Spindale Elementary School

Summary:

Spindale Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Spindale, North Carolina, part of the Rutherford County Schools district. The school has seen a shift in its student racial makeup, with a decrease in White students and an increase in African American students over the past few years.

Spindale Elementary faces several key challenges. Its academic performance, as measured by state test scores, is generally lower than the Rutherford County Schools district and North Carolina averages. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom half of North Carolina elementary schools, with a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. Performance also varies significantly across student subgroups, with African American students performing relatively well but White students struggling. Additionally, Spindale Elementary has an extremely high percentage of students (over 99%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a very high level of economic disadvantage.

Spindale Elementary's academic performance lags behind many nearby elementary schools in the Rutherford County district, such as Cliffside Elementary, Ellenboro Elementary, and Sunshine Elementary, which have consistently higher proficiency rates and better statewide rankings. The significant disparities in performance between Spindale Elementary's African American and White student subgroups suggest the school may need to focus on addressing achievement gaps and ensuring equitable educational opportunities for all students.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 161 N Oak St
       Spindale, NC  28160


(828) 286-2861

District: Rutherford County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
919th of 1,505 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,759 Help


Students who attend Spindale Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    R-S Middle School
High:    R-S Central High School
    Rutherford Early College High School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.4 Help
Number of students:  341

Racial breakdown:

White:
53.4%
African American:
28.2%
Two or more races:
10.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  99.1% Help


 See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

 Compare Spindale Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Spindale Elementary School ranks worse than 61.1% of elementary schools in North Carolina. It also ranks last among 10 ranked elementary schools in the Rutherford County Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 40.74. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (53.4%), African American (28.2%), two or more races (10.6%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 99.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Spindale Elementary School is 13.4. 6 elementary schools in the Rutherford County Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Spindale Elementary School employs 25.4 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Spindale Elementary School is $10,759. 6 elementary schools in the Rutherford County Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Spindale Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Spindale Elementary School 919th of 1505 North Carolina public elementary schools. (See Spindale Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
African American students:
White students:


Rutherford County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Rutherford County Schools 73rd of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Spindale Elementary School?

Rank History for Spindale Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Spindale Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 45.77 778th 1276 39.0%
2007 58.67 571st 1293 55.8%
2008 46.79 771st 1324 41.8%
2009 49.15 780th 1354 42.4%
2010 49.87 774th 1363 43.2%
2011 53.33 737th 1381 46.6%
2012 49.00 787th 1388 43.3%
2013 43.66 768th 1403 45.3%
2014 38.39 879th 1390 36.8%
2015 58.61 595th 1440 58.7%
2016 52.27 690th 1425 51.6%
2017 52.92 702nd 1429 50.9%
2018 40.43 919th 1434 35.9%
2019 41.38 897th 1473 39.1%
2021 29.03 1038th 1489 30.3%
2022 32.18 1047th 1514 30.8%
2023 50.77 757th 1502 49.6%
2024 40.74 919th 1505 38.9%
See the entire list of North Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Spindale Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 37.05 110th 159 30.8%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Spindale Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 55.45 264th 801 67.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Spindale Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 53.78 607th 1332 54.4%
2019 56.12 558th 1361 59.0%
2021 35.02 865th 1329 34.9%
2022 43.03 784th 1366 42.6%
2023 58.68 517th 1437 64.0%
2024 47.86 760th 1450 47.6%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Spindale Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 36.95 978th 1405 30.4%
2019 40.05 909th 1424 36.2%
2021 27.35 1052nd 1440 26.9%
2022 36.96 952nd 1458 34.7%
2023 62.77 509th 1459 65.1%
2024 40.73 892nd 1455 38.7%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Spindale Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.97 640th 897 28.7%
2019 83.60 59th 878 93.3%
2021 62.16 156th 646 75.9%
2022 23.87 542nd 634 14.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Spindale Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 45.26 493rd 612 19.4%
2021 5.70 482nd 494 2.4%
2024 69.83 72nd 669 89.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Spindale Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 44.02 862nd 1413 39.0%
2019 43.13 859th 1430 39.9%
2021 31.55 967th 1444 33.0%
2022 29.03 1083rd 1464 26.0%
2023 40.08 917th 1461 37.2%
2024 40.92 892nd 1464 39.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Spindale Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.29 709th 927 23.5%
2019 34.36 679th 949 28.5%
2021 45.50 424th 896 52.7%
2022 45.06 475th 927 48.8%
2023 65.32 250th 933 73.2%
2024 37.81 609th 924 34.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Spindale Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.94 756th 1178 35.8%
2019 49.06 625th 1183 47.2%
2021 17.69 1063rd 1172 9.3%
2022 23.62 1005th 1194 15.8%
2023 44.76 689th 1183 41.8%
2024 33.79 840th 1166 28.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Spindale Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!


