Enrollment
436
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Shelbyville, TN
Thomas Magnet School
Federal NCES profile for Thomas Magnet School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 470018000041
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 79
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thomas Magnet School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Tennessee schools.
- #1 of 6
- schools in Shelbyville · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.8:1
- large classes for Tennessee
- 436
- students enrolled
Thomas Magnet School has class sizes larger than 75% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas Magnet School ranks #1 of 6 schools in Shelbyville, TN.
School address
District: Bedford County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470018000041 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomas Magnet School compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thomas Magnet School
Thomas Magnet School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Shelbyville, Tennessee, enrolling 436 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Tennessee schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 436 students, its enrollment sits close to the Tennessee median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,838 scored Tennessee schools.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 436 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
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 Learning Way Elementary (638 students): Thomas Magnet School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.8:1 vs 13.3:1).
Bedford County also operates Shelbyville Central High School (1,604 students) and Harris Middle School (977 students) alongside Thomas Magnet 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 Thomas Magnet School compares
Thomas Magnet 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 | 16.8:1 | ▲ 10% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 436 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
436
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 75% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
8.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
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 436 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 68.6%
Hispanic or Latino 20.0%
Two or More 5.7%
African American 3.4%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 68.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.5, Thomas Magnet School is more mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bedford County, which includes Thomas Magnet School.
$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 Thomas Magnet School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelbyville Central High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Harris Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Community Elementary School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Learning Way Elementary | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Liberty Elementary | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thomas Magnet School'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
- 638
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 631
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar other schools in Shelbyville
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Learning Way Elementary
Standard public school
638 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Liberty Elementary
Standard public school
631 students 14:1 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 (~436 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thomas Magnet School's federal record.
- Compare Thomas Magnet School 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 Thomas Magnet School
How many students attend Thomas Magnet School?
Thomas Magnet School has 436 students enrolled. It is a public school in Shelbyville, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas Magnet School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomas Magnet School is 16.8:1, which is 10% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thomas Magnet School?
The largest demographic group at Thomas Magnet School is White at 68.6% of enrollment, in Shelbyville, TN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomas Magnet School?
Thomas Magnet School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Thomas Magnet School rank among schools in Shelbyville?
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas Magnet School ranks #1 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 Thomas Magnet School a good school?
Thomas Magnet School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 Bedford County?
Besides Thomas Magnet School, 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.