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R-S Central High School

Q: Is R-S Central High School a good school?

R-S Central High School ranks 368 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend R-S Central High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 763 students attended R-S Central High School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of R-S Central High School?

Students at R-S Central High School are 71% White, 13% African American, 8% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic.

Q: What schools feed into R-S Central High School?

R-S Central High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Pinnacle Elementary School Elementary : Rutherfordton Elementary School Elementary : Spindale Elementary School Middle : R-S Middle School

Public Grades 9-12

368^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 44% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

R-S Central High School is a comprehensive public high school in Rutherfordton, North Carolina, serving 763 students in grades 9–12 in a high-poverty rural community at the edge of the Blue Ridge Foothills. The school sits within Rutherford County Schools, a district ranked 71st out of 246 North Carolina districts, though the school itself ranks 368th out of 662 high schools statewide — the 44th percentile. More than 98% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, a level of economic disadvantage shared by nearly all nearby schools, making comparisons within the district especially meaningful.

Chronic absenteeism is the school’s most urgent concern. R-S Central’s rate has climbed from 45.1% in 2020–2021 to 67.1% — nearly three times the state rate of 24.2%, and well above the district’s 38.1%. Math I proficiency is similarly troubling at 22.0%, roughly 20 points below the state average of 42.1%. The contrast with CHASE High School is striking: CHASE serves almost identical poverty and absenteeism rates, yet posts Math I proficiency of 62.7%. East Rutherford High School, however, is close to R-S Central’s level at 21.3%, showing the challenge is not entirely unique locally.

There are genuine strengths worth noting. R-S Central’s graduation rate is a strong 94.2%, well above the state’s 86.9%, and its English II proficiency (64.0%) essentially matches the state average. Upper-level math is also healthy — Math III proficiency (75.2%) exceeds the state’s 68.9%. That combination of outcomes, alongside the high absenteeism rate, suggests a school that successfully moves students toward graduation through credit recovery and flexible supports, even while gaps remain in foundational early high school math. The school has not sustained lasting improvement over time, cycling between the 28th and 54th percentiles since 2017, and the special education subgroup saw a sharp recent decline from the 70th to the 11th percentile. Within its own district, R-S Central trails both CHASE and Rutherford Early College High School, but sits above East Rutherford.

763

Students ?

21.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

98.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

641 Hwy 221 North
Rutherfordton, NC 28139

(828) 287-3304

District: Rutherford County Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.6%

African American:

13.0%

Two or more races:

8.1%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare R-S Central High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 54th percentile in 2023 → 44th in 2026

Strengths

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the North Carolina average (87%)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (67% vs 24% North Carolina)

!Ranking has slipped from its 54th-percentile peak (2023) to 44th (2026)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school57%

District avg60%

North Carolina avg60%

368^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 44%▲ up 7 pts since 2016

From bottom 37% (2016) to bottom 44% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High 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	44.9	368 of 662	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.1	391 of 641	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.9	359 of 640	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.3	287 of 626	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.3	349 of 621	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.5	429 of 594	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	44.4	251 of 514	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.6	217 of 469	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	37.3	265 of 476	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	29.0	318 of 507	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	30.4	335 of 531	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	27.4	295 of 451	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	36.1	267 of 505	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	38.7	320 of 502	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2011	40.3	358 of 506	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	37.1	371 of 499	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	34.4	372 of 490	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	35.6	351 of 477	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	44.7	277 of 453	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2006	45.3	271 of 431	37.1%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	35.7	289 of 450	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	26.7	335 of 440	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.7	377 of 437	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	44.0	201 of 434	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	29.2	302 of 430	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.1	321 of 364	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.2	186 of 369	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	24.9	283 of 359	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	29.6	225 of 330	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.8	159 of 334	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	31.2	258 of 364	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.9	201 of 349	42.4%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.4	420 of 629	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.4	373 of 610	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.7	391 of 602	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.2	265 of 588	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	35.6	378 of 594	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.5	331 of 475	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.2	252 of 475	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.2	259 of 449	42.3%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	25.9	362 of 407	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.4	360 of 412	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.1	351 of 403	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	48.0	264 of 403	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.5	318 of 398	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.6	291 of 337	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.9	286 of 325	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	64.0	30 of 100	70.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	22.2	390 of 462	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.6	270 of 454	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.4	170 of 449	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.1	252 of 436	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.7	169 of 370	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.7	109 of 354	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.5	127 of 340	62.6%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	97.4	1 of 47	97.9%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.5	383 of 620	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.6	434 of 606	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.1	306 of 613	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.9	210 of 597	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.3	225 of 544	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	28.2	285 of 432	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.9	247 of 446	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.7	171 of 424	59.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.9	316 of 624	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.2	385 of 601	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.4	317 of 607	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.3	296 of 602	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.8	306 of 585	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.8	336 of 481	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.5	248 of 488	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	52.4	190 of 463	59.0%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	39.9	165 of 265	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.7	169 of 253	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.2	178 of 261	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	58.9	85 of 249	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.2	90 of 226	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	10.9	188 of 199	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	36.6	129 of 195	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	12.7	170 of 185	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	21.3	331 of 372	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	44.9	163 of 352	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.6	104 of 349	70.2%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	34.8	382 of 551	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.7	398 of 542	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.7	379 of 553	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.9	330 of 537	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.4	368 of 534	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	17.6	377 of 439	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.5	293 of 444	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.1	237 of 427	44.5%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Homeless (2024)98th percentile+54 vs school