Enrollment information for Spindale Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 334 121 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 456
1989 354 124 1 0 0 n/a n/a 10 489
1990 347 116 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 463
1991 368 120 0 0 1 n/a n/a 0 489
1992 371 110 0 2 0 n/a n/a 0 483
1993 352 109 0 2 0 n/a n/a 0 463
1994 373 122 0 2 0 n/a n/a 0 497
1995 368 130 3 3 0 n/a n/a 0 504
1996 368 130 3 3 0 n/a n/a 0 504
1997 352 152 2 7 0 n/a n/a 0 513
1998 323 138 3 4 0 n/a n/a 0 468
1999 321 156 3 6 0 n/a n/a 0 486
2000 331 166 3 9 0 n/a n/a 0 509
2001 316 151 2 15 0 n/a n/a 0 484
2002 273 153 1 13 0 n/a n/a 0 440
2003 273 153 1 13 0 n/a n/a 0 440
2004 258 145 4 14 0 n/a n/a 0 421
2005 280 186 2 16 0 n/a n/a 0 484
2006 271 202 3 21 0 n/a n/a 0 497
2007 284 185 5 19 0 n/a n/a 21 514
2008 297 166 6 16 n/a n/a n/a 31 516
2009 284 181 5 16 0 n/a n/a 0 486
2010 291 181 4 17 1 n/a n/a 0 494
2011 271 116 4 15 7 0 48 0 461
2012 270 125 1 17 3 0 39 0 455
2013 252 117 2 21 2 0 39 0 433
2014 237 108 1 25 0 0 46 0 417
2015 242 128 2 26 0 0 40 0 438
2016 255 135 1 32 0 0 46 0 469
2017 243 146 1 34 0 0 49 0 473
2018 223 150 1 30 0 0 35 0 439
2019 221 154 1 22 0 0 44 0 442
2020 200 140 1 26 0 0 52 0 419
2021 181 127 0 27 0 0 43 0 378
2022 160 120 0 34 0 0 47 0 361
2023 182 96 0 27 0 0 36 0 341

