Is Rutherford Opportunity Center a good school?

Rutherford Opportunity Center ranks in the bottom 1.6% of North Carolina high schools.

How many students attend Rutherford Opportunity Center?

In the 2023-24 school year, 98 students attended Rutherford Opportunity Center.

What is the racial makeup of Rutherford Opportunity Center?

Students at Rutherford Opportunity Center are 74% White, 10% African American, 9% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic.

Rutherford Opportunity Center

Summary:

Rutherford Opportunity Center is a small public high school serving grades 6-12 in Forest City, North Carolina, with a student population of just 119. Despite being part of the Rutherford County Schools district, which is ranked 73 out of 242 districts in the state, Rutherford Opportunity Center consistently ranks in the bottom 10-15% of high schools in North Carolina, with a 0 out of 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The school's student population is predominantly White, ranging from 63.87% to 77.01% over the past three years, which is higher than the racial diversity seen in the surrounding schools like Polk County Early College, Polk County High School, and Burns High. Additionally, Rutherford Opportunity Center has an extremely high percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 96.55% to 97.48% over the past three years, significantly higher than the surrounding schools.

Despite the high spending per student at Rutherford Opportunity Center ($26,764), which is much more than the $6,973 to $12,130 per student spent at nearby schools, the school's academic performance remains very low. This raises questions about the effectiveness of the school's resource allocation and the need for a closer examination of how funds are being utilized to improve educational outcomes for its students. The low student-teacher ratio at Rutherford Opportunity Center, ranging from 6.9 to 7.7 over the past three years, could be an advantage, but this potential has not yet translated into improved academic performance.

Detail:

Public 6-12

140 Old Caroleen Road
Forest City, NC 28043

(828) 248-5294

District: Rutherford County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
630^th of 640 North Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $26,764

Student/teacher ratio: 6.2

Number of students: 98

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.5%

African American:

10.2%

Two or more races:

9.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 96.9%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Rutherford Opportunity Center to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Rutherford Opportunity Center ranks worse than 99% of middle schools in North Carolina. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 1.46. (See more...)

Compare Details Rutherford Opportunity Center ranks worse than 98.4% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks last among 5 ranked high schools in the Rutherford County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 2.27. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Rutherford Opportunity Center has the smallest high school student body size in the Rutherford County Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (74.5%), African American (10.2%), two or more races (9.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 96.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Rutherford County Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Rutherford Opportunity Center is 6.2, which is the lowest among 5 high schools in the Rutherford County Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Rutherford Opportunity Center employs 15.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Rutherford Opportunity Center is $26,764, which is the highest among 5 high schools in the Rutherford County Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Rutherford Opportunity Center:

SchoolDigger ranks Rutherford Opportunity Center 785^th of 793 North Carolina public middle schools. (See Rutherford Opportunity Center in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Male students:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Rutherford Opportunity Center 630^th of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See Rutherford Opportunity Center in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Male students:

White students:

Rutherford County Schools:

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

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Your rating for Rutherford Opportunity Center?

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Rank History for Rutherford Opportunity Center

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Rank History for all middle school students at Rutherford Opportunity Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2006	5.56	570^th	598	4.7%
2007	10.67	562^nd	606	7.3%
2008	11.82	564^th	620	9.0%
2009	2.20	605^th	630	4.0%
2010	6.08	603^rd	640	5.8%
2011	2.24	622^nd	648	4.0%
2012	2.48	638^th	662	3.6%
2013	8.19	629^th	673	6.5%
2015	1.80	703^rd	705	0.3%
2016	5.55	657^th	692	5.1%
2017	1.64	681^st	694	1.9%
2022	2.55	775^th	786	1.4%
2023	2.51	766^th	784	2.3%
2024	1.46	785^th	793	1.0%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Rutherford Opportunity Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	1.74	748^th	751	0.4%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Rutherford Opportunity Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	0.24	652^nd	652	0.0%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for White Students!

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

Rank History for Rutherford Opportunity Center

Compare

Rank History for all high school students at Rutherford Opportunity Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2006	11.92	396^th	431	8.1%
2007	15.93	402^nd	453	11.3%
2008	10.08	429^th	477	10.1%
2009	14.40	431^st	490	12.0%
2010	5.64	460^th	499	7.8%
2011	9.98	450^th	506	11.1%
2012	36.39	335^th	502	33.3%
2015	2.48	508^th	531	4.3%
2016	4.27	463^rd	507	8.7%
2017	5.76	439^th	476	7.8%
2018	4.21	445^th	469	5.1%
2019	3.09	494^th	514	3.9%
2021	4.10	585^th	594	1.5%
2023	3.71	610^th	626	2.6%
2024	2.27	630^th	640	1.6%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Rutherford Opportunity Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	8.35	408^th	424	3.8%
2019	7.14	428^th	446	4.0%
2021	7.44	432^nd	432	0.0%
2023	7.07	585^th	597	2.0%
2024	3.97	611^th	613	0.3%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Female students at Rutherford Opportunity Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	1.84	591^st	594	0.5%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at Rutherford Opportunity Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	13.28	409^th	463	11.7%
2019	4.14	474^th	488	2.9%
2021	5.70	473^rd	481	1.7%
2023	3.21	595^th	602	1.2%
2024	3.32	600^th	607	1.2%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school White students at Rutherford Opportunity Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	0.60	419^th	427	1.9%
2019	0.99	434^th	444	2.3%
2021	0.76	438^th	439	0.2%
2023	1.03	534^th	537	0.6%
2024	0.28	552^nd	553	0.2%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High 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.

Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Rutherford Opportunity Center

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2002	11	5	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	16
2003	11	5	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	16
2004	15	4	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	19
2005	26	6	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	34
2006	32	6	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	38
2007	61	10	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	3	75
2008	49	25	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	6	83
2009	47	5	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	53
2010	76	17	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	94
2011	64	13	0	3	0	0	7	0	87
2012	54	20	0	2	1	0	7	0	84
2013	77	22	0	1	0	0	5	0	105
2014	71	14	1	3	0	0	9	0	98
2015	60	15	0	6	0	0	14	0	95
2016	90	16	0	5	0	0	11	0	122
2017	87	16	0	5	0	0	15	0	123
2018	81	12	0	5	0	0	9	0	107
2019	61	11	0	3	0	0	11	0	86
2020	64	11	0	3	0	0	8	0	86
2021	67	12	0	4	0	0	4	0	87
2022	69	15	0	5	0	0	6	0	95
2023	76	20	0	9	0	0	14	0	119
2024	73	10	0	6	0	0	9	0	98

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 Rutherford Opportunity Center

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	16	10.0	1.6	0
2003	16	10.0	1.6	0
2004	19	10.0	1.9	0
2005	34	10.0	3.4	n/a
2006	38	10.0	3.8	n/a
2007	75	13.7	5.5	31.9
2008	83	14.0	5.9	103.9
2009	53	14.8	3.6	58.5
2010	94	11.8	7.9	84
2011	87	11.0	7.8	92
2012	84	10.9	7.6	96.4
2013	105	11.2	9.3	97.1
2014	98	11.2	8.7	78.6
2015	95	12.0	7.9	96.8
2016	122	11.0	11.0	97.5
2017	123	10.7	11.4	97.6
2018	107	11.1	9.5	97.2
2019	86	10.3	8.2	96.5
2020	86	11.1	7.7	96.5
2021	87	11.2	7.7	96.6
2022	95	12.5	7.5	96.8
2023	119	17.1	6.9	97.5
2024	98	15.5	6.2	96.9

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 Rutherford Opportunity Center

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	16	10.0	1.6	0
2003	16	10.0	1.6	0
2004	19	10.0	1.9	0
2005	34	10.0	3.4	n/a
2006	38	10.0	3.8	n/a
2007	75	13.7	5.5	31.9
2008	83	14.0	5.9	103.9
2009	53	14.8	3.6	58.5
2010	94	11.8	7.9	84
2011	87	11.0	7.8	92
2012	84	10.9	7.6	96.4
2013	105	11.2	9.3	97.1
2014	98	11.2	8.7	78.6
2015	95	12.0	7.9	96.8
2016	122	11.0	11.0	97.5
2017	123	10.7	11.4	97.6
2018	107	11.1	9.5	97.2
2019	86	10.3	8.2	96.5
2020	86	11.1	7.7	96.5
2021	87	11.2	7.7	96.6
2022	95	12.5	7.5	96.8
2023	119	17.1	6.9	97.5
2024	98	15.5	6.2	96.9

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 Rutherford Opportunity Center

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,648 (6.2%)	$25,116 (93.8%)	$26,764

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Rutherford Opportunity Center

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 494^th of 514 High schools	Ranks 610^th of 626 High schools	1.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
8th Grade Reading (Rutherford Opportunity Center)	25	18.8	6.2%
8th Grade Reading (Rutherford County Schools)	49.4	52.4	3%
8th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	55.6	51	4.6%
8th Grade Science (Rutherford Opportunity Center)	50	25	25%
8th Grade Science (Rutherford County Schools)	79.5	75.8	3.7%
8th Grade Science (North Carolina)	78.6	70.3	8.3%
End of Course Biology (Rutherford Opportunity Center)	13.3	12	1.3%
End of Course Biology (Rutherford County Schools)	56.1	58.8	2.7%
End of Course Biology (North Carolina)	59.6	54.1	5.5%
End of Course English II (Rutherford Opportunity Center)	13	15.8	2.8%
End of Course English II (Rutherford County Schools)	59.5	57.7	1.8%
End of Course English II (North Carolina)	59.7	58.5	1.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	86	119	38.4%
African American	11	20	81.8%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	3	9	200%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	61	76	24.6%
Two or More Races	11	14	27.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	96.5%	97.5%	1%

