District overview
At a glance
Source years shown below
Reported students
3,056
NCES CCD 2024–25, where reported
Open schools
9
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Student–teacher ratio
13.5:1
Calculated from NCES 2024–25 enrollment and teacher FTE
Spending per pupil
$10,329
Current expenditure · FY 2023 F-33
Instruction per pupil
$6,332
Calculated from FY 2023 F-33
Grades served
PK–12
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
District interpretation
What the numbers say about Smith County Schools
Smith County Schools operates 9 current public-school records serving grades PK–12 in Carthage, Tennessee. NCES reports 3,056 students and 226 classroom teacher FTE for 2024–25.
By reported enrollment, the district ranks 75 of 149 Tennessee districts with data. That position describes scale only—it does not say whether individual schools are a good fit for a particular student.
FY 2023 finance records show $10,329 in current expenditure per pupil and $6,332 per pupil assigned to instruction. This places reported current spending 125 of 143 districts in Tennessee. Local wages, transportation, special education, facilities, and district responsibilities all affect this comparison.
Student context
Needs schools plan for
- English learners
- 2%
- Students with disabilities (IDEA)
- 13.3%
- Classroom teachers (FTE)
- 226
- Current expenditure (FY 2023)
- $31,618,000
Context measures describe who a district serves and its resources. They are not negative rating inputs.
Smith County Schools location
Carthage, Tennessee · 36.2262, -85.9470. This is the NCES EDGE district-office point, not an attendance boundary.
Open exact point in OpenStreetMap →Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White87%
- Hispanic5.9%
- Black1.5%
- Asian0.6%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.2%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0%
- Multiracial4.8%
Race/ethnicity: NCES CCD 2024–25 where reported, otherwise CRDC 2021–22. English learner and disability context: CRDC 2021–22. Totals can differ due to rounding or source privacy rules.
Interactive campus directory
Explore schools in Smith County Schools
9 current directory entries
Filter by school level or name, then sort by enrollment or reported student–teacher ratio.
Showing 9 of 9 schools
| School | Level | Grades | Students | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carthage Elementary School | Elementary | PK–04 | 465 | 13.2:1 |
| Defeated Elementary School | Elementary | PK–08 | 288 | 13.4:1 |
| Forks River Elementary School | Elementary | PK–08 | 208 | 11.3:1 |
| Gordonsville Elementary School | Elementary | 03–06 | 311 | 16.7:1 |
| Gordonsville High School | High | 07–12 | 541 | 13.1:1 |
| New Middleton Elementary School | Elementary | PK–02 | 210 | 13.2:1 |
| Smith County High School | High | 09–12 | 476 | 10.6:1 |
| Smith County Middle School | Middle | 05–08 | 289 | 13.4:1 |
| Union Heights Elementary School | Elementary | PK–08 | 268 | 12.6:1 |