Enrollment
763
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Rutherfordton, NC
R-S Central High School
Federal NCES profile for R-S Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370408001651
👥 S:T ratio 42
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
R-S Central High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Rutherfordton · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.4:1
- students per teacher
- 99.6%
- free-lunch eligible
R-S Central High School has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, R-S Central High School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Rutherfordton, NC.
School address
District: Rutherford County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370408001651 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.6%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How R-S Central High School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at R-S Central High School
R-S Central High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Rutherfordton, North Carolina, enrolling 763 students.
At 14.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the North Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 99.6% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the North Carolina average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 763 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 397 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #98.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and African American (13%) (diversity index 47/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 254 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 61.1% 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: 224 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 763 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Rutherford County Schools also operates East Rutherford High School (623 students) and Chase High School (596 students) alongside R-S Central 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 R-S Central High School compares
R-S Central 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 | 14.4:1 | ▼ 9% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.6% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 763 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.4:1
Leaner classes than 53% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
763
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.4:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 41% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
61.1%
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 254 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
115
in-school suspensions + 109 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 29.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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 70.6%
African American 13.0%
Two or More 8.1%
Hispanic or Latino 7.9%
Asian 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 70.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.2, R-S Central High School is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rutherford County Schools, which includes R-S Central 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 R-S Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Rutherford High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Chase High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ellenboro Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| R-S Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Rutherford Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to R-S Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 623
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 596
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- 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 (~763 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on R-S Central High School's federal record.
- Compare R-S Central 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 R-S Central High School
How many students attend R-S Central High School?
R-S Central High School has 763 students enrolled. It is a high school in Rutherfordton, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at R-S Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at R-S Central High School is 14.4:1, which is 9% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 8% 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 R-S Central High School?
99.6% of students at R-S Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of R-S Central High School?
The largest demographic group at R-S Central High School is White at 70.6% of enrollment, in Rutherfordton, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for R-S Central High School?
R-S Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 R-S Central High School rank among public schools in Rutherfordton?
By Resource Investment Index, R-S Central High School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Rutherfordton, 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 Rutherfordton on the city page.
Is R-S Central High School a good school?
R-S Central High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. 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 R-S Central High School, Rutherford County Schools also operates East Rutherford High School (623 students), Chase High School (596 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.