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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Elizabethton, Tennessee - 16 schools
An equity score of 46/100 ranks Carter County #35 of 141 districts in Tennessee (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $11,526 per pupil, Carter County ranks #67 of 142 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending (Tennessee districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
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 combined, 3 high, 1 elementary 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 Carter County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,526 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 142 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending. See how Tennessee compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 22.3% local, 54.9% state, and 22.9% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 46/100, ranked #35 of 141 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 4 of 16 schools offering Advanced Placement (19 AP courses district-wide), a 321:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat 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. Its most demographically mixed campus is Happy Valley Elementary, with a diversity index of 29.6/100.
Its largest campus is Hampton Elementary, enrolling 662 students (14% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Siam Learning Center, at 61 students, a 11x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
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
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.
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.
This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.
Average demographic composition across 16 schools in Carter County.
Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.
Average Simpson diversity index across Carter County's schools, below the Tennessee average of 38.3.
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 |
The Tennessee districts closest to this one in total enrollment.
| District | Enrollment | Spending | Funding Mix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington | Similar size | Similar spending | More locally funded |
| Oak Ridge | Similar size | Higher spending | More locally funded |
| Johnson County | Similar size | Lower spending | Similar funding mix |
| Loudon County | Similar size | Similar spending | More locally funded |
| Franklin County | Similar size | Similar spending | More locally funded |
Comparisons are relative to Carter County's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.
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 combined, 3 high, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 4,764 students.
Carter County spends $11,526 per student. The district has an equity score of 46/100, ranking #35 in Tennessee.
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 46/100, ranking #35 out of 141 districts in Tennessee.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.