Fayette County Public Schools

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.

Somerville, Tennessee - 7 schools

An equity score of 31/100 ranks Fayette County Public Schools #94 of 140 districts in Tennessee (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,140 per pupil, Fayette County Public Schools ranks #56 of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending (Tennessee districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,238
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$11,140
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Fayette County Public Schools operates 7 public schools serving 3,238 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Tennessee. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 combined, 2 middle, 1 high 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 Fayette County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,140 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 28.6% local, 44.3% state, and 27.1% 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 31/100, ranked #94 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 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (2 AP courses district-wide), and 31.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 57.0% African American, 29.4% White, 10.3% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Oakland Elementary, with a diversity index of 62.6/100.

Its largest campus is Fayette Ware Comprehensive High School, enrolling 724 students (25% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is La Grange Moscow Elementary, at 196 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Fayette Ware Comprehensive High School accounts for 22.4% of all Fayette County Public Schools student enrollment

That concentration means Fayette County Public Schools-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

Fayette County Public Schools school enrollment varies 3.7× across entities

Fayette County Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 196 students (lowest) to 724 students (highest), a spread of 528 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. 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

Fayette County Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 31.4% — 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.

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

Where does the funding come from?

27.1%
Federal
44.3%
State
28.6%
Local

Funding Equity

31
Equity Score
94 / 140
State Rank
38
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 7 schools in Fayette County Public Schools.

White 29.4%
Hispanic or Latino 10.3%
African American 57.0%
Multiracial 2.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 57.3/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Fayette County Public Schools's schools, above the Tennessee average of 38.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Oakland Elementary 62.6
  2. 2 Southwest Elementary 60.7
  3. 3 La Grange Moscow Elementary 59.3
  4. 4 West Junior High School 58.7
  5. 5 Fayette Ware Comprehensive High School 55.2

Programs & Resources

1 / 7
Schools with AP
2 AP courses total
31.4%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Fayette County Public Schools

School Enrollment
Fayette Ware Comprehensive High School
724
Oakland Elementary
621
Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School
491
West Junior High School
340
Southwest Elementary
294
East Jr. High School
243
La Grange Moscow Elementary
196

How Fayette County Public Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Tennessee districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Franklin Ssd Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Hickman County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Hardeman County Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Obion County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Hardin County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Fayette County Public Schools

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 Fayette County Public Schools?

Fayette County Public Schools has 7 schools, including 1 high, 4 combined, 2 middle. Total enrollment is 3,238 students.

How much does Fayette County Public Schools spend per student?

Fayette County Public Schools spends $11,140 per student. The district has an equity score of 31/100, ranking #94 in Tennessee.

What is the demographic composition of Fayette County Public Schools?

Fayette County Public Schools students are 57.0% African American, 29.4% White, 10.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Fayette County Public Schools?

Fayette County Public Schools has an equity score of 31/100, ranking #94 out of 140 districts in Tennessee.