Rutherford Early College High School

Q: Is Rutherford Early College High School a good school?

Rutherford Early College High School ranks 65 th of 640 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Rutherford Early College High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Spindale, North Carolina, with a relatively small student population of 191. Despite serving a predominantly economically disadvantaged student body, the school consistently outperforms the Rutherford County Schools district and the state of North Carolina in academic achievement.

Rutherford Early College High School's academic performance is particularly impressive, with 92.7% proficiency in EOC English II compared to 52.5% for the district and 59.7% for the state. However, the school faces challenges in meeting the needs of its gifted and talented student population, as evidenced by its declining rank in this subgroup over the past three years. Additionally, the school's relatively high student-teacher ratio and high percentage of economically disadvantaged students may suggest potential funding disparities compared to the nearby high schools, such as Chase High School, R-S Central High School, and East Rutherford High School.

Despite these challenges, Rutherford Early College High School stands out as a high-performing school that serves a predominantly economically disadvantaged student population. Its consistently strong academic performance, particularly in comparison to the nearby high schools, is a testament to the dedication and effectiveness of its educators. However, the school may need to explore ways to better address the needs of its gifted and talented students and address potential funding disparities to ensure all students have the resources they need to succeed.

Detail:

Public 9-12

286 ICC Loop Road
Spindale, NC 28160

(828) 288-2202

District: Rutherford County Schools

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,973

Feeder schools for Rutherford Early College High School:

Elementary:	Cliffside Elementary School
	Ellenboro Elementary School
	Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School
	Forrest W. Hunt Elementary School
	More...
	Harris Elementary School
	Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School
	Pinnacle Elementary School
	Rutherfordton Elementary School
	Spindale Elementary School
	Sunshine Elementary School
Middle:	Chase Middle School
	East Rutherford Middle School
	R-S Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 31.8

Number of students: 191

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.8%

Hispanic:

11.5%

Two or more races:

8.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 98.4%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Rutherford Early College High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Rutherford Early College High School ranks better than 89.8% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks first among 5 ranked high schools in the Rutherford County Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 91.24. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (72.8%), Hispanic (11.5%), two or more races (8.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 98.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Rutherford Early College High School is 31.8, which is the highest among 5 high schools in the Rutherford County Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Rutherford Early College High School employs 6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Rutherford Early College High School is $6,973, which is the lowest among 5 high schools in the Rutherford County Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Rutherford Early College High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Rutherford Early College High School 65^th of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See Rutherford Early College High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Gifted and Talented 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.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Rutherford Early College High School

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Rank History for all students at Rutherford Early College High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2021	87.63	84^th	594	85.9%
2022	87.92	91^st	621	85.3%
2023	88.62	84^th	626	86.6%
2024	91.24	65^th	640	89.8%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Rutherford Early College High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	84.26	94^th	597	84.3%
2024	93.96	61^st	613	90.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Rutherford Early College High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	84.49	93^rd	594	84.3%
2023	88.91	70^th	588	88.1%
2024	87.96	79^th	602	86.9%

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

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Rutherford Early College High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	40.62	300^th	398	24.6%
2023	56.59	205^th	403	49.1%
2024	74.24	78^th	403	80.6%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Rutherford Early College High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	89.24	86^th	585	85.3%
2023	87.16	102^nd	602	83.1%
2024	93.94	49^th	607	91.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Rutherford Early College High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	80.82	106^th	534	80.1%
2023	81.70	103^rd	537	80.8%
2024	86.32	85^th	553	84.6%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, May 12, 2010

I attended the 2010 meeting for this REACH program excited that Rutherford County had such a program for my child that would help him with a college education that myself or his step-dad did not get the opportunity to have. I was under the impression that this was the first priority of the program, to help the kids whose parents did not have a degree. After the results came in from the so called lottery drawing, we have contacted several friends and students who applied also. It was to our suprise that so far, 4 of the children selected, 2 in Rutherfordton - both parents have at least a 4 year or higher college degree, and are known to be very wealthy in town. This is not fair and an outrage and we have contacted Dr. Mason who claims that none of this matters if your name was not drawn in the lottery. So let me see...lets say there are 300 applicants. 250 applicants parents have went to college and 50 did not have a college degree. A lottery was drawn but none of the 50 students names were drawn. This means the program is not at all for these under priveleged children at all if the 50 are not considered first. What is the purpose of the program, and is there a white to black child ratio - as there should be. The NAACP needs to get involved also. This is a drawing like when you gamble, and a who you know program for the wealthy. Let's Get Real. Tell it for what it is. Another poorly ran program that is not what it claims to be. If my son had been chosen and I knew that another child was less fortunate, I would offer my slot first to those who need it most, not who got lucky in the drawing. After all those less fortunate were exausted, then the more fortunate could join in. That is the way it should be. FAIR and what it is advertised for first! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Rutherford Early College High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2006	29	6	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	37
2007	55	11	1	6	1	n/a	n/a	1	75
2008	83	15	2	9	1	n/a	n/a	1	111
2009	109	23	2	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	145
2010	119	18	2	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	150
2011	123	7	0	10	2	0	15	0	157
2012	122	8	0	10	2	0	13	0	155
2013	111	10	3	13	3	0	14	0	154
2014	124	15	3	10	2	0	11	0	165
2015	122	14	3	17	2	0	11	0	169
2016	126	11	4	20	3	0	7	0	171
2017	143	6	1	17	2	0	5	0	174
2018	151	4	3	20	2	0	5	0	185
2019	160	8	3	20	1	0	6	0	198
2020	162	7	3	23	0	0	13	0	208
2021	151	11	3	28	0	0	15	0	208
2022	137	9	6	25	0	0	15	0	192
2023	139	8	6	22	0	0	16	0	191

