The brief
A Rutherford County Schools elementary school serving grades Pre-K – 5th.
Students at Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School score 47% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 50%).
It ranks 1,487 of 2,660 schools in North Carolina and 11 of 18 in Rutherford County Schools.
- 202647%
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026
Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.
Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.
Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 61% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 51% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).
- School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
- NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
- Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
- MySchoolScout rating and rank
- MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
- Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
- Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
- Math proficiency
- State department of education · 2026 NC · Medium confidence
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
- Reading/ELA proficiency
- State department of education · 2026 NC · Medium confidence
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
- Student progress (growth)
- State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
- Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
- Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
- U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
- Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
- Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 28043; this does not measure the attendance area.
- Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
- CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.
Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24
The neighborhood
Where it sits, and what the area looks like.The area
- Median income
- $41,746
- Median home value
- $176,100
- Median rent
- $744/mo
- College educated
- 17.9%
- Homeownership
- 64.2%
- Poverty rate
- 23.8%
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 28043; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.
Getting around
- Walk Score
- 11
- Car-Dependent
- Bike Score
- 9
- Somewhat Bikeable
- City reported crime
- 5,118/100K
- Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Forest City. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.
Walk, transit and bike scores by
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Forest City), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details
Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.
Programs and who goes here
What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.Programs
- Gifted and talented
- Available
- A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Who goes here
- Free or reduced lunch
- 99.4%
- Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).
Compare nearby
Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.
Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.
The record
What is on file, and where each number came from.Questions families ask
What grades does Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School serve?
Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.
How many students attend Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School?
Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 487 students.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School is 15.7:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.
How does Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School rank in NC?
Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School ranks #1,487 of 2,660 schools in NC.
What is Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?
Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.2 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.
What are the test scores at Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School?
Based on loaded state assessment records, Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School has 61% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 51% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).
Is Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School a charter school?
No, Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.
Is Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School a Title I school?
No, Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School is not currently a Title I school.
What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School?
99.4% of students at Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.
School facts
- Grades
- Pre-K – 5th
- Enrollment
- 487
- Student-teacher ratio
- 15.7:1
- Teachers (FTE)
- 31
- Type
- Regular
- Title I
- No
- Setting
- Distant Town
- County
- Rutherford County
- Phone
- (828) 245-4978
- Rank in district
- #11 of 18
- Schools in district
- 18
- District spending per student
- $14,515
- NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
- District child poverty rate
- 19.0%
- Census SAIPE · 2024
- Area population (ZIP 28043)
- 20,896
- Area average commute
- 24.4 min
- Area median age
- 40.3
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).
Sources and official links
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Data from NCES Common Core of Data, North Carolina Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.