Enrollment
127
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gallatin, TN
R T Fisher Alternative
Federal NCES profile for R T Fisher Alternative, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 470402001225
👥 S:T ratio 70
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 87
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
R T Fisher Alternative earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Tennessee schools.
- #1 of 7
- schools in Gallatin · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 7.5:1
- small classes for Tennessee
- 127
- students enrolled
R T Fisher Alternative has class sizes smaller than 96% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, R T Fisher Alternative ranks #1 of 7 schools in Gallatin, TN.
School address
District: Sumner County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470402001225 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.5:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
-51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How R T Fisher Alternative compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at R T Fisher Alternative
R T Fisher Alternative is a small combined-grade school in Gallatin, Tennessee, enrolling 127 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.5:1, R T Fisher Alternative is leaner than roughly 96% of Tennessee schools and 51% under the state's 15.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 93% of Tennessee schools, with 127 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,838 scored Tennessee schools.
Its student body is led by White (62%) and African American (24%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 64 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 69.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 39 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 127 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 13 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Gallatin's public schools, it stands alongside Station Camp Elementary (974 students): R T Fisher Alternative is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (7.5:1 vs 19.5:1).
Sumner County also operates Gallatin Senior High School (1,644 students) and Beech Sr High School (1,477 students) alongside R T Fisher Alternative.
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 R T Fisher Alternative compares
R T Fisher Alternative on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 7.5:1 | ▼ 51% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 127 | top 93% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.5:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
127
Bigger than 12% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
7.5:1
students per teacher
- 51% 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.
Engagement
69.3%
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
$10,286
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 64 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 30.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 13 expulsions.
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 62.2%
African American 24.4%
Hispanic or Latino 7.9%
Two or More 5.5%
Largest group: White at 62.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.4, R T Fisher Alternative is more mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sumner County, which includes R T Fisher Alternative.
$10,286
Per student
-5%
vs Tennessee
Avg $10,822
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.0%
State 45.2%
Federal 12.8%
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 R T Fisher Alternative Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallatin Senior High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Beech Sr High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hendersonville High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Portland High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Station Camp High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to R T Fisher Alternative's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,644
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,477
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,410
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,151
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,137
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar other schools in Gallatin
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Station Camp Elementary
Standard public school
974 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Vena Stuart Elementary
Standard public school
710 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Benny C. Bills Elementary School
Standard public school
659 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Union Elementary School
Standard public school
620 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Howard Elementary
Standard public school
591 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Guild Elementary
Standard public school
556 students 12.1:1 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 (~127 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on R T Fisher Alternative's federal record.
- Compare R T Fisher Alternative against another school. Compare schools
- Sumner 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 R T Fisher Alternative
How many students attend R T Fisher Alternative?
R T Fisher Alternative has 127 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Gallatin, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at R T Fisher Alternative?
The student-teacher ratio at R T Fisher Alternative is 7.5:1, which is 51% lower than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 52% 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 R T Fisher Alternative?
The largest demographic group at R T Fisher Alternative is White at 62.2% of enrollment, in Gallatin, TN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for R T Fisher Alternative?
R T Fisher Alternative has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical 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 R T Fisher Alternative rank among schools in Gallatin?
By Resource Investment Index, R T Fisher Alternative ranks #1 of 7 schools in Gallatin, TN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Gallatin on the city page.
Is R T Fisher Alternative a good school?
R T Fisher Alternative earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of 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 Sumner County?
Besides R T Fisher Alternative, Sumner County also operates Gallatin Senior High School (1,644 students), Beech Sr High School (1,477 students), and Hendersonville High School (1,410 students). See the Sumner 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.