Bells
Public school district · Crockett County · Tennessee · NCES district ID 4700210
Bells spent $10,652 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 88% of the other Tennessee districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $11,915). Its one school enrolled 407 students in 2024-25; 69.7% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $10,793 per student, up 1.3% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
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 Bells in enrollment (182 to 701 students) and Bells itself.
Where the money came from
$4,426,000 in revenue: 69.7% state, 12.4% local and 17.9% federal. Total spending including $30,000 of capital outlay was $4,283,000, or $10,734 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$3,085,000 70%
- Local$547,000 12%
- Federal$794,000 18%
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 18 districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment rose from 2022-23 to 2023-24
399 students in 2022-23, 411 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 | 399 | 27.3 | 14.6 |
| 2023-24 | 411 | 30.0 | 13.7 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$1,553,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,892 per student
Bells booked $1,553,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 27 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 $56,824 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 49 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 | $1,453,000 | 93.6% |
| Special education | $100,000 | 6.4% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,422 in 2018-19, $3,436 in 2019-20, $3,691 in 2020-21, $3,857 in 2021-22, $3,892 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 Bells scored proficient or above: 34-41% in reading and 36-43% 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 | 34-41% | 35% | 172 |
| Math | 36-43% | 35% | 173 |
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.
1 elementary school, 407 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bells Elementary | 407 | 14.6 | 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.
Contact Bells
- Phone: (731) 663-2041
- Office: 4547 Hwy 88 South, Bells, TN 38006
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 Bells
- Tennessee districts by spending per studentBells ranks 16 of 18 Tennessee districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($10,652).#16 of 18
- Every school district in TennesseeBells is the number 141 by size of 148 Tennessee districts, with 399 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#141 of 148
- Alvin C York InstituteThe next larger Tennessee district: 492 students in fall 2022.
- Etowah City Elementary School DistrictThe next smaller Tennessee district: 343 students in fall 2022, $11,615 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,615
- Compare Bells with Alvin C York InstituteEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Teacher salary spending across TennesseeBells spent $56,824 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $57,379); spending, not a salary.$56,824
- 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 Bells
How many schools and students are in Bells?
One school was open in 2024-25 (1 elementary), enrolling 407 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Bells spend per student?
$10,652 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 fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $11,915 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $10,793 per student, up 1.3% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Bells' money come from?
$4,426,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 69.7% state, 12.4% local and 17.9% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Bells live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 43 of the 324 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 13.3%, 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 Bells spend on teacher salaries?
$1,553,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,892 per student. Divided by the 27 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $56,824 per teacher, more than 49 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 Bells do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Bells scored proficient or above: 34-41% in reading and 36-43% 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 Bells' NCES district ID?
4700210. 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 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