Enrollment
732
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Smyrna, TN
Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts
Federal NCES profile for Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 470369001531
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 100
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Tennessee schools.
- #15 of 17
- public schools in Smyrna · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.4:1
- large classes for Tennessee
- 732
- students enrolled
Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts has class sizes larger than 81% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts ranks #15 of 17 public schools in Smyrna, TN.
School address
District: Rutherford County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470369001531 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts
Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts is a mid-sized elementary school in Smyrna, Tennessee, enrolling 732 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Tennessee schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 732 puts it in the larger third of Tennessee schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,838 scored Tennessee schools.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and African American (17%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 732 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 0.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Smyrna's elementary schools, it stands alongside Stewarts Creek Elementary School (1,173 students): Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.4:1 vs 14.8:1).
Rutherford County also operates Stewarts Creek High School (2,474 students) and Blackman High School (2,301 students) alongside Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts.
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 Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts compares
Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.4:1 | ▲ 14% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 732 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
732
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 81% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
0.1%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 732 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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 64.5%
African American 16.8%
Hispanic or Latino 7.8%
Two or More 5.7%
Asian 4.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 64.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.4, Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts is more mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rutherford County, which includes Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts.
$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 Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stewarts Creek High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Blackman High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Riverdale High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Smyrna High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rockvale High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts'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 elementary schools in Smyrna
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~732 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts's federal record.
- Compare Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts 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 Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts
How many students attend Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts?
Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts has 732 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Smyrna, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts?
The student-teacher ratio at Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts is 17.4:1, which is 14% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts?
The largest demographic group at Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts is White at 64.5% of enrollment, in Smyrna, 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 Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts?
Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts rank among public schools in Smyrna?
By Resource Investment Index, Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts ranks #15 of 17 public 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 public schools in Smyrna on the city page.
Is Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts a good school?
Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% 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 Thurman Francis Arts Academy/Magnet School for the Arts, 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.