Grainger 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.

Rutledge, Tennessee - 9 schools

An equity score of 61/100 ranks Grainger County #8 of 140 districts in Tennessee (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,165 per pupil, Grainger County ranks #53 of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending (Tennessee districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,105
Total Enrollment
9
Schools
$11,165
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Grainger County operates 9 public schools serving 3,105 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Tennessee. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 combined, 3 high, 1 middle, 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 Grainger County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,165 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 17.7% local, 61.9% state, and 20.4% 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 61/100, ranked #8 of 140 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.

a 363.1:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 43.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 87.6% White, 8.9% Hispanic or Latino, 2.6% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Grainger Academy, with a diversity index of 49.9/100.

Its largest campus is Grainger High School, enrolling 756 students (25% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Grainger Academy, at 6 students, a 126x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Grainger High School accounts for 24.3% of all Grainger County student enrollment

That concentration means Grainger 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

Grainger County school enrollment varies 126× across entities

Grainger County school enrollment ranges from 6 students (lowest) to 756 students (highest), a spread of 750 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. 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

Grainger County student-counselor ratio is 363:1 — 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

Grainger County chronic absenteeism rate is 43.1% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

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 Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

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

Where does the funding come from?

20.4%
Federal
61.9%
State
17.7%
Local

Funding Equity

61
Equity Score
8 / 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 9 schools in Grainger County.

White 87.6%
Hispanic or Latino 8.9%
African American 2.6%
Multiracial 0.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 21.1/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Grainger Academy 49.9
  2. 2 Rutledge Elementary School 31.1
  3. 3 Rutledge Primary 21.7
  4. 4 Rutledge Middle School 21.2
  5. 5 Grainger High School 18.1

Programs & Resources

363.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
43.1%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Grainger County

School Enrollment
Grainger High School
756
Washburn School
477
Bean Station Elementary
437
Joppa Elementary
404
Rutledge Middle School
363
Rutledge Elementary School
323
Rutledge Primary
199
Grainger Co Adult High
10
Grainger Academy
6

How Grainger County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Tennessee districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Overton County Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Obion County Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Smith County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Hickman County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Franklin Ssd Similar size Higher spending More locally funded

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

Compare Grainger 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 Grainger County?

Grainger County has 9 schools, including 3 high, 4 combined, 1 middle, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 3,105 students.

How much does Grainger County spend per student?

Grainger County spends $11,165 per student. The district has an equity score of 61/100, ranking #8 in Tennessee.

What is the demographic composition of Grainger County?

Grainger County students are 87.6% White, 8.9% Hispanic or Latino, 2.6% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 9 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Grainger County?

Grainger County has an equity score of 61/100, ranking #8 out of 140 districts in Tennessee.