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Schools›North Carolina›Forest City
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·RUTHERFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS·NCES 370408002607

Rutherford Opportunity Center

140 Old Caroleen Road, Forest City, NC 28043 · (828) 248-5294 · Rutherford County
GRADES 06–12HIGH32-TOWNTITLE IALTERNATIVE EDUCATION SCHOOL82 STUDENTS
Enrollment
82
High
DISTRICT 454 · STATE 761
Student : Teacher
8.2:1
10 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 24.9:1 · STATE 19.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
96%
79 students
DISTRICT 97% · STATE 82%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Grade 6
3
Grade 7
3
Grade 8
7
Grade 9
9
Grade 10
28
Grade 11
27
Grade 12
5
Student demographics
White
5871%
DISTRICT 68% · STATE 42%
Hispanic
56%
DISTRICT 12% · STATE 22%
Black
1215%
DISTRICT 11% · STATE 25%
Two+
79%
DISTRICT 9% · STATE 6%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Male
5668%
Female
2632%

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Test scores

NC EOG / EOC 2024-25 . % Grade Level Proficient (Level 3+)
English Language Arts
10.6%
own-school result
Math
5.3%
own-school result
State assessment results for this school reflect a specialized student population. The figures above are the school's own reported scores; they are not directly comparable to state averages or to general-enrollment schools, so the usual state-average comparison line is suppressed here.
Source: NC EOG / EOC. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →

BeatsExpectations

Not computed for this school
BeatsExpectations is not computed for specialized-population schools (schools for the deaf or blind, therapeutic and behavioral-health placements, juvenile-justice and alternative-education settings, and similar). State ELA/Math proficiency rates are not a comparable metric for these populations, so a demographically-adjusted residual against general-enrollment peers would be misleading. About the methodology →

7-year change

SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25
Enrollment
82
-25 (-23%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
8.2:1
was 9.6:1
% White
71%
was 76%
% Hispanic
6%
was 5%
% Black
15%
was 11%
% Asian
0%
was 0%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

About Rutherford Opportunity Center

Rutherford Opportunity Center is one of the tiny high schools in Forest City, North Carolina, operated by Rutherford County Schools, with 82 students on its rolls from grades 6 through 12. That puts it 89% below the typical public school in North Carolina, which averages around 761 students.

Within Rutherford County Schools, which oversees 18 schools and 7,394 students, Rutherford Opportunity Center is one campus in the system.

On the student-mix side, Rutherford Opportunity Center reports that 71% of the student body identifies as White; the rest consists of 15% Black, 9% multiracial, 6% Hispanic. That is considerably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 82%.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 10 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 8.2:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 19.6:1, putting Rutherford Opportunity Center tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 96% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

In the area at large, ACS estimates for Rutherford County put median household income runs about $51,410, roughly 22% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, 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 Rutherford Opportunity Center is one.

Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 1.5 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

Geographically, the school is in a town-based area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked down 23%: 107 students in 2018 compared to 82 in 2025. The White share of enrollment declined from 76% to 71% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 9.6:1 in 2018 to 8.2:1 today.

On this page, members of the Rutherford Opportunity Center community share and discuss pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.

Rutherford County at a glance

View full county profile
Population
64,930
Census ACS
Median income
$51,410
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
22%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
13%
Below federal line
Schools in county
20
9,205 students

Quick facts

School name
Rutherford Opportunity Center
District
Rutherford County Schools
Address
140 Old Caroleen Road, Forest City, NC 28043
Phone
(828) 248-5294
County
Rutherford County
Level
High
Grade range
06–12
Total enrollment
82
Teachers (FTE)
10
Student–teacher ratio
8.2:1
Free/Reduced lunch
79 (96%)
Locale
32-Town: Distant
NCES ID
370408002607
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in Rutherford County Schools
Other schools in Forest City
Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About Rutherford Opportunity Center
What is the total enrollment at Rutherford Opportunity Center?
Rutherford Opportunity Center enrolls approximately 82 students in grades 06-12.
What age range does Rutherford Opportunity Center serve?
Rutherford Opportunity Center serves students from grade 06 through grade 12.
How many students per teacher at Rutherford Opportunity Center?
Approximately 8.2:1 students per teacher at Rutherford Opportunity Center.
What is the student diversity at Rutherford Opportunity Center?
Student demographics at Rutherford Opportunity Center are roughly 71% White, 6% Hispanic, 15% Black, 9% Two or more.
What district is Rutherford Opportunity Center in?
Rutherford Opportunity Center is part of Rutherford County Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
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