Enrollment
638
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Shelbyville, TN
Learning Way Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Learning Way Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 470018002222
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Learning Way Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 70% of Tennessee schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Tennessee schools.
- #5 of 6
- schools in Shelbyville · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.3:1
- small classes for Tennessee
- 638
- students enrolled
Learning Way Elementary has class sizes smaller than 70% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Learning Way Elementary ranks #5 of 6 schools in Shelbyville, TN.
School address
District: Bedford County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470018002222 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Learning Way Elementary compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Learning Way Elementary
Learning Way Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Shelbyville, Tennessee, enrolling 638 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Tennessee schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 638 puts it in the larger third of Tennessee schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 1,838 Tennessee schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (48%) and White (31%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 638 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Shelbyville's public schools, it stands alongside Liberty Elementary (631 students): Learning Way Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.3:1 vs 14:1).
Bedford County also operates Shelbyville Central High School (1,604 students) and Harris Middle School (977 students) alongside Learning Way Elementary.
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 Learning Way Elementary compares
Learning Way Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.3:1 | ▼ 13% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 638 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
638
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 30% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.4%
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
$9,064
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 638 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.7 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
Hispanic or Latino 48.3%
White 31.0%
African American 11.6%
Two or More 8.8%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.9, Learning Way Elementary is more mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bedford County, which includes Learning Way Elementary.
$9,064
Per student
-16%
vs Tennessee
Avg $10,822
-45%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.1%
State 59.8%
Federal 21.1%
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 Learning Way Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelbyville Central High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harris Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Community Elementary School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Liberty Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cascade Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Learning Way Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,604
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 977
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 650
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 631
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 621
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar other schools in Shelbyville
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Liberty Elementary
Standard public school
631 students 14:1 students per teacher
Thomas Magnet School
Standard public school
436 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Eakin Elementary
Standard public school
399 students 7.5:1 students per teacher
South Side Elementary
Standard public school
352 students 10.4:1 students per teacher
East Side Elementary
Standard public school
323 students 10.1:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~638 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Learning Way Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Learning Way Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Bedford 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 Learning Way Elementary
How many students attend Learning Way Elementary?
Learning Way Elementary has 638 students enrolled. It is a public school in Shelbyville, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Learning Way Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Learning Way Elementary is 13.3:1, which is 13% lower than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 15% 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 Learning Way Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Learning Way Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 48.3% of enrollment, in Shelbyville, TN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Learning Way Elementary?
Learning Way Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Learning Way Elementary rank among schools in Shelbyville?
By Resource Investment Index, Learning Way Elementary ranks #5 of 6 schools in Shelbyville, TN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Shelbyville on the city page.
Is Learning Way Elementary a good school?
Learning Way Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 70% of Tennessee schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Tennessee schools. 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 Bedford County?
Besides Learning Way Elementary, Bedford County also operates Shelbyville Central High School (1,604 students), Harris Middle School (977 students), and Community Elementary School (650 students). See the Bedford 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.