Enrollment
95
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Knoxville, TN
Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy
Federal NCES profile for Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 470222002249
👥 S:T ratio 71
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 81
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Tennessee schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Tennessee.
- #1 of 14
- high schools in Knoxville · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 7.3:1
- small classes for Tennessee
- 95
- students enrolled
Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy has class sizes smaller than 96% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy ranks #1 of 14 high schools in Knoxville, TN.
School address
District: Knox County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470222002249 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.3:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
-52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy
Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy is a small high school in Knoxville, Tennessee, enrolling 95 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.3:1, Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy is leaner than roughly 96% of Tennessee schools and 52% under the state's 15.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 95% of Tennessee schools, with 95 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 1,838 Tennessee schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (37%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 95 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Among Knoxville's high schools, it stands alongside Farragut High School (2,073 students): Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (7.3:1 vs 18.3:1).
Knox County also operates Farragut High School (2,073 students) and Bearden High School (1,963 students) alongside Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy.
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 Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy compares
Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 7.3:1 | ▼ 52% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 95 | top 95% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.3:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
95
Bigger than 10% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
7.3:1
students per teacher
- 52% below state mean
Top 4% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$10,538
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 95 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.3 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 36.8%
Hispanic or Latino 30.5%
African American 24.2%
Two or More 5.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.1%
Asian 1.1%
Largest group: White at 36.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.0, Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy is more mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Knox County, which includes Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy.
$10,538
Per student
-3%
vs Tennessee
Avg $10,822
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.9%
State 35.6%
Federal 14.6%
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 Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farragut High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bearden High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hardin Valley Academy | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| West High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Farragut Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,073
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,963
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,916
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,474
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,463
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar high schools in Knoxville
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Farragut High School
Standard public school
2,073 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Bearden High School
Standard public school
1,963 students 16:1 students per teacher
Hardin Valley Academy
Standard public school
1,916 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
West High School
Standard public school
1,474 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Karns High School
Standard public school
1,365 students 15:1 students per teacher
Central High School
Standard public school
1,265 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
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 (~95 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy's federal record.
- Compare Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Knox 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 Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy
How many students attend Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy?
Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy has 95 students enrolled. It is a high school in Knoxville, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy is 7.3:1, which is 52% lower than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 54% 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 Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy?
The largest demographic group at Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy is White at 36.8% of enrollment, in Knoxville, TN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy?
Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy rank among high schools in Knoxville?
By Resource Investment Index, Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy ranks #1 of 14 high schools in Knoxville, TN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Knoxville on the city page.
Is Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy a good school?
Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Tennessee schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Tennessee. 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 Knox County?
Besides Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy, Knox County also operates Farragut High School (2,073 students), Bearden High School (1,963 students), and Hardin Valley Academy (1,916 students). See the Knox 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.