Perry 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.

Linden, Tennessee - 5 schools

An equity score of 43/100 ranks Perry County #47 of 140 districts in Tennessee (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,553 per pupil, Perry County ranks #7 of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending (Tennessee districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,069
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$12,553
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Perry County operates 5 public schools serving 1,069 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Tennessee. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 combined, 1 high, 1 elementary 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 Perry County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,553 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 15 of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending. See how Tennessee compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 22.2% local, 51.9% state, and 25.9% 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 43/100, ranked #47 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.

a 651.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 35.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 91.4% White, 2.6% African American, 2.5% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Linden Middle School, with a diversity index of 18.9/100.

Its largest campus is Linden Elementary, enrolling 309 students (28% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Perry County Virtual School, at 64 students, a 5x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Linden Elementary accounts for 28.1% of all Perry County student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Perry 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

Perry County school enrollment varies 4.8× across entities

Perry County school enrollment ranges from 64 students (lowest) to 309 students (highest), a spread of 245 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

Perry County student-counselor ratio is 651:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

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 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 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Perry County chronic absenteeism rate is 35.5% — 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?

25.9%
Federal
51.9%
State
22.2%
Local

Funding Equity

43
Equity Score
47 / 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 Perry County.

White 91.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%
African American 2.6%
Asian 0.8%
Multiracial 1.9%
Other 1.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 16.2/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Linden Middle School 18.9
  2. 2 Linden Elementary 18.7
  3. 3 Perry County High School 17.9
  4. 4 Lobelville Elementary 13.7
  5. 5 Perry County Virtual School 11.8

Programs & Resources

651.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
35.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Perry County

School Enrollment
Linden Elementary
309
Perry County High School
273
Lobelville Elementary
237
Linden Middle School
217
Perry County Virtual School
64

How Perry County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Tennessee districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Clay County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Humboldt City Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Department of Children's Services Education Division Similar size No spending data No revenue-mix data
Clinton Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Hancock County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Perry 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 Perry County?

Perry County has 5 schools, including 3 combined, 1 high, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 1,069 students.

How much does Perry County spend per student?

Perry County spends $12,553 per student. The district has an equity score of 43/100, ranking #47 in Tennessee.

What is the demographic composition of Perry County?

Perry County students are 91.4% White, 2.6% African American, 2.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% Asian, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Perry County?

Perry County has an equity score of 43/100, ranking #47 out of 140 districts in Tennessee.