Bedford County Schools
Listed by NCES as Bedford County (district ID 4700180)
Public school district · Bedford County · Tennessee · NCES district ID 4700180
Bedford County Schools spent $9,873 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 96% of the other Tennessee districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $11,310). Its 14 schools enrolled 8,440 students in 2024-25; 53.5% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $10,517 per student, up 6.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 85% (Tennessee: 87.3%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Tennessee districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Bedford County Schools in enrollment (8,001 to 10,249 students) and Bedford County Schools itself.
Where the money came from
$107,078,000 in revenue: 53.5% state, 23.4% local and 23.1% federal. Total spending including $21,013,000 of capital outlay was $113,133,000, or $12,505 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$57,280,000 53%
- Local$25,025,000 23%
- Federal$24,773,000 23%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 124 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment held steady from 2022-23 to 2023-24
9,047 students in 2022-23, 8,994 students in 2023-24, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 9,047 | 625.5 | 14.5 |
| 2023-24 | 8,994 | 641.2 | 14.0 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$31,997,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,537 per student
Bedford County Schools booked $31,997,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 625 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $51,159 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 11 in 100 Tennessee districts with a figure (state median $57,379, 141 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Tennessee teacher salary at $53,619 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $28,146,000 | 88.0% |
| Special education | $2,275,000 | 7.1% |
| Vocational | $1,157,000 | 3.6% |
| Other programs | $419,000 | 1.3% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,096 in 2018-19, $3,181 in 2019-20, $3,373 in 2020-21, $3,392 in 2021-22, $3,537 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Bedford County Schools scored proficient or above: 27% in reading and 31% in math, against 35% in reading and 35% in math across Tennessee. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Tennessee, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.
| Subject | This district | Tennessee | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 27% | 35% | 3,923 |
| Math | 31% | 35% | 3,913 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
85% of the 641 students in Bedford County Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.3% across Tennessee. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Tennessee | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 85% | 87.3% |
| Students in the class | 641 | 71,510 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
8 elementary schools, 4,050 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community Elementary School | 650 | 17.5 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Learning Way Elementary | 638 | 13.9 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Liberty Elementary | 631 | 13.9 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Cascade Elementary | 621 | 17.6 | All free (CEP) | Not Title I |
| Thomas Magnet School | 436 | 17.2 | All free (CEP) | Not Title I |
| Eakin Elementary | 399 | 13.0 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| South Side Elementary | 352 | 11.1 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| East Side Elementary | 323 | 12.9 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
3 middle schools, 1,702 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris Middle School | 977 | 15.7 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Community Middle School | 365 | 14.3 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Cascade Middle School | 360 | 15.2 | All free (CEP) | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
3 high schools, 2,688 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelbyville Central High School | 1,604 | 16.6 | All free (CEP) | Eligible, no program |
| Community High School | 545 | 15.0 | All free (CEP) | Not Title I |
| Cascade High School | 539 | 11.3 | All free (CEP) | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
One more school on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory
These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.
Bedford County Virtual School
School in Wartrace; 77 students; 4.7 students per teacher.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.
Contact Bedford County Schools
- Website: bedfordk12tn.com
- Phone: (931) 684-3284
- Office: 500 Madison ST, Shelbyville, TN 37160
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Bedford County Schools
- Tennessee districts by spending per studentBedford County Schools ranks 119 of 124 Tennessee districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($9,873).#119 of 124
- Every school district in TennesseeBedford County Schools is the number 21 by size of 148 Tennessee districts, with 9,047 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#21 of 148
- Collierville SchoolsThe next larger Tennessee district: 9,259 students in fall 2022, $11,787 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,787
- Bartlett City SchoolsThe next smaller Tennessee district: 8,946 students in fall 2022, $11,266 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,266
- Compare Bedford County Schools with Collierville SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Shelbyville Central High School, its largest high school1,604 students in 2024-25, 16.6 per teacher.1,604
- Teacher salary spending across TennesseeBedford County Schools spent $51,159 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $57,379); spending, not a salary.$51,159
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Bedford County Schools
How many schools and students are in Bedford County Schools?
14 schools were open in 2024-25 (8 elementary, 3 middle, 3 high), enrolling 8,440 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Bedford County Schools spend per student?
$9,873 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Tennessee median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $11,310 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $10,517 per student, up 6.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Bedford County Schools' money come from?
$107,078,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 53.5% state, 23.4% local and 23.1% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Bedford County Schools live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,166 of the 9,971 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 21.7%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Bedford County Schools spend on teacher salaries?
$31,997,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,537 per student. Divided by the 625 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $51,159 per teacher, more than 11 in 100 Tennessee districts (state median $57,379). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Tennessee teacher salary at $53,619 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Bedford County Schools do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Bedford County Schools scored proficient or above: 27% in reading and 31% in math, against 35% in reading and 35% in math across Tennessee. Tennessee's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Bedford County Schools?
85% of the 641 students in Bedford County Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.3% across Tennessee. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Bedford County Schools' NCES district ID?
4700180. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25