Male (2026)49th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)38th percentile-6 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)38th percentile-7 vs school

African American (2026)36th percentile-9 vs school

Female (2026)33rd percentile-11 vs school

Disabled (2022)32nd percentile-12 vs school

White (2026)31st percentile-14 vs school

Hispanic (2025)16th percentile-23 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)11th percentile-33 vs school

Special Education (2026)11th percentile-33 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III75%+6 vs state

English II64%~ state avg

Biology56%~ state avg

Math I22%-20 vs state

★

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Schools Near R-S Central High 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)				EOC Biology (2026)	EOC English II (2026)	EOC Math I (2026)	EOC Math III (2026)	EOG Mathematics (2026)	EOG Reading (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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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 8th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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	98.2%	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	98.6%	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
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	98.4%	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
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	98.7%	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
Polk County Early College	Public	9-12	1545 East NC 108 Hwy	Columbus	28722	Polk County	Polk County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 894-2698	52	3	18.9	94.2%	46 (88.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (9.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.9%)	89.1	84^th of 662 public high schools	87.3%		90.8	70^th of 641 public high schools	89.1%	14	100.0	90.5		92.9			$9,557	$127	$9,430
Polk County High School	Public	9-12	1681 East NC 108 Hwy	Columbus	28722	Polk County	Polk County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 894-2525	596	32	18.5	99.5%	433 (72.7%)	42 (7.0%)	93 (15.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.5%)	50.6	324^th of 662 public high schools	51.1%		52	280^th of 641 public high schools	56.3%	44	51.2	66.9	46.4	75.7			$12,130	$897	$11,232
McDowell Early College	Public	9-12	54 College Drive	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 659-0411	241	12	19.7	98.8%	184 (76.3%)	5 (2.1%)	40 (16.6%)	3 (1.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.3%)	88.9	89^th of 662 public high schools	86.6%		93.2	48^th of 641 public high schools	92.5%	41	94.4	93.3	70.6	564.1			$7,400	$232	$7,168
McDowell Academy for Innovation	Public	9-12	54 College Drive	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 659-0411	158	7	22.5	98.1%	108 (68.4%)	5 (3.2%)	38 (24.1%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.8%)	93.4	25^th of 662 public high schools	96.2%		92.8	53^rd of 641 public high schools	91.7%	28	100.0	95.8	86.7	100.0			$24,717	$228	$24,489
The Summit Academy	Public	6-12	75 Crawford St	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(828) 652-1266	23	4	5.7	87.0%	20 (87.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.3%)	1.9	651^st of 662 public high schools	1.7%					(n/a)	15.4	14.3	536.7	537.6	< 5%	10.0

Frequently Asked Questions about R-S Central High School

What district is R-S Central High School in?

Rutherford County Schools

How many students attend R-S Central High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 763 students attended R-S Central High School.

What schools feed into R-S Central High School?

R-S Central High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Pinnacle Elementary School
Elementary : Rutherfordton Elementary School
Elementary : Spindale Elementary School
Middle : R-S Middle School

What is the racial makeup of R-S Central High School?

Students at R-S Central High School are 71% White, 13% African American, 8% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic.

Is R-S Central High School a good school?

R-S Central High School ranks 368^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate R-S Central High School!

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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.