At a glance
Source years shown below
Reported students
7,394
NCES CCD 2024–25
Open schools
16
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Student–teacher ratio
18.4:1
Calculated from NCES 2024–25 enrollment and teacher FTE
Spending per pupil
$14,515
Current expenditure · FY 2023 F-33
Instruction per pupil
$8,608
Calculated from FY 2023 F-33
Grades served
PK–13
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Historical enrollment and staffing · CRDC 2021–22
These older figures are kept separate from 2024–25 statistics and benchmarks. Agency figures aggregate matched current school records; they may not cover the complete historical district.
- Students
- 7,019
- Teachers (FTE)
- 816.85
- Student–teacher ratio
- 8.6:1
What current records say about Rutherford County Schools
Rutherford County Schools operates 16 current public-school records serving grades PK–13 in Forest City, North Carolina. NCES reports 7,394 students and 401.29 classroom teacher FTE for 2024–25.
Within North Carolina agencies of the same NCES type, it ranks 47 of 121 with reported enrollment. That position describes scale only—it does not say whether individual schools are a good fit for a particular student.
FY 2023 finance records show $14,515 in current expenditure per pupil and $8,608 per pupil assigned to instruction. Within the same NCES agency type, this places reported current spending 33 of 119 in North Carolina. Local wages, transportation, special education, facilities, and agency responsibilities all affect this comparison.
Reported needs and resources
- English learners
- 3%
- Students with disabilities (IDEA)
- 15.9%
- Classroom teachers (FTE)
- 401.29
- Current expenditure (FY 2023)
- $109,257,000
Context measures describe who a district serves and its resources. They are not negative rating inputs.
Rutherford County Schools
Forest City, North Carolina
NCES EDGE 2024–25 · 35.3386, -81.8724
View office location on a map →An office location does not show attendance boundaries. Ask the district to confirm the school assignment for a specific home address.
Enrollment questions to ask →Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White68%
- Hispanic11.9%
- Black11.1%
- Asian0.4%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.1%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0%
- Multiracial8.5%
Race/ethnicity: NCES CCD 2024–25. English learner and disability context: CRDC 2021–22 matched schools. Totals can differ due to rounding or source privacy rules.
Explore schools in Rutherford County Schools
16 current directory entries
Search the full district by school name or level, or browse the alphabetical directory. Add schools to your comparison as you go.
Showing 1–16 of 16 schools · enrollment and ratios: NCES 2024–25. Scroll the table to see all columns.
| School | Level / grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHASE High School | High09–12 | 596 | 20.8:1 | |
| CHASE Middle School | Middle06–08 | 484 | 18.2:1 | |
| Cliffside Elementary School | ElementaryKG–05 | 188 | 14.9:1 | |
| East Rutherford High School | High09–12 | 623 | 19:1 | |
| East Rutherford Middle School | Middle06–08 | 533 | 20:1 | |
| Ellenboro Elementary School | ElementaryPK–05 | 567 | 18.7:1 | |
| Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School | ElementaryPK–05 | 459 | 18.4:1 | |
| Forrest W. Hunt Elementary School | ElementaryPK–05 | 460 | 19.3:1 | |
| Harris Elementary School | ElementaryPK–05 | 434 | 16.1:1 | |
| Pinnacle Elementary School | ElementaryPK–05 | 254 | 16:1 | |
| R-S Central High School | High09–12 | 763 | 21.3:1 | |
| R-S Middle School | Middle06–08 | 561 | 18.7:1 | |
| Rutherford Early College High School | High09–13 | 208 | 55:1 | |
| Rutherfordton Elementary School | ElementaryPK–05 | 397 | 16.4:1 | |
| Spindale Elementary School | ElementaryPK–05 | 337 | 16.5:1 | |
| Sunshine Elementary School | ElementaryPK–05 | 217 | 16.4:1 |