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Cliffside Elementary School

Q: Is Cliffside Elementary School a good school?

Cliffside Elementary School ranks 150 th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

150^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 90% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Cliffside Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 196 students in grades K-5 in Cliffside, North Carolina. Part of the Rutherford County Schools district, Cliffside Elementary has consistently been ranked among the top 25% of elementary schools in the state over the past decade, with a current statewide ranking of 150 out of 1,490 schools.

Cliffside Elementary stands out for its exceptional academic performance, consistently outperforming the Rutherford County and North Carolina averages on state standardized tests across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, Cliffside's 3rd grade math proficiency rate was 89.5% compared to 81% for Rutherford County and 64.1% statewide. The school also excels in supporting different student subgroups, ranking in the top 10 in North Carolina for low socioeconomic status students and the top 5% for male students.

Despite serving a predominantly economically disadvantaged student population, with over 98% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, Cliffside Elementary achieves these exceptional outcomes. The school's higher per-pupil spending of $11,539, compared to the $9,229 to $12,191 range of nearby schools, and its relatively low student-teacher ratio of 12:1 to 14.2:1 may contribute to its success. Cliffside Elementary's consistent high performance, even in comparison to other schools in the Rutherford County district and the Cleveland County schools, makes it a model for how high-poverty schools can achieve excellence.

188

Students ?

14.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,539

Per pupil spending ?

94.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4016 US Hwy 221-A
Cliffside, NC 28024

(828) 288-2235

District: Rutherford County Schools

Students who attend Cliffside Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Chase Middle School
High:	Chase High School
	Rutherford Early College High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.7%

Hispanic:

17.0%

African American:

5.9%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Cliffside Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 80th percentile in 2015 → 90th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (76% vs 57% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 10% of North Carolina elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 10 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school76%

District avg66%

North Carolina avg57%

150^th of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 10%▲ up 10 pts since 2015

From top 20% (2015) to top 10% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st 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	86.7	150 of 1490	89.9%	★★★★☆
2024	91.5	95 of 1505	93.7%	★★★★★
2023	80.2	234 of 1502	84.4%	★★★★☆
2022	85.3	174 of 1514	88.5%	★★★★☆
2021	65.8	468 of 1489	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	78.7	249 of 1473	83.1%	★★★★☆
2018	73.5	337 of 1434	76.5%	★★★★☆
2017	66.3	470 of 1429	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	71.9	363 of 1425	74.5%	★★★★☆
2015	77.2	284 of 1440	80.3%	★★★★☆
2014	67.3	442 of 1390	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	58.7	541 of 1403	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	58.5	637 of 1388	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	58.4	640 of 1381	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	72.7	338 of 1363	75.2%	★★★★☆
2009	64.2	528 of 1354	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	47.3	763 of 1324	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2007	47.7	786 of 1293	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2006	54.1	643 of 1276	49.6%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	58.0	293 of 897	67.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	77.4	255 of 1451	82.4%	★★★★☆
2024	85.3	148 of 1455	89.8%	★★★★☆
2023	72.9	336 of 1459	77.0%	★★★★☆
2022	85.1	152 of 1458	89.6%	★★★★☆
2021	72.1	328 of 1440	77.2%	★★★★☆
2019	82.4	176 of 1424	87.6%	★★★★☆
2018	70.3	389 of 1405	72.3%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	65.3	118 of 612	80.7%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	70.3	189 of 851	77.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	96.5	10 of 1437	99.3%	★★★★★
2024	97.9	10 of 1450	99.3%	★★★★★
2023	89.0	65 of 1437	95.5%	★★★★★
2022	92.3	35 of 1366	97.4%	★★★★★
2021	79.4	165 of 1329	87.6%	★★★★☆
2019	92.4	33 of 1361	97.6%	★★★★★
2018	86.5	76 of 1332	94.3%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	91.6	82 of 1450	94.3%	★★★★★
2024	93.7	50 of 1464	96.6%	★★★★★
2023	82.1	199 of 1461	86.4%	★★★★☆
2022	82.7	191 of 1464	87.0%	★★★★☆
2021	57.9	579 of 1444	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	73.5	312 of 1430	78.2%	★★★★☆
2018	72.9	343 of 1413	75.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	73.9	270 of 1172	77.0%	★★★★☆
2024	78.6	215 of 1166	81.6%	★★★★☆
2023	63.8	408 of 1183	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	73.1	280 of 1194	76.5%	★★★★☆
2021	43.7	670 of 1172	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.8	468 of 1183	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.0	521 of 1178	55.8%	★★★☆☆

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)99th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2025)94th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2025)82nd percentile-8 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2019)81st percentile~ school

Hispanic (2018)78th percentile~ school

White (2025)77th percentile-13 vs school

Disabled (2018)67th percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Science80%+18 vs state

Mathematics79%+18 vs state

Reading71%+18 vs state

★

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Schools Near Cliffside 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
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%)	86.7	150^th of 1490 public elementary schools	89.9%		91.5	95^th of 1505 public elementary schools	93.7%	55	89.5	71.4	84.0	63.2	76.2	68.0	80.0	$11,539	$1,925	$9,614
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
Springmore Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	616 McBrayer Homestead Road	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8235	618	41	15.1	99.5%	445 (72.0%)	77 (12.5%)	63 (10.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.2%)	82.2	212^th of 1490 public elementary schools	85.8%		77.4	290^th of 1505 public elementary schools	80.7%	78	77.9	81.3	88.4	46.5	67.3	69.8	86.0	$9,568	$1,145	$8,422
Boiling Springs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1522 Patrick Avenue	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8361	558	38	14.8	99.5%	389 (69.7%)	82 (14.7%)	42 (7.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (7.7%)	85.1	172^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	88.5%		76.2	307^th of 1505 public elementary schools	79.6%	135	89.6	85.2	77.7	66.7	76.5	62.8	68.1	$9,229	$1,162	$8,067
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
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
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
James Love Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	309 James Love Road	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8385	376	30	12.3	98.7%	92 (24.5%)	198 (52.7%)	56 (14.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.4%)	20.3	1276^th of 1490 public elementary schools	14.4%		31.1	1080^th of 1505 public elementary schools	28.2%	196	44.2	36.8	37.0	30.8	52.6	34.8	45.7	$12,191	$1,637	$10,553
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
Union Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1440 Union Church Road	Shelby	28150	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 476-8250	413	30	13.6	99.3%	248 (60.0%)	95 (23.0%)	27 (6.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (9.7%)	56.9	613^th of 1490 public elementary schools	58.9%		52.7	704^th of 1505 public elementary schools	53.2%	91	76.2	58.4	73.4	36.5	49.4	54.7	68.8	$10,135	$1,538	$8,597

Frequently Asked Questions about Cliffside Elementary School

What district is Cliffside Elementary School in?

Rutherford County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Cliffside Elementary School?

Students at Cliffside Elementary School are 71% White, 17% Hispanic, 6% African American, 6% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Cliffside Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Chase Middle School
High : Chase High School
High : Rutherford Early College High School

Is Cliffside Elementary School a good school?

Cliffside Elementary School ranks 150^th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Cliffside Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 188 students attended Cliffside Elementary School.

Rate Cliffside Elementary 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.