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Spindale Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 456 20.0 22.8 35.7
1989 489 20.0 24.4 64.6
1990 463 23.0 20.1 61.8
1991 489 23.0 21.2 58.5
1992 483 23.0 21.0 30
1993 463 23.0 20.1 35.9
1994 497 24.0 20.7 35.2
1995 504 25.0 20.2 39.7
1996 504 25.0 20.2 39.7
1997 513 26.0 19.7 40.4
1998 468 28.0 16.7 49.8
1999 486 28.0 17.4 51
2000 509 28.0 18.2 53.2
2001 484 28.0 17.3 64.9
2002 440 28.0 15.7 64.3
2003 440 28.0 15.7 64.3
2004 421 28.0 15.0 68.4
2005 484 28.0 17.3 79.8
2006 497 28.0 17.8 68
2007 514 n/a n/a 76.5
2008 516 29.2 17.7 87.4
2009 486 29.1 16.7 81.9
2010 494 28.2 17.6 79.6
2011 461 26.6 17.3 79.4
2012 455 25.3 17.9 82
2013 433 25.0 17.3 78.3
2014 417 25.0 16.6 90.4
2015 438 27.0 16.2 99.3
2016 469 26.0 18.0 98.9
2017 473 26.4 17.8 98.5
2018 439 27.7 15.8 99.3
2019 442 29.4 14.9 99.3
2020 419 27.1 15.4 98.1
2021 378 25.3 14.8 99.2
2022 361 26.1 13.8 99.2
2023 341 25.4 13.4 99.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Spindale Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 456 20.0 22.8 35.7
1989 489 20.0 24.4 64.6
1990 463 23.0 20.1 61.8
1991 489 23.0 21.2 58.5
1992 483 23.0 21.0 30
1993 463 23.0 20.1 35.9
1994 497 24.0 20.7 35.2
1995 504 25.0 20.2 39.7
1996 504 25.0 20.2 39.7
1997 513 26.0 19.7 40.4
1998 468 28.0 16.7 49.8
1999 486 28.0 17.4 51
2000 509 28.0 18.2 53.2
2001 484 28.0 17.3 64.9
2002 440 28.0 15.7 64.3
2003 440 28.0 15.7 64.3
2004 421 28.0 15.0 68.4
2005 484 28.0 17.3 79.8
2006 497 28.0 17.8 68
2007 514 n/a n/a 76.5
2008 516 29.2 17.7 87.4
2009 486 29.1 16.7 81.9
2010 494 28.2 17.6 79.6
2011 461 26.6 17.3 79.4
2012 455 25.3 17.9 82
2013 433 25.0 17.3 78.3
2014 417 25.0 16.6 90.4
2015 438 27.0 16.2 99.3
2016 469 26.0 18.0 98.9
2017 473 26.4 17.8 98.5
2018 439 27.7 15.8 99.3
2019 442 29.4 14.9 99.3
2020 419 27.1 15.4 98.1
2021 378 25.3 14.8 99.2
2022 361 26.1 13.8 99.2
2023 341 25.4 13.4 99.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Spindale Elementary School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,904 (17.7%) $8,854 (82.3%) $10,758

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Spindale Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 897th of 1473 Elementary schoolsRanks 757th of 1502 Elementary schools
 10.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Spindale Elementary School)65.767.3
 1.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Rutherford County Schools)77.677.2
 0.4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)64.361.1
 3.2%
3rd Grade Reading (Spindale Elementary School)45.725
 20.7%
   3rd Grade Reading (Rutherford County Schools)61.849.5
 12.3%
   3rd Grade Reading (North Carolina)56.848
 8.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Spindale Elementary School)56.854.8
 2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Rutherford County Schools)67.267.7
 0.5%
   4th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
4th Grade Reading (Spindale Elementary School)52.743.5
 9.2%
   4th Grade Reading (Rutherford County Schools)6660.7
 5.3%
   4th Grade Reading (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Spindale Elementary School)49.273.8
 24.6%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Rutherford County Schools)66.868.9
 2.1%
   5th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)60.255.9
 4.3%
5th Grade Reading (Spindale Elementary School)36.145.2
 9.1%
   5th Grade Reading (Rutherford County Schools)6155.6
 5.4%
   5th Grade Reading (North Carolina)54.648
 6.6%
5th Grade Science (Spindale Elementary School)7781
 4%
   5th Grade Science (Rutherford County Schools)81.680.6
 1%
   5th Grade Science (North Carolina)72.665.3
 7.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students442341
 22.9%
African American15496
 37.7%
American Indian00
Asian10
 100%
Hispanic2227
 22.7%
Pacific Islander00
White221182
 17.6%
Two or More Races4436
 18.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients99.3%99.1%
 0.2%


Schools Near Spindale Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Spindale Elementary School

In the 2022-23 school year, 341 students attended Spindale Elementary School.

Spindale Elementary School ranks 919th of 1505 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Spindale Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : R-S Middle School
High : R-S Central High School
High : Rutherford Early College High School

Students at Spindale Elementary School are 53% White, 28% African American, 11% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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