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Knoxville, Tennessee - 91 schools
An equity score of 28/100 ranks Knox County #108 of 140 districts in Tennessee (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $10,538 per pupil, Knox County ranks #81 of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending (Tennessee districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
60,609
Total Enrollment
91
Schools
$10,538
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Knox County operates 91 public schools serving 60,609 students, placing it among the largest districts in Tennessee. The school portfolio breaks down into 43 combined, 17 high, 17 middle, 14 elementary schools, giving families in a major system a clear picture of grade-band coverage across a large portfolio 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 Knox County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $10,538 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 49.9% local, 35.6% state, and 14.6% 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 28/100, ranked #108 of 140 in Tennessee against a state average of 38, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 15 of 91 schools offering Advanced Placement (246 AP courses district-wide), a 386.8:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 31.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 59.1% White, 16.9% African American, 15.2% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Pond Gap Elementary, with a diversity index of 73.8/100.
Its largest campus is Farragut High School, enrolling 2,073 students (4% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Knox Adaptive Education Center, at 42 students, a 49x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Knox County school enrollment varies 49× across entities
Knox County school enrollment ranges from 42 students (lowest) to 2,073 students (highest), a spread of 2,031 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.
Knox County student-counselor ratio is 387:1 — 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.
Knox County chronic absenteeism rate is 31.8% — 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.
Knox County has 91 schools, including 17 high, 17 middle, 14 elementary, 43 combined. Total enrollment is 60,609 students.
How much does Knox County spend per student?
Knox County spends $10,538 per student. The district has an equity score of 28/100, ranking #108 in Tennessee.
What is the demographic composition of Knox County?
Knox County students are 59.1% White, 16.9% African American, 15.2% Hispanic or Latino, 1.8% Asian, averaged across 91 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Knox County?
Knox County has an equity score of 28/100, ranking #108 out of 140 districts in Tennessee.