Enrollment
781
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Smithville, TN
De Kalb County High School
Federal NCES profile for De Kalb County High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 470099000322
👥 S:T ratio 41
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
De Kalb County High School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Tennessee median.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Smithville · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.7:1
- students per teacher
- 781
- students enrolled
De Kalb County High School has class sizes near the Tennessee median. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, De Kalb County High School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Smithville, TN.
School address
District: Dekalb County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470099000322 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
-4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How De Kalb County High School compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at De Kalb County High School
De Kalb County High School is a mid-sized high school in Smithville, Tennessee, enrolling 781 students.
At 14.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Tennessee median, within a few percentage points of the 15.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Enrollment of 781 puts it in the larger third of Tennessee schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,838 scored Tennessee schools.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 39/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 2 Advanced Placement courses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Dekalb County also operates Northside Elementary (544 students) and Smithville Elementary (535 students) alongside De Kalb County High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How De Kalb County High School compares
De Kalb County High School on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.7:1 | ▼ 4% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 781 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
781
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 47% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
51.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$9,893
per pupil, district-wide
- below Tennessee avg of $10,822
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 76.3%
Hispanic or Latino 17.8%
Two or More 3.7%
African American 1.5%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 76.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.5, De Kalb County High School is about as mixed as the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dekalb County, which includes De Kalb County High School.
$9,893
Per student
-9%
vs Tennessee
Avg $10,822
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.8%
State 61.0%
Federal 19.2%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How De Kalb County High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northside Elementary | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Smithville Elementary | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dekalb Middle School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dekalb West Elementary | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to De Kalb County High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 544
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 535
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 534
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Tennessee, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~781 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on De Kalb County High School's federal record.
- Compare De Kalb County High School against another school. Compare schools
- Dekalb County's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about De Kalb County High School
How many students attend De Kalb County High School?
De Kalb County High School has 781 students enrolled. It is a high school in Smithville, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at De Kalb County High School?
The student-teacher ratio at De Kalb County High School is 14.7:1, which is 4% lower than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of De Kalb County High School?
The largest demographic group at De Kalb County High School is White at 76.3% of enrollment, in Smithville, TN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for De Kalb County High School?
De Kalb County High School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does De Kalb County High School rank among public schools in Smithville?
By Resource Investment Index, De Kalb County High School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Smithville, TN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Smithville on the city page.
Is De Kalb County High School a good school?
De Kalb County High School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Tennessee median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Dekalb County?
Besides De Kalb County High School, Dekalb County also operates Northside Elementary (544 students), Smithville Elementary (535 students), and Dekalb Middle School (534 students). See the Dekalb County district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.