Schools Near Rutherford Opportunity Center

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOC Biology (2024)	EOC English II (2024)	EOC Math I (2024)	EOC Math III (2024)	EOG Mathematics (2024)		EOG Reading (2024)	EOG Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Rutherford Opportunity Center	Public	6-12	140 Old Caroleen Road	Forest City	28043	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 248-5294	98	16	6.2	96.9%	73 (74.5%)	10 (10.2%)	6 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (9.2%)	2.3	630^th of 640 public high schools	1.6%		3.7	610^th of 626 public high schools	2.6%	20	11.3	11.1			5.3	5.3	10.5	21.1	$26,764	$1,648	$25,116
East Rutherford High School	Public	9-12	331 East High Rd	Bostic	28018	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 245-6424	640	46	14.0	98.8%	410 (64.1%)	103 (16.1%)	75 (11.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	50 (7.8%)	49.2	303^rd of 640 public high schools	52.7%		52.7	274^th of 626 public high schools	56.2%	29	56.5	52.2	41.1	68.1					$10,163	$1,106	$9,057
Rutherford Early College High School	Public	9-12	286 ICC Loop Road	Spindale	28160	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 288-2202	202	6	33.6	98.5%	145 (71.8%)	10 (5.0%)	23 (11.4%)	7 (3.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (7.9%)	91.2	65^th of 640 public high schools	89.8%		88.6	84^th of 626 public high schools	86.6%	19	82.8	92.7	76.5	92.5					$6,973	$327	$6,646
Chase High School	Public	9-12	1603 Chase High Rd	Forest City	28043	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 245-5883	625	43	14.4	97.9%	460 (73.6%)	42 (6.7%)	74 (11.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (7.5%)	49.1	304^th of 640 public high schools	52.5%		52.6	277^th of 626 public high schools	55.8%	27	50.8	51.1	54.2	63.6					$10,771	$989	$9,782
R-S Central High School	Public	9-12	641 Hwy 221 North	Rutherfordton	28139	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 287-3304	750	48	15.5	98.9%	542 (72.3%)	98 (13.1%)	56 (7.5%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	50 (6.7%)	41.9	359^th of 640 public high schools	43.9%		50.3	287^th of 626 public high schools	54.2%	72	59.6	50.2	32.8	56.4					$10,966	$1,171	$9,795
Crest High	Public	9-12	800 Old Boiling Springs	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 476-8331	1,101	64	17.1	99.7%	675 (61.3%)	260 (23.6%)	91 (8.3%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	71 (6.4%)	66.2	199^th of 640 public high schools	68.9%		60.6	222^nd of 626 public high schools	64.5%	23	71.4	61.2	55.9	71.1					$8,650	$808	$7,842
Turning Point Academy	Public	6-12	409 West Sumter Street	Shelby	28150	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 476-8399	148	11	13.3	98.0%	65 (43.9%)	63 (42.6%)	5 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (10.1%)	10.2	591^st of 640 public high schools	7.7%		3.9	608^th of 626 public high schools	2.9%	17	8.7	40.0					6.7	26.7	$21,288	$1,682	$19,606
Shelby High	Public	9-12	230 E Dixon Boulevard	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 476-8325	790	53	14.8	99.6%	256 (32.4%)	390 (49.4%)	75 (9.5%)	8 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	58 (7.3%)	21.3	505^th of 640 public high schools	21.1%		21.9	499^th of 626 public high schools	20.3%	6	35.5	45.5	28.2	34.9					$9,492	$690	$8,802
Polk County Early College	Public	9-12	1545 East NC 108 Hwy	Columbus	28722	Polk County	Polk County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 894-2698	55	4	13.0	94.5%	45 (81.8%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (10.9%)	2 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.6%)	94.8	29^th of 640 public high schools	95.5%		85.2	104^th of 626 public high schools	83.4%	75	93.3	94.1	100.0	92.9					$9,557	$127	$9,430
Polk County High School	Public	9-12	1681 East NC 108 Hwy	Columbus	28722	Polk County	Polk County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 894-2525	593	42	14.0	99.5%	441 (74.4%)	33 (5.6%)	91 (15.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.6%)	50.8	292^nd of 640 public high schools	54.4%		60.8	220^th of 626 public high schools	64.9%	72	43.9	60.1	50.4	71.8					$12,130	$897	$11,232

Rutherford Opportunity Center

Rutherford Opportunity Center:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Rutherford County Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Rutherford Opportunity Center

Rank History for all middle school students at Rutherford Opportunity Center

Rank History for middle school Male students at Rutherford Opportunity Center

Rank History for middle school White students at Rutherford Opportunity Center

Rank History for Rutherford Opportunity Center

Rank History for all high school students at Rutherford Opportunity Center

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Rutherford Opportunity Center

Rank History for high school Female students at Rutherford Opportunity Center

Rank History for high school Male students at Rutherford Opportunity Center

Rank History for high school White students at Rutherford Opportunity Center

Enrollment information for Rutherford Opportunity Center

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Rutherford Opportunity Center

Student/Teacher Ratio Rutherford Opportunity Center

Per Pupil Expenditures for Rutherford Opportunity Center

Impact of COVID-19 on Rutherford Opportunity Center

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Rutherford Opportunity Center

Frequently Asked Questions about Rutherford Opportunity Center

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