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 Early College High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	37	2.0	18.5	45.9
2007	75	5.0	15.0	35.1
2008	111	5.6	19.8	n/a
2009	145	5.5	26.4	41.4
2010	150	5.6	26.7	46.7
2011	157	5.0	31.1	45.2
2012	155	5.0	30.7	50.3
2013	154	5.0	30.8	48.7
2014	165	5.0	33.0	n/a
2015	169	6.0	28.1	98.2
2016	171	6.0	28.5	98.2
2017	174	5.0	34.8	96
2018	185	5.0	37.0	98.4
2019	198	5.6	35.2	98.5
2020	208	5.9	34.9	98.1
2021	208	6.0	34.6	97.6
2022	192	6.0	32.0	98.4
2023	191	6.0	31.8	98.4

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 Early College High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	37	2.0	18.5	45.9
2007	75	5.0	15.0	35.1
2008	111	5.6	19.8	n/a
2009	145	5.5	26.4	41.4
2010	150	5.6	26.7	46.7
2011	157	5.0	31.1	45.2
2012	155	5.0	30.7	50.3
2013	154	5.0	30.8	48.7
2014	165	5.0	33.0	n/a
2015	169	6.0	28.1	98.2
2016	171	6.0	28.5	98.2
2017	174	5.0	34.8	96
2018	185	5.0	37.0	98.4
2019	198	5.6	35.2	98.5
2020	208	5.9	34.9	98.1
2021	208	6.0	34.6	97.6
2022	192	6.0	32.0	98.4
2023	191	6.0	31.8	98.4

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 Early College High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$327 (4.7%)	$6,646 (95.3%)	$6,973

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Rutherford Early College High 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.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Biology (Rutherford Early College High School)	97.6	69.2	28.4%
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 Early College High School)	96.2	98.1	1.9%
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%
End of Course Math I (Rutherford Early College High School)	100	88	12%
End of Course Math I (Rutherford County Schools)	48	45.7	2.3%
End of Course Math I (North Carolina)	41.2	35.9	5.3%
End of Course Math III (Rutherford Early College High School)	81.6	90.6	9%
End of Course Math III (Rutherford County Schools)	47.2	61.4	14.2%
End of Course Math III (North Carolina)	46.8	58.3	11.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	198	191	3.5%
African American	8	8
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	3	6	100%
Hispanic	20	22	10%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	160	139	13.1%
Two or More Races	6	16	166.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	98.5%	98.4%	0.1%

Schools Near Rutherford Early College High School

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 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	191	6	31.8	98.4%	139 (72.8%)	8 (4.2%)	22 (11.5%)	6 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (8.4%)	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
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	119	17	6.9	97.5%	76 (63.9%)	20 (16.8%)	9 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (11.8%)	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	659	50	13.1	99.5%	454 (68.9%)	89 (13.5%)	67 (10.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	46 (7.0%)	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
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	758	54	14.0	99.6%	543 (71.6%)	90 (11.9%)	66 (8.7%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (7.4%)	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
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	660	50	13.1	99.2%	478 (72.4%)	46 (7.0%)	79 (12.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (8.3%)	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
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	84	4	21.7	46.4%	68 (81.0%)	1 (1.2%)	11 (13.1%)	1 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (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	579	40	14.4	52.0%	426 (73.6%)	32 (5.5%)	91 (15.7%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.7%)	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
Crest High	Public	9-12	800 Old Boiling Springs	Shelby	28152	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 476-8331	1,114	66	16.9	54.4%	706 (63.4%)	256 (23.0%)	84 (7.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (6.0%)	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

Frequently Asked Questions about Rutherford Early College High School

Rutherford Early College High School

Rutherford Early College High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Rutherford County Schools:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Rutherford Early College High School

Rank History for all students at Rutherford Early College High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Rutherford Early College High School

Rank History for Female students at Rutherford Early College High School

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Rutherford Early College High School

Rank History for Male students at Rutherford Early College High School

Rank History for White students at Rutherford Early College High School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Rutherford Early College High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Rutherford Early College High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Rutherford Early College High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Rutherford Early College High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Rutherford Early College High School

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Rutherford Early College High School

Rutherford Early College High School

Rutherford Opportunity Center

East Rutherford High School

R-S Central High School

Chase High School

Polk County Early College

Polk County High School

Crest High

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