Rutherford County Schools
Public school district · Rutherford County · North Carolina · NCES district ID 3704080
Rutherford County Schools spent $14,515 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 83% of the other North Carolina districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $12,366). Its 18 schools enrolled 7,394 students in 2024-25; 56.9% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,859 per student, down 4.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 89% (North Carolina: 86.5%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among North Carolina districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Rutherford County Schools in enrollment (6,605 to 8,334 students) and Rutherford County Schools itself.
Where the money came from
$113,641,000 in revenue: 56.9% state, 18.6% local and 24.5% federal. Total spending including $4,463,000 of capital outlay was $116,194,000, or $15,437 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$64,605,000 57%
- Local$21,151,000 19%
- Federal$27,885,000 25%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 150 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
7,527 students in 2022-23, 7,409 students in 2023-24, 7,394 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 7,527 | 558.0 | 13.5 |
| 2023-24 | 7,409 | 494.0 | 15.0 |
| 2024-25 | 7,394 | 399.6 | 18.5 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$27,705,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,681 per student
Rutherford County Schools booked $27,705,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 565 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $49,025 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 43 in 100 North Carolina districts with a figure (state median $49,503, 293 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average North Carolina teacher salary at $53,644 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $16,630,000 | 60.0% |
| Special education | $3,931,000 | 14.2% |
| Vocational | $1,917,000 | 6.9% |
| Other programs | $5,227,000 | 18.9% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,226 in 2018-19, $3,210 in 2019-20, $3,296 in 2020-21, $3,667 in 2021-22, $3,681 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Rutherford County Schools scored proficient or above: 50% in reading and 52% in math, against 48% in reading and 50% in math across North Carolina. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within North Carolina, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.
| Subject | This district | North Carolina | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 50% | 48% | 3,334 |
| Math | 52% | 50% | 3,334 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
89% of the 602 students in Rutherford County Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.5% across North Carolina. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | North Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 89% | 86.5% |
| Students in the class | 602 | 120,822 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
10 elementary schools, 3,544 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellenboro Elementary School | 567 | 18.7 | 97.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Forrest W. Hunt Elementary School | 460 | 19.3 | 98.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School | 459 | 18.4 | 98.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Harris Elementary School | 434 | 16.1 | 95.9% | Schoolwide program |
| Rutherfordton Elementary School | 397 | 16.4 | 95.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Spindale Elementary School | 337 | 16.5 | 95.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Pinnacle Elementary School | 254 | 16.0 | 96.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School | 231 | 17.6 | 98.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Sunshine Elementary School | 217 | 16.4 | 98.6% | Schoolwide program |
| Cliffside Elementary School | 188 | 14.9 | 94.7% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
3 middle schools, 1,578 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-S Middle School | 561 | 18.7 | 98.2% | Eligible, no program |
| East Rutherford Middle School | 533 | 20.0 | 98.7% | Eligible, no program |
| Chase Middle School | 484 | 18.2 | 97.1% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
5 high schools, 2,272 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-S Central High School | 763 | 21.3 | 98.2% | Eligible, no program |
| East Rutherford High School | 623 | 19.0 | 98.4% | Eligible, no program |
| Chase High School | 596 | 20.8 | 98.7% | Eligible, no program |
| Rutherford Early College High School | 208 | 55.0 | 98.6% | Not Title I |
| Rutherford Opportunity Center | 82 | 8.2 | 96.3% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Rutherford County Schools
- Website: rcsnc.org
- Phone: (828) 288-2200
- Office: 382 West Main Street, Forest City, NC 28043
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Rutherford County Schools
- North Carolina districts by spending per studentRutherford County Schools ranks 26 of 150 North Carolina districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($14,515).#26 of 150
- Every school district in North CarolinaRutherford County Schools is the number 47 by size of 332 North Carolina districts, with 7,527 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#47 of 332
- Franklin County SchoolsThe next larger North Carolina district: 7,897 students in fall 2022, $13,043 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,043
- Surry County SchoolsThe next smaller North Carolina district: 7,340 students in fall 2022, $12,301 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,301
- Compare Rutherford County Schools with Franklin County SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- R-S Central High School, its largest high school763 students in 2024-25, 21.3 per teacher.763
- Teacher salary spending across North CarolinaRutherford County Schools spent $49,025 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $49,503); spending, not a salary.$49,025
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Rutherford County Schools
How many schools and students are in Rutherford County Schools?
18 schools were open in 2024-25 (10 elementary, 3 middle, 5 high), enrolling 7,394 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Rutherford County Schools spend per student?
$14,515 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the North Carolina median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $12,366 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,859 per student, down 4.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Rutherford County Schools' money come from?
$113,641,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 56.9% state, 18.6% local and 24.5% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Rutherford County Schools live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,846 of the 9,715 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 19.0%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Rutherford County Schools spend on teacher salaries?
$27,705,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,681 per student. Divided by the 565 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $49,025 per teacher, more than 43 in 100 North Carolina districts (state median $49,503). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average North Carolina teacher salary at $53,644 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Rutherford County Schools do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Rutherford County Schools scored proficient or above: 50% in reading and 52% in math, against 48% in reading and 50% in math across North Carolina. North Carolina's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Rutherford County Schools?
89% of the 602 students in Rutherford County Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.5% across North Carolina. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Rutherford County Schools' NCES district ID?
3704080. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25