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Smithville, Tennessee - 5 schools
An equity score of 42/100 ranks Dekalb County #54 of 140 districts in Tennessee (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $9,893 per pupil, Dekalb County ranks #119 of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending (Tennessee districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
2,938
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$9,893
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Dekalb County operates 5 public schools serving 2,938 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Tennessee. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 1 high, 1 elementary, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Dekalb County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $9,893 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending. See how Tennessee compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 19.8% local, 61.0% state, and 19.2% 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 42/100, ranked #54 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 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (2 AP courses district-wide), and 39.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 77.8% White, 16.0% Hispanic or Latino, 1.9% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Dekalb Middle School, with a diversity index of 45.8/100.
Its largest campus is De Kalb County High School, enrolling 781 students (27% of the district's total enrollment).
De Kalb County High School accounts for 26.6% of all Dekalb County student enrollment
That concentration means Dekalb 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.
Dekalb County chronic absenteeism rate is 39.4% — 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.
Dekalb County has 5 schools, including 1 high, 1 elementary, 2 combined, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 2,938 students.
How much does Dekalb County spend per student?
Dekalb County spends $9,893 per student. The district has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #54 in Tennessee.
What is the demographic composition of Dekalb County?
Dekalb County students are 77.8% White, 16.0% Hispanic or Latino, 1.9% African American, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Dekalb County?
Dekalb County has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #54 out of 140 districts in Tennessee.