Enrollment
596
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Forest City, NC
Chase High School
Federal NCES profile for Chase High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370408001636
👥 S:T ratio 52
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 60
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chase High School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of North Carolina schools.
- #2 of 7
- public schools in Forest City · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.9:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 99.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Chase High School has class sizes smaller than 88% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chase High School ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Forest City, NC.
School address
District: Rutherford County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370408001636 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chase High School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chase High School
Chase High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Forest City, North Carolina, enrolling 596 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.9:1, Chase High School is leaner than roughly 88% of North Carolina schools and 25% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 99.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 596 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 540 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #38, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 45/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 199 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 72.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 178 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 596 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Rutherford County Schools also operates R-S Central High School (763 students) and East Rutherford High School (623 students) alongside Chase High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Chase High School compares
Chase High School on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.9:1 | ▼ 25% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.2% | ▲ 50% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 596 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.9:1
Leaner classes than 76% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
596
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.9:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 12% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
72.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,170
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 199 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
74
in-school suspensions + 104 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 29.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 72.3%
Hispanic or Latino 14.8%
Two or More 6.4%
African American 6.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 72.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.7, Chase High School is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rutherford County Schools, which includes Chase High School.
$14,170
Per student
+18%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.0%
State 53.8%
Federal 24.2%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Chase High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-S Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Rutherford High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ellenboro Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| R-S Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Rutherford Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chase High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 763
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 623
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 567
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 561
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 533
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~596 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chase High School's federal record.
- Compare Chase High School against another school. Compare schools
- Rutherford County Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Chase High School
How many students attend Chase High School?
Chase High School has 596 students enrolled. It is a high school in Forest City, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chase High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Chase High School is 11.9:1, which is 25% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 24% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Chase High School?
99.2% of students at Chase High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chase High School?
The largest demographic group at Chase High School is White at 72.3% of enrollment, in Forest City, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chase High School?
Chase High School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Chase High School rank among public schools in Forest City?
By Resource Investment Index, Chase High School ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Forest City, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Forest City on the city page.
Is Chase High School a good school?
Chase High School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of North Carolina schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Rutherford County Schools?
Besides Chase High School, Rutherford County Schools also operates R-S Central High School (763 students), East Rutherford High School (623 students), and Ellenboro Elementary School (567 students). See the Rutherford County Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.