Sweetwater

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.

Sweetwater, Tennessee - 4 schools

An equity score of 21/100 ranks Sweetwater #130 of 140 districts in Tennessee (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $9,411 per pupil, Sweetwater ranks #132 of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending (Tennessee districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,486
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$9,411
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Sweetwater operates 4 public schools serving 1,486 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Tennessee. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 combined, 1 middle 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 Monroe County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $9,411 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the bottom 15 of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending. See how Tennessee compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 23.4% local, 50.8% state, and 25.8% 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 21/100, ranked #130 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.

a 383:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 16.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 76.0% White, 16.1% Hispanic or Latino, 2.0% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Sweetwater Jr High School, with a diversity index of 42.6/100.

Its largest campus is Sweetwater Primary School, enrolling 589 students (38% of the district's total enrollment).

Sweetwater Primary School accounts for 38.4% of all Sweetwater student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Sweetwater-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

Sweetwater student-counselor ratio is 383:1 — 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

Sweetwater chronic absenteeism rate is 16.9% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

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 Variation between sub-units within Sweetwater is typically wider than the Sweetwater-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

25.8%
Federal
50.8%
State
23.4%
Local

Funding Equity

21
Equity Score
130 / 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 4 schools in Sweetwater.

White 76.0%
Hispanic or Latino 16.1%
African American 2.0%
Asian 0.6%
Multiracial 4.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 39.4/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Sweetwater's schools, about the same as the Tennessee average of 38.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Sweetwater Jr High School 42.6
  2. 2 Brown Intermediate School 39.4
  3. 3 Sweetwater Primary School 38.8
  4. 4 Sweetwater Elementary 36.7

Programs & Resources

383:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
16.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Sweetwater

School Enrollment
Sweetwater Primary School
589
Sweetwater Elementary
317
Sweetwater Jr High School
316
Brown Intermediate School
310

How Sweetwater Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Tennessee districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Jackson County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Oneida Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Decatur County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Union City Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Trousdale County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Sweetwater

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 Sweetwater?

Sweetwater has 4 schools, including 1 combined, 2 elementary, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,486 students.

How much does Sweetwater spend per student?

Sweetwater spends $9,411 per student. The district has an equity score of 21/100, ranking #130 in Tennessee.

What is the demographic composition of Sweetwater?

Sweetwater students are 76.0% White, 16.1% Hispanic or Latino, 2.0% African American, 0.6% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Sweetwater?

Sweetwater has an equity score of 21/100, ranking #130 out of 140 districts in Tennessee.