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Public elementary school · Rutherford County Schools · Forest City, North Carolina

Harris Elementary School

Harris Elementary School rates 7.2, right at the middle of Rutherford County Schools's elementary schools, whose rated median is 6.9.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
7.2this school

7.2 on a one-to-ten scale; the Rutherford County Schools median is 6.9.

#766 of 2,660 schools in North Carolina · Rutherford County Schools: 10 elementary schools rated, median 6.9

The brief

A Rutherford County Schools elementary school where students score 22 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 766 of 2,660 schools in North Carolina and 6 of 18 in Rutherford County Schools.

Harris Elementary School is listed in Rutherford County Schools, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math78%16 points above the North Carolina average of 62%2026 NC
Reading67%11 points above the North Carolina average of 56%2026 NC
In 2026, 78% of students were proficient in math and 67% in reading, against North Carolina averages of 62% and 56%.2026 NC; 60 test records from NC state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
5.6
50% of the rating
Academics
9.0
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
8.7
20% of the rating
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 69% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 61% (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.
Harris Elementary School and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

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
3
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
19
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 byWalk Score

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
99.3%
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.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Harris Elementary Schoolthis school
    7.2
  2. 5.6Compare →
One grade-compatible school using the same rating model sits within 5 miles, and none rates higher than Harris Elementary School.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

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.

The public record

What's said publicly about Harris Elementary School

Sources:School's website

Synthesized from public, attributable sources. Updated May 2026.Reviewed for accuracy.

Harris Elementary School is located at 3330 US Hwy 221 in Forest City, NC 28043 1. The school is part of the Rutherford County Schools district 1. Recent news updates from February 2026 indicate various schedule adjustments due to inclement weather, including closures, delays, and remote learning days 1. Upcoming events listed on the school's website include a raffle ticket sale starting in September and ending in September, a raffle Facebook Live event on September 26, and the last day of school on May 23 1. Additionally, a 4th/5th AR Reward event is scheduled for May 20 1.
Sources (1)
  1. hes.rcsnc.org
Generated by AI from public sources. Every claim is grounded in a cited source.Report inaccuracy

Questions families ask

What grades does Harris Elementary School serve?

Harris Elementary School serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Harris Elementary School?

Harris Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 440 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Harris Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Harris Elementary School is 15.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Harris Elementary School rank in NC?

Harris Elementary School ranks #766 of 2,660 schools in NC.

What is Harris Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?

Harris Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.2 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 Harris Elementary School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Harris Elementary School has 69% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 61% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Harris Elementary School a charter school?

No, Harris Elementary School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Harris Elementary School a Title I school?

No, Harris Elementary School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Harris Elementary School?

99.3% of students at Harris 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
440
Student-teacher ratio
15.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
29
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Fringe Rural
County
Rutherford County
Rank in district
#6 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).

Related reading

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.