Anderson County

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Clinton, Tennessee - 17 schools

An equity score of 48/100 ranks Anderson County #34 of 140 districts in Tennessee (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,475 per pupil, Anderson County ranks #32 of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending (Tennessee districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

6,317
Total Enrollment
17
Schools
$11,475
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Anderson County operates 17 public schools serving 6,317 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Tennessee. The school portfolio breaks down into 11 combined, 4 middle, 2 high schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Anderson County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,475 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending. See how Tennessee compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 38.3% local, 40.3% state, and 21.4% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 48/100, ranked #34 of 140 in Tennessee against a state average of 38, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 3 of 17 schools offering Advanced Placement (16 AP courses district-wide), a 245.7:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 22.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 89.3% White, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 1.7% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Claxton Elementary, with a diversity index of 40.7/100.

Its largest campus is Clinton High School, enrolling 1,021 students (17% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Anderson County Innovation Academy, at 32 students, a 32x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Clinton High School accounts for 16.2% of all Anderson County student enrollment

That concentration means Anderson County-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Anderson County school enrollment varies 32× across entities

Anderson County school enrollment ranges from 32 students (lowest) to 1,021 students (highest), a spread of 989 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Anderson County student-counselor ratio is 246:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Anderson County chronic absenteeism rate is 22.8% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Anderson County is typically wider than the Anderson County-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

21.4%
Federal
40.3%
State
38.3%
Local

Funding Equity

48
Equity Score
34 / 140
State Rank
38
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 17 schools in Anderson County.

White 89.3%
Hispanic or Latino 4.9%
African American 1.7%
Multiracial 3.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 19.4/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Anderson County's schools, below the Tennessee average of 38.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Claxton Elementary 40.7
  2. 2 Anderson County Head Start / Preschool 35.0
  3. 3 Clinton Middle School 28.6
  4. 4 Norwood Elementary 26.2
  5. 5 Clinton High School 25.0

Programs & Resources

3 / 17
Schools with AP
16 AP courses total
245.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
22.8%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Anderson County

School Enrollment
Clinton High School
1,021
Anderson County High School
1,019
Clinton Middle School
624
Claxton Elementary
456
Norris Middle School
448
Lake City Elementary
387
Grand Oaks Elementary
303
Andersonville Elementary
296
Fairview Elementary
258
Norris Elementary
257
Lake City Middle School
246
Norwood Elementary
214
Norwood Middle School
162
Dutch Valley Elementary
135
Briceville Elementary
96
Anderson County Head Start / Preschool
64
Anderson County Innovation Academy
32

How Anderson County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Tennessee districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Hawkins County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Roane County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Greene County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Warren County Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Germantown Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Anderson County's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Tennessee

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools
109,797 students · 222 schools · $13,650/pupil
Compare vs Anderson County →
Davidson County
80,651 students · 161 schools · $15,421/pupil
Compare vs Anderson County →
Knox County
60,609 students · 93 schools · $10,538/pupil
Compare vs Anderson County →
Rutherford County
50,707 students · 51 schools · $10,141/pupil
Compare vs Anderson County →
Hamilton County
45,902 students · 81 schools · $12,002/pupil
Compare vs Anderson County →

Compare Anderson County

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Memphis-Shelby County Schools →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Anderson County?

Anderson County has 17 schools, including 2 high, 4 middle, 11 combined. Total enrollment is 6,317 students.

How much does Anderson County spend per student?

Anderson County spends $11,475 per student. The district has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #34 in Tennessee.

What is the demographic composition of Anderson County?

Anderson County students are 89.3% White, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 1.7% African American, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 17 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Anderson County?

Anderson County has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #34 out of 140 districts in Tennessee.