Claiborne 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.

Tazewell, Tennessee - 13 schools

An equity score of 42/100 ranks Claiborne County #52 of 140 districts in Tennessee (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,667 per pupil, Claiborne County ranks #23 of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending (Tennessee districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

4,070
Total Enrollment
13
Schools
$11,667
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Claiborne County operates 13 public schools serving 4,070 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Tennessee. The school portfolio breaks down into 6 combined, 5 elementary, 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 Claiborne County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,667 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 26.2% local, 49.9% state, and 23.8% 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 42/100, ranked #52 of 140 in Tennessee against a state average of 38, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 13 schools offering Advanced Placement (2 AP courses district-wide), a 455.9:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 31.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 95.4% White, 1.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is H. Y. Livesay Middle School, with a diversity index of 17.6/100.

Its largest campus is Claiborne High School, enrolling 613 students (15% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Claiborne Virtual Learning Academy, at 42 students, a 15x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Claiborne High School accounts for 15.1% of all Claiborne County student enrollment

That concentration means Claiborne 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

Claiborne County school enrollment varies 15× across entities

Claiborne County school enrollment ranges from 42 students (lowest) to 613 students (highest), a spread of 571 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

Claiborne County student-counselor ratio is 456:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

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

Claiborne County chronic absenteeism rate is 31.3% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

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

Where does the funding come from?

23.8%
Federal
49.9%
State
26.2%
Local

Funding Equity

42
Equity Score
52 / 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 13 schools in Claiborne County.

White 95.4%
Hispanic or Latino 1.6%
Multiracial 2.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 8.7/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 H. Y. Livesay Middle School 17.6
  2. 2 Midway Elementary 16.7
  3. 3 Soldiers Memorial Middle School 13.7
  4. 4 Ellen Myers Primary 12.1
  5. 5 The Alpha School 11.8

Programs & Resources

1 / 13
Schools with AP
2 AP courses total
455.9:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
31.3%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Claiborne County

School Enrollment
Claiborne High School
613
Tazewell-New Tazewell Elementary
472
Cumberland Gap High School
459
Midway Elementary
404
Springdale Elementary
380
Soldiers Memorial Middle School
360
Ellen Myers Primary
334
Powell Valley Elementary
280
H. Y. Livesay Middle School
278
The Alpha School
144
Forge Ridge School
132
Clairfield Elementary
69
Claiborne Virtual Learning Academy
42

How Claiborne County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Tennessee districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Henderson County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Rhea County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Bristol Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Lincoln County Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Weakley County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Claiborne 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 Claiborne County →
Davidson County
80,651 students · 161 schools · $15,421/pupil
Compare vs Claiborne County →
Knox County
60,609 students · 93 schools · $10,538/pupil
Compare vs Claiborne County →
Rutherford County
50,707 students · 51 schools · $10,141/pupil
Compare vs Claiborne County →
Hamilton County
45,902 students · 81 schools · $12,002/pupil
Compare vs Claiborne County →

Compare Claiborne 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 Claiborne County?

Claiborne County has 13 schools, including 2 high, 5 elementary, 6 combined. Total enrollment is 4,070 students.

How much does Claiborne County spend per student?

Claiborne County spends $11,667 per student. The district has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #52 in Tennessee.

What is the demographic composition of Claiborne County?

Claiborne County students are 95.4% White, 1.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% African American, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 13 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Claiborne County?

Claiborne County has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #52 out of 140 districts in Tennessee.