Enrollment
423
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 470318001373
Tom Joy Elementary — Nashville, TN
Federal NCES profile for Tom Joy Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 33/100.
👥 Class size 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 16
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: Davidson 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)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 15.6:1 Tennessee avg
+12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tom Joy Elementary 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
Tom Joy Elementary reports 423 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 26.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 12% above the Tennessee state mean of 15.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 10% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 423 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 33.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Davidson County spends $17,219 per pupil district-wide, above the Tennessee average of $12,324 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 58.7% from local sources (property taxes), 26.4% from the state, and 14.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (F), 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 Tom Joy Elementary 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 | 17.5:1 | ▲ 12% | 15.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 423 | top 43% | — | — |
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
17.5:1
students per teacher
— 12% above state mean
Top 83% in Tennessee — lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.8%
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
$17,219
per pupil, district-wide
— above 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 423 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 423 Top 43% in Tennessee — larger than 57% of 1,844 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 26.0
Students per teacher 17.5:1 +12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 470318001373
Student demographics
African American 48.2%
Hispanic or Latino 40.2%
White 7.6%
Two or More 3.5%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 48.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 423:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 33.8%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 12
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Davidson County, which includes Tom Joy Elementary.
$17,219
Per student
+40%
vs Tennessee
Avg $12,324
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 58.7%
State 26.4%
Federal 14.9%
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
- 2,212
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,982
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,942
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,844
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,414
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
Similar other schools in Nashville
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Valor Flagship Academy
Standard public school
1,402 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Martin Luther King Jr School
Standard public school
1,280 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Lead Southeast
Standard public school
833 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Stratford Stem Magnet School
Standard public school
810 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Harpeth Valley Elementary
Standard public school
803 students 16:1 students per teacher
Una Elementary
Standard public school
796 students 15.6:1 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 Tom Joy Elementary
How many students attend Tom Joy Elementary?
Tom Joy Elementary has 423 students enrolled. It is a other school in Nashville, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tom Joy Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Tom Joy Elementary is 17.5:1, which is 12% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.6:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tom Joy Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Tom Joy Elementary is African American at 48.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Nashville, TN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tom Joy Elementary?
Tom Joy Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (F) 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.