North CarolinaPublic school district

Rutherford County Schools

See the enrolment steps

Schools by level

Elementary 10 · Middle school 3 · High school 4

At a glance

Students: 7,394 (2024-25)
Schools: 17
Students per teacher: 18.4
Grades: PK-13
Locale: Rural: Fringe
District office: 382 West Main Street, Forest City, NC 28043
Phone: (828) 288-2200
Website: www.rcsnc.org

Official rating

The official rating for this district is not linked yet.

Check the zoned school for an address

Each address is zoned to specific schools. Confirm with the district's official lookup tool or office before you sign a lease.

Check on the district website See this district's schools on NCES District boundary data (NCES)

Schools (17)

Official campus ratings are shown with their year. Use the address lookup to confirm zoning.

Elementary 10

Cliffside Elementary School
Grades K-5 · Cliffside · Students 188
Ellenboro Elementary School
Grades PK-5 · Ellenboro · Students 567
Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School
Grades PK-5 · Forest City · Students 459
Forrest W. Hunt Elementary School
Grades PK-5 · Forest City · Students 460
Harris Elementary School
Grades PK-5 · Forest City · Students 434
Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School
Grades PK-5 · Forest City · Students 231
Pinnacle Elementary School
Grades PK-5 · Rutherfordton · Students 254
Rutherfordton Elementary School
Grades PK-5 · Rutherfordton · Students 397
Spindale Elementary School
Grades PK-5 · Spindale · Students 337
Sunshine Elementary School
Grades PK-5 · Bostic · Students 217

Middle school 3

Chase Middle School
Grades 6-8 · Forest City · Students 484
East Rutherford Middle School
Grades 6-8 · Bostic · Students 533
R-S Middle School
Grades 6-8 · Rutherfordton · Students 561

High school 4

Chase High School
Grades 9-12 · Forest City · Students 596
East Rutherford High School
Grades 9-12 · Bostic · Students 623
R-S Central High School
Grades 9-12 · Rutherfordton · Students 763
Rutherford Early College High School
Grades 9-13 · Spindale · Students 208

Checklist before renting in this district

Check these before you sign a lease.

Checked the assigned school for the exact address with the official lookup before signing
Source:Fairfax County Public Schools (checked 2026-10-29)
Asked the district or council whether boundary or admission changes are planned
Asked whether the assigned school has room (or sends overflow elsewhere)
Checked that the lease is accepted as proof of address on the enrolment list
Source:U.S. Department of Education (NCELA) (checked 2026-10-29)
Asked how the assigned school supports English learners (ESL/EAL)
Source:U.S. Department of Education (NCELA) (checked 2026-10-29)
Checked the commute (school-bus eligibility, walking route)

Open the full checklist

ESL / ELL support

US public schools must support students learning English. At enrolment families complete a Home Language Survey and an English assessment decides the support. Ask the district about its programmes.

F-1 student visas cannot be used for US public elementary or middle schools (K-8); public high school on an F-1 is limited to 12 months with full tuition paid (US Department of State). Your status depends on the parents' visa, so confirm with official sources.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data — 2024-25 preliminary directory files2024-25· Checked 2026-10-29
NCES Common Core of Data (EDGE school & district characteristics)2024-25· Checked 2026-10-29

School and district lists come from the NCES Common Core of Data; ratings from each state education agency. Every number carries its year. No house prices, crime data or home-made rankings.

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