Houston 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.

Erin, Tennessee - 5 schools

An equity score of 45/100 ranks Houston County #42 of 140 districts in Tennessee (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $10,593 per pupil, Houston County ranks #80 of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending (Tennessee districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,281
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$10,593
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Houston County operates 5 public schools serving 1,281 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Tennessee. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 combined, 1 high, 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 Houston County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $10,593 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 16.7% local, 66.2% state, and 17.1% 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 45/100, ranked #42 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 (1 AP courses district-wide), a 471.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 27.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 75.3% White, 8.1% Hispanic or Latino, 1.6% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Houston County Virtual Academy, with a diversity index of 61.1/100.

Its largest campus is Erin Elementary, enrolling 410 students (32% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Houston County Virtual Academy, at 7 students, a 59x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Erin Elementary accounts for 32.0% of all Houston County student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Houston County-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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

Houston County school enrollment varies 59× across entities

Houston County school enrollment ranges from 7 students (lowest) to 410 students (highest), a spread of 403 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. 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

Houston County student-counselor ratio is 471:1 — 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

Houston County chronic absenteeism rate is 27.2% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

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 Variation between sub-units within Houston County is typically wider than the Houston County-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

17.1%
Federal
66.2%
State
16.7%
Local

Funding Equity

45
Equity Score
42 / 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 5 schools in Houston County.

White 75.3%
Hispanic or Latino 8.1%
African American 1.6%
Multiracial 14.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 35.8/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Houston County Virtual Academy 61.1
  2. 2 Houston Co High School 31.6
  3. 3 Tennessee Ridge Elementary 30.1
  4. 4 Erin Elementary 29.7
  5. 5 Houston Co Middle School 26.4

Programs & Resources

1 / 5
Schools with AP
1 AP courses total
471.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
27.2%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Houston County

School Enrollment
Erin Elementary
410
Houston Co High School
366
Houston Co Middle School
265
Tennessee Ridge Elementary
217
Houston County Virtual Academy
7

How Houston County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Tennessee districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Mckenzie Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Huntingdon Special School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Trenton Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Fayetteville Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Department of Children's Services Education Division Similar size No spending data No revenue-mix data

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

Compare Houston 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 Houston County?

Houston County has 5 schools, including 3 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,281 students.

How much does Houston County spend per student?

Houston County spends $10,593 per student. The district has an equity score of 45/100, ranking #42 in Tennessee.

What is the demographic composition of Houston County?

Houston County students are 75.3% White, 8.1% Hispanic or Latino, 1.6% African American, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Houston County?

Houston County has an equity score of 45/100, ranking #42 out of 140 districts in Tennessee.