Decatur County
Public school district · Decatur County · Tennessee · NCES district ID 4700960
Decatur County spent $10,623 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 76% of the other Tennessee districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $11,310). Its 4 schools enrolled 1,459 students in 2024-25; 57.4% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $11,049 per student, up 4.0% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 80-84% (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 Decatur County in enrollment (1,354 to 1,654 students) and Decatur County itself.
Where the money came from
$19,639,000 in revenue: 57.4% state, 25.4% local and 17.3% federal. Total spending including $2,340,000 of capital outlay was $18,908,000, or $12,407 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$11,265,000 57%
- Local$4,986,000 25%
- Federal$3,388,000 17%
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 fell from 2022-23 to 2023-24
1,524 students in 2022-23, 1,486 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 | 1,524 | 113.0 | 13.5 |
| 2023-24 | 1,486 | 115.6 | 12.9 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$5,926,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,888 per student
Decatur County booked $5,926,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 113 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 $52,442 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 18 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 | $4,985,000 | 84.1% |
| Special education | $579,000 | 9.8% |
| Vocational | $286,000 | 4.8% |
| Other programs | $76,000 | 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: $3,417 in 2018-19, $3,540 in 2019-20, $3,887 in 2020-21, $3,901 in 2021-22, $3,888 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 Decatur County scored proficient or above: 39-43% in reading and 46-50% 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 | 39-43% | 35% | 622 |
| Math | 46-50% | 35% | 622 |
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
80-84% of the 97 students in Decatur County's 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 | 80‑84% | 87.3% |
| Students in the class | 97 | 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.
2 elementary schools, 595 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parsons Elementary | 365 | 14.3 | not reported | Schoolwide program |
| Decaturville Elementary | 230 | 11.8 | not reported | 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.
1 middle school, 424 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur County Middle School | 424 | 12.6 | not reported | 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.
1 high school, 440 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside High School | 440 | 15.0 | not reported | 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 Decatur County
- Phone: (731) 852-2391
- Office: 59 West Main ST, Decaturville, TN 38329
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 Decatur County
- Tennessee districts by spending per studentDecatur County ranks 94 of 124 Tennessee districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($10,623).#94 of 124
- Every school district in TennesseeDecatur County is the number 112 by size of 148 Tennessee districts, with 1,524 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#112 of 148
- Union CityThe next larger Tennessee district: 1,540 students in fall 2022, $12,464 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,464
- SweetwaterThe next smaller Tennessee district: 1,486 students in fall 2022, $9,593 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$9,593
- Compare Decatur County with Union CityEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Riverside High School, its largest high school440 students in 2024-25, 15.0 per teacher.440
- Teacher salary spending across TennesseeDecatur County spent $52,442 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $57,379); spending, not a salary.$52,442
- 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 Decatur County
How many schools and students are in Decatur County?
4 schools were open in 2024-25 (2 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high), enrolling 1,459 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Decatur County spend per student?
$10,623 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 $11,049 per student, up 4.0% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Decatur County's money come from?
$19,639,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 57.4% state, 25.4% local and 17.3% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Decatur County live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 335 of the 1,782 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 18.8%, 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 Decatur County spend on teacher salaries?
$5,926,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,888 per student. Divided by the 113 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $52,442 per teacher, more than 18 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 Decatur County do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Decatur County scored proficient or above: 39-43% in reading and 46-50% 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 Decatur County?
80-84% of the 97 students in Decatur County's 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 Decatur County's NCES district ID?
4700960. 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