Rutherford County GOP slams RCS school management over financial crisis
Republican Party demands forensic audit, asset sales, and leadership change as President Trump renews push for nationwide school choice
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Editor’s note: This article has been updated.
FOREST CITY, N.C. — The Rutherford County Republican Party (RCGOP) issued a scathing press release Thursday, calling out the Rutherford County Schools (RCS) system for what it described as a “financial crisis” rooted in mismanagement, poor communication, and fiscal irresponsibility. The statement called for immediate action—including new leadership, the sale of idle assets, a full forensic audit, and better teacher pay. What makes the criticism more significant: every member of the Rutherford County Board of Education is a Republican. The issues at hand have been years in the making due to management, the RCGOP said in their release.
While the strongest criticism of RCS is coming from the local Republican Party, the issues at hand—financial mismanagement, lack of accountability, and broken public trust—go beyond party politics. With every member of the school board already a Republican, the growing outcry reflects a broader demand for honest answers and real reform. Parents, teachers, and taxpayers are united in asking: Where is the money going, who is responsible, and what happens next?
“There must be change,” the release said—an unambiguous rebuke from the party’s own base to an all-Republican board that now finds itself under growing scrutiny from both the public and its political leadership. Everyone acknowledges that education is important, regardless of political affiliation.
Republican vs. Republican?
Tensions between Republican voters and elected Republican school board members have been building for months, especially after the board requested a historic local budget increase, followed by a surprise budget amendment request. But the July 17 GOP press release marks a formal break—a conservative party demanding accountability from a school board it helped elect.
RCGOP Chairman Bryson Smith put it plainly: “The fiscal irresponsibility of RCS management has not only harmed parents and students but also undermined teachers through job loss and lack of competitive stipends and pay.”
This pressure is mounting not from Democrats, but from within the GOP itself, underscoring a deeper divide over what conservative leadership is supposed to look like when it comes to education and public finance.
Click here to read the prior school audits, obtained by Cops & Congress, from 2010-2024.
Top 10 Takeaways from the GOP Statement
1. A Call for New Leadership in RCS
The GOP urges the Board of Education to replace the current school system management, citing an inability to handle budgets responsibly: “This crisis cannot possibly be repaired by the same management responsible for the crisis.”
2. All-Republican Board, Yet Little Confidence
Despite the fact that all current Board of Education members are Republicans, the RCGOP explicitly states that public trust is eroding, and that internal GOP loyalty will not shield poor performance from criticism.
3. Demand for a Forensic Audit (2020–2025)
The GOP called for an independent forensic audit of all RCS financial accounts—including investment accounts—going back five fiscal years to root out mismanagement or potential wrongdoing.
4. Per-Student Spending Higher Than Peers
RCS spends $16,379 per student, according to federal data. Surrounding counties, like Cleveland and Henderson, spend closer to $12,000. This “startling contrast,” the party says, “raises serious questions about fiscal efficiency and oversight.”
5. Push to Sell Unused School Properties
Citing underutilization, the GOP wants the district to liquidate all inactive or half-empty buildings to ease budget strain and refocus funds on active schools and staff.
6. Teachers Deserve Better Pay
The GOP emphasized its support for frontline educators, calling for more competitive salaries and stipends, and criticizing management for failing to deliver: “It is the fundamental duty of RCS management to support our teachers.”
7. Budget Messaging Breakdown at June Meeting
At the June 30 board meeting, Board Member David Linder openly admitted confusion about the district’s rationale for shutting down schools. “We’ve told everybody: funding, funding, funding… but now we’re saying it’s not just money,” he said. Angel King responded, “That’s definitely part of the equation.” The GOP characterized this kind of ambiguity as unacceptable. King is County Commissioner Chariman Bryan King’s sister-in-law, who’s also a Republican (all commissioners are, too).
8. Lack of Transparency
Board meetings have left not only the public, but board members themselves, with “more questions than answers,” the GOP said. Clear communication and transparency must be restored immediately.
9. Parents Deserve Confidence—or Alternatives
While reaffirming support for public education, the GOP also emphasized that “parents should have the freedom to choose how and where their children are educated,” hinting at future political support for school choice initiatives if trust in public schools continues to erode.
10. The RCS System Has Grown Bloated, Not Better
Despite stimulus funds and steady revenue increases over the last decade, the party says the school system is “in a state of fiscal dysfunction,” not improvement. This, they argue, is due to mismanagement, not a lack of money.
A Party Divided Over Governance
Thursday’s press release draws a line in the sand. The local GOP is no longer standing by the all-Republican Board of Education. It’s demanding results and accountability.
This is a political moment rarely seen in Rutherford County, where Republicans dominate nearly every elected office. But as the school board now faces pressure from within its ranks, the question becomes whether board members will act—or double down.
On Tuesday at a press gaggle, President Donald Trump said, “School choice is the answer” for those in “struggling, failing schools.”
For the public, the message is clear: this isn’t just politics. It’s about how your tax dollars are spent, and whether students and teachers are being failed in the process.
Cops & Congress Commentary: Five Things to Watch
1. Will the all-GOP board remove its leadership?
The most politically explosive question. Will Republican board members take the unprecedented step of removing or publicly disciplining management?
2. Will the forensic audit uncover fraud or just mismanagement?
If the forensic audit is approved, the findings could go beyond embarrassment. If money were mishandled or improperly tracked, it could lead to criminal investigations and calls for law enforcement involvement.
3. Is this the start of more school choice legislation in Rutherford County?
The GOP’s reference to parental choice was no accident. Expect momentum behind more charter school expansion or local voucher programs if trust in public schools continues to collapse.
4. How are teachers caught in the middle?
They’re the ones suffering from layoffs, low stipends, and administrative confusion. Teachers are being asked to “do more with less” while watching political leaders shift blame around them.
5. Will any other Republican officials speak out?
So far, the most pressure has come from the county GOP, with elected officials outside the school board saying very little after the announcement of the school closures. They had a lot to say before. Will county commissioners, state representatives, or other local leaders follow suit—or stay silent?
These Meetings Are More Than Headlines
What’s happening in Rutherford County Schools isn’t just today’s news—it’s tomorrow’s history. The decisions made by an all-Republican board, now under fire from its own party, will define the future of education and public trust in the county. As conservative voters demand results—not excuses—it’s not just students and teachers watching. It’s taxpayers, law enforcement, and the wider public who want policy grounded in principle, performance, and accountability.
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Annie Dance is the publisher of Cops & Congress, a newsletter that tells the truth about what happens when disaster, democracy, and small-town policies collide.
I don’t know that we need to stress Republicans attacking Republicans within this county, which is what I came away with from the article. This part of North Carolina is after all, largely Republican. To me, this is more like people who care, pointing out that other people in charge are not doing their job right and need to be called out on it and investigated for it.
Thank you again, for your great reporting!