Enrollment
231
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 370408001646
Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School — Forest City, NC
Federal NCES profile for Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 31/100.
👥 Class size 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Rutherford County Schools · North Carolina
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School reports 231 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 18.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 20% below the North Carolina state mean of 16.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 18% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 98.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 50% above the North Carolina average and 91% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 462 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 45.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Rutherford County Schools spends $16,397 per pupil district-wide, above the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 22.0% from local sources (property taxes), 53.8% from the state, and 24.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against North Carolina state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.1:1 | ▼ 20% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.7% | ▲ 50% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 231 | top 15% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
98.7%
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
13.1:1
students per teacher
— 20% below state mean
Top 22% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
45.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,397
per pupil, district-wide
— above North Carolina avg of $13,042
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Per 462 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 231 Top 15% in North Carolina — larger than 85% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 18.0
Students per teacher 13.1:1 -20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 98.7% +50% vs state
NCES ID 370408001646
Student demographics
White 78.8%
Two or More 10.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.5%
African American 3.5%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 78.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.5
Students per counselor 462:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 45.9%
In-school suspensions 3
Out-of-school suspensions 22
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rutherford County Schools, which includes Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School.
$16,397
Per student
+26%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 763
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Enrollment
- 623
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Enrollment
- 596
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Enrollment
- 567
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Enrollment
- 561
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
Similar other schools in Forest City
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Forrest W. Hunt Elementary School
Standard public school
460 students 14:1 students per teacher
Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School
Standard public school
459 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Harris Elementary School
Standard public school
434 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Rutherford Opportunity Center
Alternative education program
82 students 7:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School
How many students attend Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School?
Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School has 231 students enrolled. It is a other school in Forest City, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School is 13.1:1, which is 20% lower than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School?
98.7% of students at Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School is White at 78.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in Forest City, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School?
Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.