News & Announcements

Quite a few schools across Rutherford County remain without electrical power this morning, and some area roads remain hazardous for travel, following yesterday’s passage of Tropical Cyclone Zeta. Given those conditions, Rutherford County Schools will be closed for face-to-face instruction today. We will observe an Optional Teacher Workday for school employees and a remote learning day for all students. School employees who plan to travel to their schools today should exercise caution on area roads and communicate with their immediate supervisors if any adjustments to their reporting times are necessary to ensure their safe travel.

Periods of heavy rain and strong winds associated with Tropical Cyclone Zeta brought down numerous trees and power lines throughout Rutherford County as the storm crossed our region through the early- to mid-morning hours today, leading to impassable roads and widespread power outages. While we have seen some improvement to those conditions throughout the afternoon, some roads require additional attention and numerous schools across the county remain without power this evening.

At this time, Rutherford County Schools will operate on a two-hour delay on Friday, October 30. We will reassess road conditions and electrical service to our school campuses overnight tonight and announce any additional adjustments to tomorrow’s school schedule no later than 7:00 AM tomorrow morning. Please be alert to the possibility that tomorrow's initial delay could become a closure if conditions do not significantly improve during the overnight hours.

The National Weather Service has issued a Tropical Storm Warning for our area. Tropical Cyclone Zeta will affect local weather and travel conditions as the storm approaches western North Carolina overnight tonight and passes through the region tomorrow. Along with some periods of heavy rain that may lead to isolated flooding, tropical storm force winds are expected across all of Rutherford County. We anticipate sustained winds of 30 to 35 miles per hour, with wind gusts of 40 to 45 miles per hour, increasing the risk of downed trees and power lines and creating unsafe travel conditions – especially for high-profile vehicles like school buses.

In anticipation of the storm’s arrival and impact, Rutherford County Schools will be closed for face-to-face instruction on Thursday, October 29. We will observe an Optional Teacher Workday for school employees and a remote learning day for all students. School employees should exercise caution on area roadways and should communicate with their immediate supervisors if any adjustments to their reporting times are necessary to ensure their safe travel.

2020-2021 School Reopening Plans | New “Plan A” Option for Elementary Schools

Are you a Hybrid A or B student and want to take home meals for remote learning days? Are you a remote or non-RCS student and want to pick up meals each week? Sign up today!

Parent input needed - chance to win a gift card for your survey response.

RCS has developed a local School Health Dashboard that identifies, defines, and tracks seventeen key indicators within four categories in order to monitor important school health conditions, evaluate the effectiveness of school health strategies and activities, and inform important local decisions about school operations. The School Health Dashboard also represents a transparent resource for parents, families, and community members aimed at ensuring they have clear, timely, and accurate information about actual health conditions within Rutherford County Schools.

Kevin Bradley, CHASE High School principal, was named the 2020-2021 RCS Principal of the Year at the September board meeting.

Recently, the White House named Jill Francis, a teacher at Chase High School, a recipient of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). PAEMST are the nation’s highest honors for teachers of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science.

Rutherford County Schools is pleased to announce important back-to-school plans for the 2020-2021 school year. The district website has been updated with a Back to School Guide for Families that explains both learning programs offered, as well as a required Student Intent Form. This form must be completed by parents or guardians by Tuesday, July 28, 2020.