Johnson City

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.

Johnson City, Tennessee - 12 schools

An equity score of 36/100 ranks Johnson City #70 of 140 districts in Tennessee (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,545 per pupil, Johnson City ranks #27 of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending (Tennessee districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

8,001
Total Enrollment
12
Schools
$11,545
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Johnson City operates 12 public schools serving 8,001 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Tennessee. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 combined, 2 middle, 2 elementary, 1 high 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 Washington County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,545 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 50.6% local, 32.7% state, and 16.6% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 36/100, ranked #70 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 2 of 12 schools offering Advanced Placement (33 AP courses district-wide), a 397.3:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 11.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 64.1% White, 15.1% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Mountain View Elementary, with a diversity index of 68.0/100.

Its largest campus is Science Hill High School, enrolling 2,359 students (30% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Johnson City Virtual Academy, at 97 students, a 24x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Science Hill High School accounts for 29.5% of all Johnson City student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Johnson City-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

Johnson City school enrollment varies 24× across entities

Johnson City school enrollment ranges from 97 students (lowest) to 2,359 students (highest), a spread of 2,262 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. 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

Johnson City student-counselor ratio is 397:1 — 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

Johnson City chronic absenteeism rate is 11.6% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

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

Where does the funding come from?

16.6%
Federal
32.7%
State
50.6%
Local

Funding Equity

36
Equity Score
70 / 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 12 schools in Johnson City.

White 64.1%
Hispanic or Latino 15.1%
African American 8.1%
Asian 3.0%
Multiracial 9.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 53.6/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Johnson City's schools, above the Tennessee average of 38.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Mountain View Elementary 68.0
  2. 2 North Side Elementary 67.5
  3. 3 Cherokee Elementary 58.9
  4. 4 South Side Elementary 57.2
  5. 5 Liberty Bell Middle School 55.9

Programs & Resources

2 / 12
Schools with AP
33 AP courses total
397.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
11.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Johnson City

School Enrollment
Science Hill High School
2,359
Liberty Bell Middle School
987
Indian Trail Middle School
786
Lake Ridge Elementary
632
Woodland Elementary
537
Fairmont Elementary
530
Mountain View Elementary
472
South Side Elementary
419
Towne Acres Elementary
390
North Side Elementary
361
Cherokee Elementary
345
Johnson City Virtual Academy
97

How Johnson City Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Tennessee districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Dickson County Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Kingsport Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Washington County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Sullivan County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Cumberland County Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded

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

Compare Johnson City

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 Johnson City?

Johnson City has 12 schools, including 1 high, 2 middle, 2 elementary, 7 combined. Total enrollment is 8,001 students.

How much does Johnson City spend per student?

Johnson City spends $11,545 per student. The district has an equity score of 36/100, ranking #70 in Tennessee.

What is the demographic composition of Johnson City?

Johnson City students are 64.1% White, 15.1% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% African American, 3.0% Asian, averaged across 12 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Johnson City?

Johnson City has an equity score of 36/100, ranking #70 out of 140 districts in Tennessee.