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Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1143^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 23% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School is a PK-5 elementary school in Forest City, North Carolina, serving 459 students as part of Rutherford County Schools. The school earned 4-star ratings for three straight years from 2022-2023 through 2024-2025 and ranked among the top quarter of North Carolina elementary schools. But in 2025-2026 it suffered a sharp reversal, falling to the 23rd percentile with a 1-star rating, the lowest rank in its local comparison group. This is not a school that has always struggled, which makes the sudden collapse especially striking.

Today the school's proficiency rates are below both district and state averages in every tested subject and grade level. Averaging grades 3 through 5, about 48 percent of students are proficient in math and 47 percent in reading, compared with district averages of roughly 73 percent and 62 percent. Nearby schools serving similar high-poverty populations are posting far stronger results: Cliffside Elementary School ranks in the 94th percentile, Rutherfordton Elementary School in the 88th, and Ellenboro Elementary School in the 87th. The student-teacher ratio has also climbed sharply to 18.4 from 13.0 two years earlier, and chronic absenteeism of 30.2 percent is above the state's 24.2 percent. At $12,235 per student, the school spends more than most local peers, so resources alone do not explain the outcome.

What makes the 2025-2026 results especially concerning is how broad the decline was, touching every grade level, every subject, and nearly every student subgroup. A drop of this size points to something systemic affecting the whole school rather than one classroom or grade cohort. There are encouraging signs as well: the school ranks at the 77th percentile for homeless students and has a history of strong performance with English Learner, Hispanic, and African American students. Those results show the school is capable of strong outcomes, but the latest data is a major setback that needs careful investigation and targeted support to get back on track.

459

Students ?

18.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

286 Learning Parkway
Forest City, NC 28043-3427

(828) 245-4978

District: Rutherford County Schools

Students who attend Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	East Rutherford Middle School
High:	East Rutherford High School
	Rutherford Early College High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

35.1%

White:

30.5%

Hispanic:

19.4%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 52nd percentile in 2016 → 23rd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (49% vs 61% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (23rd percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 29 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school49%

District avg68%

North Carolina avg61%

1,143^rd of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 23%▼ down 29 pts since 2016

From top 48% (2016) to bottom 23% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

71^st of 246Rutherford 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
2026	27.8	1143 of 1492	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	72.3	357 of 1490	76.0%	★★★★☆
2024	78.0	278 of 1505	81.5%	★★★★☆
2023	77.6	280 of 1502	81.4%	★★★★☆
2022	63.8	524 of 1514	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.0	656 of 1489	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.1	672 of 1473	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.1	742 of 1434	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	46.3	814 of 1429	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	52.8	680 of 1425	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	42.3	870 of 1440	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	35.9	918 of 1390	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	35.4	940 of 1403	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	28.6	1109 of 1388	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	28.9	1086 of 1381	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	25.4	1103 of 1363	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	41.7	892 of 1354	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	32.7	970 of 1324	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	38.7	917 of 1293	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	35.2	938 of 1276	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	32.2	668 of 903	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	81.3	94 of 918	89.8%	★★★★☆
2024	82.9	88 of 924	90.5%	★★★★★
2023	88.3	54 of 933	94.2%	★★★★★
2022	84.4	73 of 927	92.1%	★★★★★
2021	74.8	122 of 896	86.4%	★★★★☆
2019	69.1	211 of 949	77.8%	★★★★☆
2018	70.6	185 of 927	80.0%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	69.6	102 of 646	84.2%	★★★★☆
2019	68.6	164 of 878	81.3%	★★★★☆
2018	61.7	246 of 897	72.6%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	92.3	28 of 533	94.7%	★★★★★
2023	94.0	18 of 514	96.5%	★★★★★
2022	72.0	59 of 485	87.8%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	30.2	1080 of 1447	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	66.9	419 of 1451	71.1%	★★★★☆
2024	75.3	281 of 1455	80.7%	★★★★☆
2023	78.4	237 of 1459	83.8%	★★★★☆
2022	60.3	541 of 1458	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.7	661 of 1440	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.0	577 of 1424	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.5	531 of 1405	62.2%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	45.2	605 of 743	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	69.2	149 of 710	79.0%	★★★★☆
2024	64.8	218 of 669	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.2	78 of 582	86.6%	★★★★☆
2022	59.8	245 of 500	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	29.0	432 of 494	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.1	546 of 612	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	39.8	629 of 981	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	69.9	206 of 961	78.6%	★★★★☆
2024	85.3	80 of 951	91.6%	★★★★★
2023	94.7	23 of 915	97.5%	★★★★★
2022	68.0	200 of 893	77.6%	★★★★☆
2021	73.8	139 of 843	83.5%	★★★★☆
2019	56.3	345 of 865	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.1	201 of 851	76.4%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	83.7	3 of 13	76.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.9	947 of 1434	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	79.5	164 of 1437	88.6%	★★★★☆
2024	90.2	50 of 1450	96.6%	★★★★★
2023	89.6	58 of 1437	96.0%	★★★★★
2022	83.8	98 of 1366	92.8%	★★★★★
2021	74.7	204 of 1329	84.7%	★★★★☆
2019	69.2	329 of 1361	75.8%	★★★★☆
2018	61.8	457 of 1332	65.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	28.4	1093 of 1451	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	75.3	299 of 1450	79.4%	★★★★☆
2024	77.4	270 of 1464	81.6%	★★★★☆
2023	72.3	340 of 1461	76.7%	★★★★☆
2022	65.6	461 of 1464	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.6	618 of 1444	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.1	740 of 1430	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.4	949 of 1413	32.8%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	8.9	176 of 181	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	77.5	25 of 159	84.3%	★★★★☆
2021	62.7	27 of 97	72.2%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	50.3	332 of 821	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.9	127 of 801	84.1%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.7	790 of 1146	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	74.2	264 of 1172	77.5%	★★★★☆
2024	69.0	331 of 1166	71.6%	★★★★☆
2023	52.2	583 of 1183	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.7	730 of 1194	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.4	883 of 1172	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	50.4	602 of 1183	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.5	795 of 1178	32.5%	★★☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2024)95th percentile+13 vs school

Disabled (2021)84th percentile+28 vs school

Homeless (2026)77th percentile+54 vs school

Special Education (2025)60th percentile-16 vs school

Hispanic (2026)36th percentile+12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)34th percentile+11 vs school

White (2026)31st percentile+8 vs school

African American (2026)26th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)25th percentile~ school

Male (2026)25th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2026)19th percentile-5 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)3rd percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science55%-12 vs state

Mathematics48%-16 vs state

Reading48%-9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School

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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)				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	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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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	—	445 (72.0%)	77 (12.5%)	63 (10.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.2%)	81.4	224^th of 1492 public elementary schools	85.0%		82.2	212^th of 1490 public elementary schools	85.8%	12	80.2	76.6	86.1	62.0	66.0	65.2	88.7	$9,568	$1,145	$8,422

Frequently Asked Questions about Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School

How many students attend Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 459 students attended Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School.

Is Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School a good school?

Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School ranks in the bottom 23.4% of North Carolina elementary schools.

What district is Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School in?

Rutherford County Schools

What schools do graduates of Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : East Rutherford Middle School
High : East Rutherford High School
High : Rutherford Early College High School

What is the racial makeup of Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School?

Students at Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School are 35% African American, 31% White, 19% Hispanic, 13% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

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.