	393^rd of 773 public middle schools	49.2%	80								52.6	50.3	40.6				44.2	49.7	57.2		67.2	$8,987	$745	$8,242
Chase Middle School	Public	6-8	840 Chase High Rd	Forest City	28043	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 247-1043	484	27	18.1	97.1%	338 (69.8%)	30 (6.2%)	80 (16.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.4%)	55.4	346^th of 778 public middle schools	55.5%		61.1	275^th of 773 public middle schools	64.4%	71								56.8	61.8	38.8				56.8	66.9	56.0		72.5	$9,772	$780	$8,991
Chase High School	Public	9-12	1603 Chase High Rd	Forest City	28043	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 245-5883	596	29	20.7	—	431 (72.3%)	37 (6.2%)	88 (14.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.4%)	61.8	243^rd of 662 public high schools	63.3%		62	220^th of 641 public high schools	65.7%	23	60.3	65.1	62.7	83.9															$10,771	$989	$9,782
Cliffside Elementary School	Public	K-5	4016 US Hwy 221-A	Cliffside	28024	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 288-2235	188	13	14.9	94.7%	133 (70.7%)	11 (5.9%)	32 (17.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.9%)	92	85^th of 1492 public elementary schools	94.3%		86.7	150^th of 1490 public elementary schools	89.9%	65					90.9	82.6	79.2				91.2	73.9	83.3				87.5		$11,539	$1,925	$9,614
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	—	140 (30.5%)	161 (35.1%)	89 (19.4%)	8 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (13.3%)	27.8	1143^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	23.4%		72.3	357^th of 1490 public elementary schools	76.0%	786					53.6	45.6	46.1				41.1	52.9	47.4				55.3		$12,235	$3,287	$8,948
East Rutherford High School	Public	9-12	331 East High Rd	Bostic	28043	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 245-6424	623	33	18.9	—	411 (66.0%)	89 (14.3%)	74 (11.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	46 (7.4%)	28.3	490^th of 662 public high schools	26.0%		44.8	341^st of 641 public high schools	46.8%	149	42.4	52.0	21.3	65.7															$10,163	$1,106	$9,057
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%)	84.1	188^th of 1492 public elementary schools	87.4%		85.7	163^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	89.1%	25					88.0	83.5	82.1				62.6	80.0	60.3				83.3		$9,921	$1,677	$8,244
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%)	76.5	294^th of 1492 public elementary schools	80.3%		80.1	242^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	83.8%	52					91.1	74.3	69.7				80.4	57.1	64.5				77.6		$9,551	$1,364	$8,186
East Rutherford Middle School	Public	6-8	259 East Church Street	Bostic	28018	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 245-3750	533	27	20.0	—	350 (65.7%)	66 (12.4%)	76 (14.3%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.9%)	32.1	537^th of 778 public middle schools	31.0%		37.2	492^nd of 773 public middle schools	36.4%	45								63.5	39.8	29.7				51.9	36.3	46.5		60.5	$9,615	$916	$8,699
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%)	85.5	173^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	88.4%		74.7	320^th of 1490 public elementary schools	78.5%	147					80.9	79.1	79.7				69.6	70.1	73.4				86.2		$10,825	$1,582	$9,243
R-S Central High School	Public	9-12	641 Hwy 221 North	Rutherfordton	28139	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 287-3304	763	36	21.2	—	539 (70.6%)	99 (13.0%)	60 (7.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	62 (8.1%)	44.9	368^th of 662 public high schools	44.4%		38.1	391^st of 641 public high schools	39.0%	23	56.2	64.0	22.0	75.2															$10,966	$1,171	$9,795
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%)	40.5	899^th of 1492 public elementary schools	39.7%		32.8	1040^th of 1490 public elementary schools	30.2%	141					72.3	56.9	50.0				53.2	40.4	44.4				66.7		$10,759	$1,904	$8,854
Sunshine Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	231 Toney Road	Bostic	28018	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 245-0658	217	13	16.4	—	197 (90.8%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.6%)	82.4	210^th of 1492 public elementary schools	85.9%		68	427^th of 1490 public elementary schools	71.3%	217					73.5	97.0	74.1				71.4	84.8	63.0				77.8		$12,481	$1,748	$10,733
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%)	53	680^th of 1492 public elementary schools	54.4%		61.5	539^th of 1490 public elementary schools	63.8%	141					91.8	69.5	54.5				73.5	61.0	39.4				53.0		$11,086	$1,573	$9,513
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	—	149 (71.6%)	8 (3.8%)	29 (13.9%)	9 (4.3%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.8%)	84.6	108^th of 662 public high schools	83.7%		85.9	104^th of 641 public high schools	83.8%	4	80.4	96.3	46.7	95.7															$6,973	$327	$6,646

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy	3.7 mi	1
Cleveland County Schools	10.53 mi	28	82^nd
Polk County Schools	15.63 mi	7	57^th
Pinnacle Classical Academy	20.28 mi	1
Lake Lure Classical Academy	20.62 mi	1

See the top NC North Carolina districts

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.