Elizabethton, Tennessee — 16 schools
Carter County operates 16 public schools serving 4,764 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Tennessee. The school portfolio breaks down into 12 other, 3 high, 1 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 4,781 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Carter County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,866 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 22.3% local, 54.9% state, and 22.9% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $68,948 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 47/100, ranked #34 of 140 in Tennessee against a state average of 38 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 4 of 16 schools offering Advanced Placement (19 AP courses district-wide), a 321:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 26.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 91.7% White, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% African American across the district's schools.
Carter County school enrollment ranges from 61 students (lowest) to 662 students (highest), a spread of 601 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. 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
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 Variation between sub-units within Carter County is typically wider than the Carter County-aggregate figure suggests.
Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection
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 Carter County is typically wider than the Carter County-aggregate figure suggests.
Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22
This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.
Fair Market Rents in Carter County county, where this district is located.
Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).
Average demographic composition across 16 schools in Carter County.
Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.
Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.
| School | Enrollment |
|---|---|
| Hampton Elementary | 662 |
| Happy Valley Elementary | 506 |
| Hunter Elementary | 498 |
| Happy Valley High School | 449 |
| Hampton High School | 368 |
| Happy Valley Middle School | 354 |
| Unaka High School | 284 |
| Central Elementary | 267 |
| Cloudland Elementary School | 262 |
| Cloudland High School | 236 |
| Keenburg Elementary | 212 |
| Unaka Elementary | 194 |
| Valley Forge Elementary | 186 |
| Carter County Online Academy | 123 |
| Little Milligan | 119 |
| Siam Learning Center | 61 |
Top districts in the same state — compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.
Compare vs Memphis-Shelby County Schools →Carter County has 16 schools, including 12 other, 3 high, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 4,764 students.
Carter County spends $11,866 per student. The district has an equity score of 47/100, ranking #34 in Tennessee.
The average teacher salary in Carter County is $68,948 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Carter County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
Carter County students are 91.7% White, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 16 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
Carter County has an equity score of 47/100, ranking #34 out of 140 districts in Tennessee. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
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