Pinnacle Elementary School

10/23/2026

10/22/2026

TESTIMONIAL THURSDAY | Celebrating National Principals Month

Great schools are built on strong relationships, dedicated educators, and leaders who put students first!

This week, we are proud to spotlight Ashley Twitty, Principal of Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School, as she reflects on the joy of serving her school community, the students and families who inspire her, and the fellow principals who support one another in the important work of school leadership.

Her heartfelt words remind us that leadership is about more than a title. It's about relationships, commitment, and making a difference in the lives of children every day.

Thank you, Mrs. Twitty, and all of our RCS principals for leading with heart and purpose!

One Team. One Mission. Every Child.

10/21/2026

TRANSPARENCY TUESDAY |
RCS continues to distinguish itself as a regional leader, achieving a four-year cohort graduation rate of 95.0% for the 2025–2026 school year, the highest graduation rate in western North Carolina.

Our graduation rate exceeded the regional median by 3.8 percentage points and the statewide average by 6.2 percentage points. RCS also outperformed the three school districts used in our annual performance benchmarking: Burke (91.1%), Stanly (88.4%), and Cleveland (85.5%).

These results reflect the combined efforts of our students, teachers, counselors, administrators, and families, working together to ensure that more young people complete high school prepared for the opportunities ahead.

We’re proud of our progress, proud of our graduates, and especially proud that RCS is setting the standard for graduation success in western North Carolina!

10/21/2026

MYTH BUSTER MONDAY | RCS Education Matters

MYTH: A school district’s graduation rate is simply the number of graduating seniors divided by the number of students enrolled in twelfth grade.

❌ BUSTED!

Did you know that North Carolina’s graduation rate actually tells a much bigger story?

The four-year cohort graduation rate follows a group of students from the time they enter ninth grade and measures how many earn a regular high school diploma within four years.

That means graduation rates aren't just about how many seniors walk across the stage in May or June. They reflect what happens throughout a student's entire high school journey, including students who transfer, drop out, or don't graduate on time.

Why does this matter?

At Rutherford County Schools, we believe every student who enters ninth grade deserves the support, opportunities, and encouragement needed to reach graduation day.

And we're proud of our progress! RCS achieved a 95.1% four-year cohort graduation rate for the 2024–2025 school year, placing our district among the top 10 in North Carolina!

That number represents more than diplomas. It reflects the dedication of our teachers, counselors, administrators, support staff, families, and, most importantly, our students.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Graduation rates aren't simply a snapshot of senior year. They tell the story of student persistence, academic support, and success over four years.

That's something worth understanding AND celebrating!

10/16/2026

FUTURE FOCUSED FRIDAY | Investing in Students. Building Brighter Futures! 💙💚

The future of Rutherford County starts with the students we support today! Through the Rutherford County Schools Education Foundation, our community is helping create opportunities and brighter futures for students across our district.

Parents, local businesses, and community members: we invite YOU to invest in the future of Rutherford County!

Your support helps make a difference through programs like:

* RCS Backpack Program – Fighting childhood hunger.

* Helping Hands for Homeless Students – Providing hope and assistance to students and families in need.

* Teacher Mini Grants – Bringing innovative classroom ideas to life.

* Project STEAM – Inspiring tomorrow's innovators, creators, and problem-solvers.

By becoming an annual member of the RCS Education Foundation, you're joining a community committed to ensuring our students have the resources, opportunities, and support they need to succeed.

The future is ours to shape, and together, we can make it brighter!

Become a community member today: Visit rcsedfoundation.org/membership to learn more and join!

10/15/2026

Testimonial Thursday | RCS Education Matters

October is National Principals Month, and this week, we're continuing our celebration of the incredible leaders who make a difference in Rutherford County Schools every day!

For this week's , we hear from Dr. Tammie Ash, Executive Director of Human Resources, who brings a unique perspective as a former school principal herself.

Dr. Ash reminds us that while much of a principal's work happens behind the scenes, the impact of their leadership is felt in every classroom, throughout every school, and across our communities.

To all of our RCS principals, thank you for leading with compassion, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to our students and staff. Your leadership matters, and we appreciate you!

10/13/2026

TRANSPARENCY TUESDAY | Personnel represents the second major component of expenditures from the Local Current Expense Fund. As part of the 2026–2027 Initial Budget Resolution, $8,285,859.36 is budgeted for personnel expenditures from this fund.

As the accompanying graphic illustrates, the largest single component is employee benefits at $2,622,141.03, or 31.6%. Other major expenditures include teachers at $1,171,126.94 (14.1%); local supplements at $1,118,032.98 (13.5%); maintenance personnel at $1,019,094.98 (12.3%); and short-term disability and annual leave payouts at $905,723.85 (10.9%).

The remaining personnel expenditures include office support at $508,480.50 (6.1%); central office administration at $493,954.01 (6.0%); assistant principals at $307,585.30 (3.7%); teacher assistants and instructional support at $111,479.23 (1.3%); principals at $21,030.54 (0.3%); and custodians at $7,210.00 (0.1%).

These figures also illustrate an important feature of public school finance: personnel costs extend beyond salaries. Employee benefits and local salary supplements alone account for approximately $3.74 million, or 45.1%, of personnel expenditures from the Local Current Expense Fund. Local funding therefore supports not only locally funded positions and portions of positions, but also compensation and employer costs associated with maintaining the district’s workforce.

10/12/2026

MYTH BUSTER MONDAY |

MYTH: The Other Specific Revenue Fund is a catch-all for revenues that don’t fit anywhere else.

FACT: The Other Specific Revenue Fund accounts for particular types of revenue specifically identified by state law.

The name can be misleading at first glance. North Carolina law establishes the Other Specific Revenue Fund as an accounting mechanism for designated types of funding, including reimbursements, fees for actual costs, certain sales tax revenues and refunds, restricted gifts and grants, trust funds, federal appropriations made directly to school districts, certain municipal appropriations, and funds received for prekindergarten programs.

For 2026–2027, Rutherford County Schools has budgeted $5,770,161.28 in the Other Specific Revenue Fund. As the accompanying graphic illustrates, those revenues include $2,042,397.95 in local and other revenues (35.4%), $1,987,495.33 in federal revenues (34.4%), and $1,740,268.00 in state revenues (30.2%).

What defines this fund, then, is not simply that its revenues come from sources other than the district’s primary state and local operating funds. Rather, state law specifies the kinds of revenues that may be accounted for here, and those revenues carry particular purposes, restrictions, or conditions governing their use