Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School

Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School, a small elementary-level community in Forest City, North Carolina, run under Rutherford County Schools, enrolls 231 students, covering grades pre-K through 5. Enrollment runs roughly 51% below the state mean of about 467.

Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School is one of 18 schools operated by Rutherford County Schools, a district that enrolls 7,394 students overall.

In terms of who attends, Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School reports that the largest single group is White, at 79% of enrollment. Beyond that, the school records 11% multiracial, 6% Hispanic, 3% Black. That composition is broadly in line with Rutherford County as a whole.

In terms of school funding signals, The school currently runs with 13 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 17.6:1. The state averages around 14.9:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Roughly 99% of students at Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 48.7% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 60.2%.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Rutherford County put median household earnings sit near $51,410, about 22% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 13%. In all, Rutherford County runs 20 public schools (combined enrollment of about 9,205 students), of which Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School is one.

The closest other public school is R-S Central High School, roughly 3.2 miles away. 4 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School at 5th of 9; the average score across the group is 57.2%.

The school occupies a rural site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School's enrollment has contracted 14% since 2018, when it stood at 269 (now 231). The Hispanic share of enrollment shrank from 11% to 6% over that span. Class-load math has widened: from 15.9:1 in 2018 to 17.6:1 in 2025.

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