Foothills Review

Thomas Jefferson Class Academy had the highest enrollment among Rutherford County schools, welcoming 1,340 students during the 2022-23 school year, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Among the 20 schools in Rutherford County, R-S Central High School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 729 students, while East Rutherford High School welcomed 642 students and ranked third in the 2022-23 school year.

Thomas Jefferson Class Academy is part of Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy district, which roughly covers institutions within Rutherford County and has a main office in Mooresboro.

In the previous school year, Thomas Jefferson Class Academy also had the highest number of students among Rutherford County schools.

Despite boasting a favorable teacher-student ratio of 1:15, surpassing the national average, North Carolina's public schools face a significant funding gap. The state's per-student expenditure of $10,519 falls considerably short of the national average of $14,295.

North Carolina's public schools faced a staggering 58.4% surge in vacant teaching positions in the 2021-22 school year, leaving over 5,000 classrooms without qualified instructors.

School name	City	Total School Enrollment
Thomas Jefferson Class Academy	Mooresboro	1,340
R-S Central High School	Rutherfordton	729
East Rutherford High School	Forest City	642
Chase High School	Forest City	637
R-S Middle School	Rutherfordton	568
Ellenboro Elementary School	Ellenboro	556
East Rutherford Middle School	Bostic	548
Chase Middle School	Forest City	489
Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School	Forest City	455
Lake Lure Classical Academy	Lake Lure	425
Harris Elementary School	Forest City	407
Rutherfordton Elementary School	Rutherfordton	375
Forrest W. Hunt Elementary School	Forest City	351
Spindale Elementary School	Spindale	324
Pinnacle Elementary School	Rutherfordton	222
Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School	Forest City	222
Cliffside Elementary School	Cliffside	213
Rutherford Early College High School	Spindale	189
Sunshine Elementary School	Bostic	165
Rutherford Opportunity Center	Forest City	99