Sullivan County
Public school district · Sullivan County · Tennessee · NCES district ID 4703990
Sullivan County spent $11,468 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 54% of the other Tennessee districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $11,310). Its 15 schools enrolled 7,878 students in 2024-25; 40.3% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,103 per student, up 5.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 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 Sullivan County in enrollment (7,216 to 9,408 students) and Sullivan County itself.
Where the money came from
$109,650,000 in revenue: 40.3% state, 42.4% local and 17.3% federal. Total spending including $20,461,000 of capital outlay was $117,094,000, or $13,973 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$44,208,000 40%
- Local$46,517,000 42%
- Federal$18,925,000 17%
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 fell from 2022-23 to 2023-24
8,380 students in 2022-23, 8,082 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 | 8,380 | 609.6 | 13.7 |
| 2023-24 | 8,082 | 534.8 | 15.1 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$32,560,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,885 per student
Sullivan County booked $32,560,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 610 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 $53,414 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 24 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 | $27,062,000 | 83.1% |
| Special education | $3,371,000 | 10.4% |
| Vocational | $2,127,000 | 6.5% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,269 in 2018-19, $3,327 in 2019-20, $3,590 in 2020-21, $3,848 in 2021-22, $3,885 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 Sullivan County scored proficient or above: 31% in reading and 29% 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 | 31% | 35% | 3,695 |
| Math | 29% | 35% | 3,681 |
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
89% of the 611 students in Sullivan County's 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 | 89% | 87.3% |
| Students in the class | 611 | 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.
10 elementary schools, 3,630 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holston Elementary | 605 | 11.4 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Ketron Elementary School | 508 | 12.2 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Bluff City Elementary | 504 | 16.2 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Rock Springs Elementary | 402 | 14.4 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Mary Hughes School | 333 | 13.7 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Indian Springs Elementary | 312 | 18.3 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Emmett Elementary | 303 | 12.3 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Central Heights Elementary | 234 | 13.6 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Miller Perry Elementary | 225 | 11.5 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Sullivan Gardens Elementary | 204 | 13.1 | 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.
3 middle schools, 1,820 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sullivan Heights Middle School | 630 | 14.5 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Sullivan Central Middle School | 604 | 13.0 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Sullivan East Middle School | 586 | 16.0 | 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.
2 high schools, 2,428 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Ridge High School | 1,612 | 13.8 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Sullivan East High School | 816 | 14.2 | 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.
Contact Sullivan County
- Website: scde.k12.tn.us
- Phone: (423) 354-1000
- Office: 154 Blountville By-Pass, Blountville, TN 37617
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 Sullivan County
- Tennessee districts by spending per studentSullivan County ranks 57 of 124 Tennessee districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($11,468).#57 of 124
- Every school district in TennesseeSullivan County is the number 23 by size of 148 Tennessee districts, with 8,380 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#23 of 148
- Bartlett City SchoolsThe next larger Tennessee district: 8,946 students in fall 2022, $11,266 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,266
- Washington County SchoolsThe next smaller Tennessee district: 8,281 students in fall 2022, $11,306 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,306
- Compare Sullivan County with Bartlett City SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- West Ridge High School, its largest high school1,612 students in 2024-25, 13.8 per teacher.1,612
- Teacher salary spending across TennesseeSullivan County spent $53,414 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $57,379); spending, not a salary.$53,414
- 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 Sullivan County
How many schools and students are in Sullivan County?
15 schools were open in 2024-25 (10 elementary, 3 middle, 2 high), enrolling 7,878 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Sullivan County spend per student?
$11,468 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 $12,103 per student, up 5.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Sullivan County's money come from?
$109,650,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 40.3% state, 42.4% local and 17.3% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Sullivan County live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,205 of the 11,056 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 19.9%, 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 Sullivan County spend on teacher salaries?
$32,560,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,885 per student. Divided by the 610 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $53,414 per teacher, more than 24 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 Sullivan County do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Sullivan County scored proficient or above: 31% in reading and 29% 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 Sullivan County?
89% of the 611 students in Sullivan County's 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 Sullivan County's NCES district ID?
4703990. 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