High school (grades 9-12) · Spindale, NC

Rutherford Early College High School

Federal NCES profile for Rutherford Early College 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 370408002793
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10045/100
👥 S:T ratio
0
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
58
📋 Attendance
52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Rutherford Early College High School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of North Carolina schools.

45
Resource Index · Typical
34.7:1
large classes for North Carolina
98.4%
free-lunch eligible
208
students enrolled

Rutherford Early College High School has class sizes larger than 99% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.

School address

Spindale, NC 28160
District: Rutherford County Schools · North Carolina

NCES ID 370408002793 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

+11 students YoY

Rutherford Early College High School grew from 191 students in 2022-23 to 202 in 2023-24 (+5.8%).

Teacher FTE held 6.0 → 6.0 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Growing CCD campus

+11 students YoY 370408002793 · Spindale, NC High · SMALL · TRAD

208 enr · 34.7:1 · 98.4% lunch · RII 45

Nearest enrollment peer: R-S Central High School (763 students)

Rutherford Early College High School grew from 191 students in 2022-23 to 202 in 2023-24 (+5.8%). Teacher FTE held 6.0 → 6.0 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · North Carolina schools → · Find another →

Rutherford Early College High School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Rutherford Early College High School reports 208 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Rutherford Early College High School compares

Rutherford Early College High School is a growing campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs North Carolina and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs North Carolina North Carolina avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 34.7:1 ▲ 120% 15.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 98.4% ▲ 49% 66.0% 51.7%
Enrollment 208 top 88% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

34.7:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
208
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
98.4%
free-lunch eligible - 49% 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
34.7:1
students per teacher - 120% above state mean
Top 99% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
19.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,515
per pupil, district-wide - above North Carolina avg of $12,294
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 208 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

White 71.6%
Hispanic or Latino 13.9%
Two or More 5.8%
Asian 4.3%
African American 3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%

Largest group: White at 71.6% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 46.1/100

Simpson diversity index - at 46.1, Rutherford Early College High School is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.

Programs

AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Rutherford County Schools reports $14,515 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Rutherford Early College High School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
R-S Central High School Larger Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
East Rutherford High School Larger Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Chase High School Larger Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Ellenboro Elementary School Larger Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
R-S Middle School Larger Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Rutherford Early College High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Rutherford County Schools · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide high schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~208 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~34.7:1)

Frequently asked questions about Rutherford Early College High School

How many students attend Rutherford Early College High School?

Rutherford Early College High School has 208 students enrolled. It is a high school in Spindale, NC. CCD year-over-year: 191 (2022-23) → 202 (2023-24), up 11.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Rutherford Early College High School?

The student-teacher ratio at Rutherford Early College High School is 34.7:1, which is 120% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 121% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rutherford Early College High School?

98.4% of students at Rutherford Early College High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rutherford Early College High School?

The largest demographic group at Rutherford Early College High School is White at 71.6% of enrollment, in Spindale, NC.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Rutherford Early College High School?

Rutherford Early College High School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

What other schools are in Rutherford County Schools?

Besides Rutherford Early College High School, Rutherford County Schools also operates R-S Central High School (763 students), East Rutherford High School (623 students), and Chase High School (596 students). See the Rutherford County Schools district page for the complete list.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .