operational schools · 2023–24
School district or education agency · NCES 4704320
Van Buren County
Spencer, TN
Students754
Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.
students in linked records
federal comparable series
per student
District, state and country
How does this district compare?
State and national figures use the same measure and reporting period. They are weighted by students or staffing whenever the source provides a denominator.
MeasureDistrictTNUnited States
Academic standing2025
45th percentile47th percentile45th percentileThis district is 2 percentile points lower than the state figure and about the same as the U.S. figure.
Students chronically absent2022–23
21.9%23.6%27.8%This district is 1.7 percentage points lower than the state figure and 5.9 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Revenue per studentFY 2023
$14,060$14,428$19,509This district is $368 per student lower than the state figure and $5,449 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Spending per studentFY 2023
$12,612$12,198$15,859This district is $414 per student higher than the state figure and $3,247 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Capital outlay per studentFY 2023
$843$1,596$1,964This district is $753 per student lower than the state figure and $1,121 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Equipment spending per studentFY 2023
$385$638$336This district is $253 per student lower than the state figure and $49 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Special-education spending per studentFY 2023
$1,521$1,372$1,793This district is $149 per student higher than the state figure and $272 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Salaries per studentFY 2023
$8,014$7,071$8,742This district is $943 per student higher than the state figure and $728 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Benefits per studentFY 2023
$1,966$2,301$3,769This district is $335 per student lower than the state figure and $1,803 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023
$1,509$6,453$11,715This district is $4,944 per student lower than the state figure and $10,206 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Debt retired per studentFY 2023
$106$556$869This district is $450 per student lower than the state figure and $763 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Students per teacher2023–24
12:115:115:1This district is 3.0 students per teacher lower than the state figure and 3.0 students per teacher lower than the U.S. figure.
Students per counselor2023–24
377:1429:1376:1This district is 52 students per counselor lower than the state figure and 1 students per counselor higher than the U.S. figure.
District staff per 1,000 students2023–24
202.9133.0138.9This district is 69.9 staff per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 64.0 staff per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24
35.818.118.5This district is 17.7 aides per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 17.3 aides per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24
1.30.50.9This district is 0.8 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 0.4 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
Regular diplomas among completers2023–24
100.0%95.2%99.0%This district is 4.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–122023–24
0.0%1.8%2.6%This district is 1.8 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.6 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Pre-K students as a share of enrollment2023–24
5.6%3.3%2.9%This district is 2.3 percentage points higher than the state figure and 2.7 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schools
15.4%12.4%14.0%This district is 2.9 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.4 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schools
3.5%2.7%3.9%This district is 0.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.4 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schools
100.0%98.3%95.8%This district is 1.7 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24
0.0%+0.9%+0.5%This district is 0.9 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.5 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollment
0.0%4.1%4.5%This district is 4.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 4.5 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollment
0.0%7.4%9.0%This district is 7.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 9.0 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollment
0.0%4.4%6.7%This district is 4.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 6.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students enrolled in district distance education2021–22 · matched enrollment
4.9%6.3%5.1%This district is 1.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimate
22.1%17.4%14.4%This district is 4.7 percentage points higher than the state figure and 7.7 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment · 2023–24
Who attends this district?
Pre-K42 students
5.6%Kindergarten–grade 5326 students
43.2%Grades 6–8161 students
21.4%Grades 9–12225 students
29.8%See enrollment for every grade
Pre-Kindergarten42
Kindergarten48
Grade 153
Grade 254
Grade 362
Grade 449
Grade 560
Grade 654
Grade 759
Grade 848
Grade 955
Grade 1055
Grade 1157
Grade 1258
Students by race and ethnicity
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership file, 2023–24. Suppressed or missing cells are not estimated.
Early learning · 2023–24
How much public pre-K is reported?
Pre-K students as a share of district enrollment
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2023–24. Enrollment shows children attending district-run public pre-K. It does not show open seats, waitlists, private providers, program hours, eligibility or the cost to families.
Current staffing · 2023–24
How many staff members support students?
See detailed staffing
Pre-K teachers3 FTE
Kindergarten teachers4 FTE
Elementary teachers35 FTE
Secondary teachers22.2 FTE
Instructional coordinators2.4 FTE
District administrators4.5 FTE
District administrative support5 FTE
School administrative support2 FTE
Library and media support1 FTE
Other support staff33 FTE
Final NCES Common Core of Data staff file, 2023–24. These are full-time-equivalent positions, not employee headcounts, vacancies or caseloads.
High-school outcomes · 2023–24
How many students completed school or dropped out?
Regular diplomas among completers
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–12
Final NCES Common Core of Data completer and dropout files, 2023–24. The dropout rate divides the reported annual grades 9–12 dropout count by complete grades 9–12 enrollment. It is not a cohort graduation rate. The diploma share describes credentials among completers and should not be read as a graduation rate.
Graduation · 2022–23
How many students graduated within four years?
Loading the district's official graduation record…
Learning support · 2021–22 federal snapshot
How many students may need specialized support?
Counts and shares use only schools with a usable value for that measure. The reporting-school denominator prevents missing schools from being counted as zero.
15.4%Students receiving IDEA special-education services117 students · 2 of 2 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
3.5%Students with Section 504 plans27 students · 2 of 2 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
0.0%English learners also receiving IDEA services0 students · 2 of 2 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Public-use counts are privacy-protected. These figures describe the reporting year, not current enrollment, diagnoses, service quality or unmet need.
Teacher quality and early learning · 2021–22
What did the district report about teachers and preschool?
Teacher certification comparison
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Certification status is district-reported and may not match current staffing. Preschool counts cover the federal reporting year and are not a measure of available seats.
Community context · 2024
How many school-age children live in poverty?
This Census estimate provides context about families in the district. It does not measure school quality or describe every student enrolled in the district.
U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. The estimate covers related children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty and uses 2024–25 district boundaries.
District geography · 2024–25
What area does this district cover?
NCES publishes a geographic boundary for traditional school districts. Charter agencies and some special-purpose agencies may not have one.
Loading the official district boundary…
Source: NCES EDGE School District Boundaries, school year 2024–25.
Comparable districts
Districts serving a similar student population
These peers are matched using enrollment and available student population measures. Districts in TN receive geographic preference, but a closer national match may appear when it is more comparable. Open any profile for a full comparison.
West Carroll Sp DistrictTrezevant, TN783 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, special-education enrollment · View profile →Lake CountyTiptonville, TN730 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, special-education enrollment · View profile →Charlton Heston AcademySaint Helen, MI753 studentsSimilar enrollment, special-education enrollment · View profile →DaytonDayton, TN863 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, special-education enrollment · View profile →Countryside AcademyBenton Harbor, MI752 studentsSimilar enrollment, special-education enrollment · View profile →
Academic results · 2025
How do results differ among student groups?
Fem306 assessments
48 out of 100Students not economically disadvantaged367 assessments
48 out of 100White students583 assessments
45 out of 100Mal283 assessments
42 out of 100Economically disadvantaged students222 assessments
41 out of 100A score of 50 marks the national 2019 midpoint. Higher numbers indicate stronger results on the comparable Stanford research scale. This is not a state proficiency rate.
District makeup
What kinds of schools are in the district?
School levels, settings and types use the NCES 2021–22 directory matched to the federal civil-rights collection.
District finances
How is the district funded, and how does it spend?
Sources of funds
Where the money comes from
Share of district revenue supplied by each level of government.
Uses of funds
Where the money goes
Annual spending for each enrolled student.
Revenue by source: percentages and dollars
How operating money was used
People costs
Equipment, buildings and debt
Selected federal program revenue
What changed since FY 2022
FY 2022$12,176
→FY 2023$12,612
FY 2022$1,679
→FY 2023$843
FY 2022$7,078
→FY 2023$1,509
Revenue shares and spending categories answer different questions and should not be added together. Source: NCES F-33 district finance, FY 2023.
Attendance
How has chronic absence changed?
251 of 697 students
170 of 705 students
163 of 744 students
Specialized support and security · 2021–22
What specialized roles were reported?
Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.
Learning opportunities
What do district schools offer?
Algebra I1 reporting schools
100%
Calculus1 reporting schools
0%
Biology1 reporting schools
100%
Chemistry1 reporting schools
100%
Physics1 reporting schools
0%
Computer science1 reporting schools
0%
Advanced Placement1 reporting schools
0%
Dual enrollment1 reporting schools
100%
Gifted programs2 reporting schools
100%
International Baccalaureate1 reporting schools
0%
Athletics1 reporting schools
100%
Shares use only schools for which the program was applicable and reported. A districtwide percentage does not guarantee availability at every grade or campus. Source: 2021–22 CRDC.
Safety and discipline
What was reported across district schools?
0Out-of-school suspensions2 reporting schoolsSee schools →54In-school suspensions2 reporting schoolsSee schools →24Law-enforcement referrals2 reporting schoolsSee schools →0School-related arrests2 reporting schoolsSee schools →
Counts are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Open a measure to see the schools behind the district total.
Technology and safety · 2021–22
What access and incident data is available?
Technology and incident figures are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Device counts describe the reporting year, not current inventory.
Six questions parents ask
What the available data says
Each answer shows its reporting year and opens a deeper comparison. Missing and suppressed results are never shown as zero.
Are students making academic progress?5 years of resultsLatest research estimate: 2025Explore and compare →Are students missing too much school?21.9% chronically absent2022–23 · 744 students measuredExplore and compare →Is the district improving?Declined overallCompare the earliest and latest available yearsExplore and compare →Where are student-group gaps largest?5 student groups2025 research estimatesExplore and compare →How much does the district spend?$12,612current spending per studentExplore and compare →Does the district have enough support staff?377:1 counselor ratioStudents per counselor in the 2023–24 federal staffing fileExplore and compare →
8 of 8 national data layers are matched to this NCES district ID. Identity and school counts use NCES records. Academic estimates use SEDA, attendance uses EDFacts, finance uses NCES F-33, staffing and enrollment use 2023–24 NCES CCD where available, teacher certification, preschool and policy fields use the 2021–22 CRDC, and community poverty context uses Census SAIPE. Four-year graduation rates use 2022–23 EDFacts. Every detailed view preserves its reporting year.
See all sources →