175 McDowell Rd
Mills River, NC 28759

I have been impressed with the teachers and administrators at Rugby. They appear invested in the students and in providing a high quality education. Nontheless, the social culture is very poor if you do not fit a narrow mold. There is no value in diversity of culture, interests, dress, orientation etc, and in fact anything viewed as diverse appears highly criticised and disparaged by other students. It contributes to bullying in the school. I really wish more was done to promote a positive and embrasing social culture in the school.

We moved here three years ago and have three kids going through WHHS. Overall it has a solid, home town feel, teachers that care about the students, and no excessive pressure to keep up with the jones. If I had one fault, the school caters a lot towards athletics and could improve on providing a more challenging academic environment. Compared to others schools my kids have gone through, A’s can be achieved with little homework and the kids don’t speak highly about consistent classroom environments, especially if a coach is the teacher. That said, happy we found this school.

School is sadly racist and lacks ANY diversity. They look down on non-white families. They don’t employ any diversity whatsoever. Do yourself a favor and try Bruce Drysdale instead. This school’s rating doesn’t match the reality.

This school has the best teachers, principal, and staff that you could ever ask for for your child. Both of my daughters went 6 years here and flourished.

I recently started at this school and I really think it's an effective institution. The Early College Program partners with BRCC to provide the students with college class access to let them graduate in 4-5 years with both their High School diploma, and their Associate's degree. There isn't much information about the Early College, but when a presentation came to our middle school to inform us about it, I was hooked. It's part of HCPS, but unlike the other high schools, it has a competitive admissions process. The teachers want to know that you are dedicated to your studies and that you care about school above all else. They are supportive and offer lots of help. We have a full-time tutor for any help you need on any subject, and students have access to the Student Success Center in the Blue Ridge Community College, which has additional help. There are also rooms in the school dedicated to independent and group studying. Leadership is highly promoted, and students are often encouraged to participate actively in class. It is more hands on than a traditional school, and group activities are common. There are no sports teams at this time, and it is highly unlikely that they will ever be at the school. However, there are a multitude of clubs and new ones are created each year by students. The building is beautiful with tons of natural sunlight. There are, however, many windows in the classroom, both facing the outside and the hallways, so in the event of an emergency, we are slightly more compromised than an older, more traditional classroom. As it is a challenging program, the workload is a bit more than that of other schools. I have not seen nor experienced bullying. The program is full of challenging classes, and it is fast-paced to fit in time for college and high school classes at the same time, so those with learning disabilities may have more of a hard time at the school. That being said, it doesn't mean you aren't welcome. And last, but certainly not least, it's FREE. Aside from small fees (mostly for typical stuff such as parking), this is a very affordable way to get a head start in college or life after high school. The college classes are completely free, and you only have to pay for them if you fail them and have to retake them. Textbooks are also free (again, unless you are required to retake the class due to a failing grade).This school is great if you are looking for a challenge, diversity, hands-on learning, and new opportunities.