Enrollment
384
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Smyrna, TN
Rutherford County Virtual School
Federal NCES profile for Rutherford County Virtual School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 470369002627
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 62
📋 Attendance 91
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rutherford County Virtual School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Tennessee schools.
- #5 of 9
- schools in Smyrna · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 29.5:1
- large classes for Tennessee
- 384
- students enrolled
Rutherford County Virtual School has class sizes larger than 98% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rutherford County Virtual School ranks #5 of 9 schools in Smyrna, TN.
School address
District: Rutherford County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470369002627 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
29.5:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
+93% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rutherford County Virtual School compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rutherford County Virtual School
Rutherford County Virtual School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Smyrna, Tennessee, enrolling 384 students.
Class loads run heavy: 29.5:1 is larger than about 98% of Tennessee schools and 93% above the 15.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
With 384 students, its enrollment sits close to the Tennessee median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% 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 (63%) and African American (16%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 192 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Smyrna's public schools, it stands alongside Rocky Fork Elementary School (905 students): Rutherford County Virtual School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (29.5:1 vs 15.6:1).
Rutherford County also operates Stewarts Creek High School (2,474 students) and Blackman High School (2,301 students) alongside Rutherford County Virtual 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 Rutherford County Virtual School compares
Rutherford County Virtual 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 | 29.5:1 | ▲ 93% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 384 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
29.5:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
384
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
29.5:1
students per teacher
- 93% above state mean
Top 98% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
3.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$10,141
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 192 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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 63.3%
African American 15.6%
Hispanic or Latino 13.5%
Two or More 4.7%
Asian 2.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 63.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.4, Rutherford County Virtual School is more mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rutherford County, which includes Rutherford County Virtual School.
$10,141
Per student
-6%
vs Tennessee
Avg $10,822
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.9%
State 45.4%
Federal 12.7%
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 Rutherford County Virtual School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stewarts Creek High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Blackman High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Riverdale High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Smyrna High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rockvale High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rutherford County Virtual School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,474
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,301
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,275
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,266
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,126
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Smyrna
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Rocky Fork Elementary School
Standard public school
905 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
John Colemon Elementary
Standard public school
861 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Cedar Grove Elementary
Standard public school
856 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Stewartsboro Elementary
Standard public school
854 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
David Youree Elementary
Standard public school
705 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Smyrna Elementary
Standard public school
646 students 12.4:1 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 (~384 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rutherford County Virtual School's federal record.
- Compare Rutherford County Virtual School against another school. Compare schools
- Rutherford 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 Rutherford County Virtual School
How many students attend Rutherford County Virtual School?
Rutherford County Virtual School has 384 students enrolled. It is a public school in Smyrna, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rutherford County Virtual School?
The student-teacher ratio at Rutherford County Virtual School is 29.5:1, which is 93% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 88% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rutherford County Virtual School?
The largest demographic group at Rutherford County Virtual School is White at 63.3% of enrollment, in Smyrna, TN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rutherford County Virtual School?
Rutherford County Virtual School has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Rutherford County Virtual School rank among schools in Smyrna?
By Resource Investment Index, Rutherford County Virtual School ranks #5 of 9 schools in Smyrna, TN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Smyrna on the city page.
Is Rutherford County Virtual School a good school?
Rutherford County Virtual School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% 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 Rutherford County?
Besides Rutherford County Virtual School, Rutherford County also operates Stewarts Creek High School (2,474 students), Blackman High School (2,301 students), and Riverdale High School (2,275 students). See the Rutherford 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.