Enrollment
47
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 470369001528
Smyrna West Alternative School — Smyrna, TN
Federal NCES profile for Smyrna West Alternative School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 50/100.
👥 Class size 78
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 91
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Rutherford County · Tennessee
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
5.6:1
vs 15.6:1 Tennessee avg
-64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Smyrna West Alternative School compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Smyrna West Alternative School reports 47 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 16.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 5.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 64% below the Tennessee state mean of 15.6:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 65% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 47 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 100.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Rutherford County spends $11,822 per pupil district-wide, below the Tennessee average of $12,324 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 41.9% from local sources (property taxes), 45.4% from the state, and 12.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (C-), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Smyrna West Alternative School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Tennessee state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 5.6:1 | ▼ 64% | 15.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 47 | top 3% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
5.6:1
students per teacher
— 64% below state mean
Top 2% in Tennessee — lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
100.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,822
per pupil, district-wide
— below Tennessee avg of $12,324
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints 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
Enrollment 47 Top 3% in Tennessee — larger than 97% of 1,844 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 16.0
Students per teacher 5.6:1 -64% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 470369001528
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.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 47:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 100.0%
In-school suspensions 49
Out-of-school suspensions 11
Expulsions 19
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rutherford County, which includes Smyrna West Alternative School.
$11,822
Per student
-4%
vs Tennessee
Avg $12,324
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,474
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Enrollment
- 2,301
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Enrollment
- 2,275
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Enrollment
- 2,266
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Enrollment
- 2,126
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
Similar other schools in Smyrna
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Rocky Fork Elementary School
Standard public school
905 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
John Colemon Elementary
Standard public school
861 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Cedar Grove Elementary
Standard public school
856 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Stewartsboro Elementary
Standard public school
854 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
David Youree Elementary
Standard public school
705 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Smyrna Elementary
Standard public school
646 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
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 a other 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 5.6:1, which is 64% lower than the Tennessee average of 15.6:1 and 65% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. 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%. The school serves a diverse student body in Smyrna, TN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Smyrna West Alternative School?
Smyrna West Alternative School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (C-) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.