Enrollment
397
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Rutherfordton, NC
Rutherfordton Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Rutherfordton Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370408001650
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 5
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rutherfordton Elementary School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Rutherfordton · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 99.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Rutherfordton Elementary School has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rutherfordton Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Rutherfordton, NC.
School address
District: Rutherford County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370408001650 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rutherfordton Elementary School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rutherfordton Elementary School
Rutherfordton Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Rutherfordton, North Carolina, enrolling 397 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 99.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 397 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 500 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #303.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Two or More (12%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 397 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.0% 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.
Among Rutherfordton's public schools, it stands alongside Pinnacle Elementary School (254 students): Rutherfordton Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.7:1 vs 14.1:1).
Rutherford County Schools also operates R-S Central High School (763 students) and East Rutherford High School (623 students) alongside Rutherfordton Elementary 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 Rutherfordton Elementary School compares
Rutherfordton Elementary 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 | 13.7:1 | ▼ 13% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.2% | ▲ 50% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 397 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
397
Bigger than 47% 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
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 31% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
38.0%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 397 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.0 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 70.3%
Two or More 11.6%
Hispanic or Latino 9.6%
African American 8.6%
Largest group: White at 70.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.6, Rutherfordton Elementary School is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rutherford County Schools, which includes Rutherfordton Elementary 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 Rutherfordton Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-S Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Rutherford High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chase High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ellenboro Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| R-S Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rutherfordton Elementary 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
- 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
Similar other schools in Rutherfordton
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~397 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rutherfordton Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Rutherfordton Elementary 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 Rutherfordton Elementary School
How many students attend Rutherfordton Elementary School?
Rutherfordton Elementary School has 397 students enrolled. It is a public school in Rutherfordton, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rutherfordton Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Rutherfordton Elementary School is 13.7:1, which is 13% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 13% 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 Rutherfordton Elementary School?
99.2% of students at Rutherfordton Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rutherfordton Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Rutherfordton Elementary School is White at 70.3% of enrollment, in Rutherfordton, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rutherfordton Elementary School?
Rutherfordton Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Rutherfordton Elementary School rank among public schools in Rutherfordton?
By Resource Investment Index, Rutherfordton Elementary School ranks #3 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 Rutherfordton Elementary School a good school?
Rutherfordton Elementary School earns 35/100 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 Rutherfordton Elementary 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.
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.