Polk Schools
Listed by NCES as Polk County (district ID 4703450)
Public school district · Polk County · Tennessee · NCES district ID 4703450
Polk Schools spent $12,066 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 79% of the other Tennessee districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $11,310). Its 7 schools enrolled 2,160 students in 2024-25; 54.1% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,686 per student, up 5.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 85-89% (Tennessee: 87.3%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Tennessee districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Polk Schools in enrollment (2,002 to 2,270 students) and Polk Schools itself.
Where the money came from
$28,917,000 in revenue: 54.1% state, 21.4% local and 24.5% federal. Total spending including $1,401,000 of capital outlay was $27,862,000, or $12,971 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$15,646,000 54%
- Local$6,189,000 21%
- Federal$7,082,000 24%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 124 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment held steady from 2022-23 to 2023-24
2,148 students in 2022-23, 2,131 students in 2023-24, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 2,148 | 162.8 | 13.2 |
| 2023-24 | 2,131 | 157.4 | 13.5 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$8,903,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,145 per student
Polk Schools booked $8,903,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 163 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $54,673 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 31 in 100 Tennessee districts with a figure (state median $57,379, 141 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Tennessee teacher salary at $53,619 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $7,336,000 | 82.4% |
| Special education | $799,000 | 9.0% |
| Vocational | $706,000 | 7.9% |
| Other programs | $62,000 | 0.7% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,397 in 2018-19, $3,464 in 2019-20, $3,498 in 2020-21, $4,131 in 2021-22, $4,145 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Polk Schools scored proficient or above: 36-40% in reading and 36-40% in math, against 35% in reading and 35% in math across Tennessee. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Tennessee, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.
| Subject | This district | Tennessee | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 36-40% | 35% | 894 |
| Math | 36-40% | 35% | 894 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
85-89% of the 160 students in Polk Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.3% across Tennessee. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Tennessee | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 85‑89% | 87.3% |
| Students in the class | 160 | 71,510 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
3 elementary schools, 1,089 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton Elementary | 421 | 13.5 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| South Polk Elementary | 347 | 15.0 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Copper Basin Elementary School | 321 | 17.2 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 middle school, 293 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chilhowee Middle School | 293 | 15.3 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 high schools, 631 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County High School | 400 | 14.5 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Copper Basin High School | 231 | 10.0 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 other school, 147 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk Innovative Learning Academy | 147 | 4.6 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Polk Schools
- Website: polk-schools.com
- Phone: (423) 299-0471
- Office: 131 Stephens ST, Benton, TN 37307
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Polk Schools
- Tennessee districts by spending per studentPolk Schools ranks 27 of 124 Tennessee districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($12,066).#27 of 124
- Every school district in TennesseePolk Schools is the number 97 by size of 148 Tennessee districts, with 2,148 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#97 of 148
- Wayne CountyThe next larger Tennessee district: 2,162 students in fall 2022, $11,880 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,880
- Lakeland School SystemThe next smaller Tennessee district: 2,132 students in fall 2022, $10,858 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$10,858
- Compare Polk Schools with Wayne CountyEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Polk County High School, its largest high school400 students in 2024-25, 14.5 per teacher.400
- Teacher salary spending across TennesseePolk Schools spent $54,673 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $57,379); spending, not a salary.$54,673
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Polk Schools
How many schools and students are in Polk Schools?
7 schools were open in 2024-25 (3 elementary, 1 middle, 2 high, 1 other), enrolling 2,160 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Polk Schools spend per student?
$12,066 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Tennessee median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $11,310 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,686 per student, up 5.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Polk Schools' money come from?
$28,917,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 54.1% state, 21.4% local and 24.5% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Polk Schools live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 453 of the 2,549 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 17.8%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Polk Schools spend on teacher salaries?
$8,903,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,145 per student. Divided by the 163 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $54,673 per teacher, more than 31 in 100 Tennessee districts (state median $57,379). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Tennessee teacher salary at $53,619 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Polk Schools do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Polk Schools scored proficient or above: 36-40% in reading and 36-40% in math, against 35% in reading and 35% in math across Tennessee. Tennessee's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Polk Schools?
85-89% of the 160 students in Polk Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.3% across Tennessee. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Polk Schools' NCES district ID?
4703450. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25