Enrollment
47
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Smyrna, TN
Smyrna West Alternative School
Federal NCES profile for Smyrna West Alternative School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 70/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 470369001528
👥 S:T ratio 88
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 91
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Smyrna West Alternative School earns 70/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Tennessee schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Tennessee.
- #1 of 9
- schools in Smyrna · Resource Index
- 70
- Resource Index · Higher
- 2.9:1
- small classes for Tennessee
- 47
- students enrolled
Smyrna West Alternative School has class sizes smaller than 99% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Smyrna West Alternative School ranks #1 of 9 schools in Smyrna, TN.
School address
District: Rutherford County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470369001528 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
2.9:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
-81% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Smyrna West Alternative School compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Smyrna West Alternative School
Smyrna West Alternative School is a small combined-grade school in Smyrna, Tennessee, enrolling 47 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 2.9:1, Smyrna West Alternative School is leaner than roughly 99% of Tennessee schools and 81% under the state's 15.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 97% of Tennessee schools, with 47 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 99% of the 1,838 Tennessee schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is led by African American (43%) and White (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 47 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Discipline events run high: 60 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 47 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 19 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Smyrna's public schools, it stands alongside Rocky Fork Elementary School (905 students): Smyrna West Alternative School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (2.9:1 vs 15.6:1).
Rutherford County also operates Stewarts Creek High School (2,474 students) and Blackman High School (2,301 students) alongside Smyrna West Alternative 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 Smyrna West Alternative School compares
Smyrna West Alternative 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 | 2.9:1 | ▼ 81% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 47 | top 97% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
2.9:1
Leaner classes than 100% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
47
Bigger than 5% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
2.9:1
students per teacher
- 81% below state mean
Top 1% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 47 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
49
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 104.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 127.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 19 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
African American 42.6%
White 27.7%
Hispanic or Latino 19.1%
Asian 6.4%
Two or More 4.3%
Largest group: African American at 42.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.9, Smyrna West Alternative School is more mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rutherford County, which includes Smyrna West Alternative 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 Smyrna West Alternative School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stewarts Creek High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Blackman High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverdale High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Smyrna High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rockvale High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Smyrna West Alternative 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 (~47 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~2.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Smyrna West Alternative School's federal record.
- Compare Smyrna West Alternative 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 Smyrna West Alternative School
How many students attend Smyrna West Alternative School?
Smyrna West Alternative School has 47 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Smyrna, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Smyrna West Alternative School?
The student-teacher ratio at Smyrna West Alternative School is 2.9:1, which is 81% lower than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 82% 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 Smyrna West Alternative School?
The largest demographic group at Smyrna West Alternative School is African American at 42.6% of enrollment, in Smyrna, TN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Smyrna West Alternative School?
Smyrna West Alternative School has a Resource Investment Index of 70/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Smyrna West Alternative School rank among schools in Smyrna?
By Resource Investment Index, Smyrna West Alternative School ranks #1 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 Smyrna West Alternative School a good school?
Smyrna West Alternative School earns 70/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% 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 Rutherford County?
Besides Smyrna West Alternative 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.