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High Schools in Rutherford County Schools

At a glance

DistrictRutherford County Schools71^st of 246 North Carolina districtsFull district overview →

Schools

2,190

Students

Top rankedRutherford Early College High School108^th of 662 North Carolina high schools

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Biggest riser

R-S Central High School up 23 spots statewide this year

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

Summary:

Rutherford County Schools serves four high schools—R-S Central High School, East Rutherford High School, CHASE High School, and Rutherford Early College High School—together enrolling about 2,190 students in grades 9-12 across a largely rural district in western North Carolina. The district is rated 4 stars, and all four schools share nearly identical poverty levels, with over 98% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, yet outcomes vary sharply from school to school.

Rutherford Early College High School is the clear academic leader: it ranks in the 84th percentile statewide and posts the district’s highest proficiency in Biology (80.4%), English II (96.3%), and Math III (95.7%), despite spending about $4,000 less per student than the other high schools. CHASE High School stands out in math, with 62.7% of students proficient in Math I—far above the district’s 35.3% and the state’s 42.1%—and it also leads the traditional schools in Biology and English II. R-S Central High School sits in the middle overall, with a strong 94.2% graduation rate and near-average scores in most subjects, but only 22.0% of its students are proficient in Math I. East Rutherford High School, despite a 94.7% graduation rate, has declined sharply from the 53rd to the 26th percentile over two years and now trails the district in every tested subject.

The biggest academic challenge across the district is introductory math: Math I proficiency is below the state average in three of the four high schools, and only about one in five students at R-S Central and East Rutherford is proficient. However, the district excels in advanced math, with Math III proficiency (77.7%) well above the state (68.9%), including 83.9% at CHASE and 95.7% at Early College. Chronic absenteeism is high at R-S Central (67.1%) and CHASE (66.0%), yet those schools still perform better than East Rutherford, which has lower absenteeism (34.4%), suggesting that test-score gaps may be tied more to course placement and instructional factors than attendance alone. For parents, Rutherford Early College is the standout for college-ready achievement, CHASE is the strongest traditional option especially in math, and East Rutherford’s recent trend is the most concerning.

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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)	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	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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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
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
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
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.