Top Rankings
Polk County School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Tennessee for:
Category
Attribute
Student Attention
Lowest student:teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 7 public schools serving 2,131 students in Polk County School District. This district's average testing ranking is 7/10, which is in the top 50% of public schools in Tennessee.
Public Schools in Polk County School District have an average math proficiency score of 34% (versus the Tennessee public school average of 31%), and reading proficiency score of 36% (versus the 37% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 5% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Tennessee public school average of 43% (majority Black).
Overview
This School District
This State (TN)
# Schools
7 Schools
1,925 Schools
# Students
2,131 Students
1,010,424 Students
# Teachers
159 Teachers
66,546 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
13:1
13:1
District Rank
Polk County School District, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 147 school districts in Tennessee (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 90-94% has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#58 out of 147 school districts
(Top 50%)
(Top 50%)

Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
34%
31%

Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
36%
37%

Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
41%
40%

Graduation Rate
90-94%
90%

Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.09
0.61
# American Indian Students
5 Students
1,743 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
n/a
# Asian Students
8 Students
21,159 Students
% Asian Students
1%
2%
# Hispanic Students
49 Students
149,418 Students
% Hispanic Students
2%
15%
# Black Students
24 Students
209,194 Students
% Black Students
1%
21%
# White Students
2,028 Students
580,750 Students
% White Students
95%
57%
# Hawaiian Students
n/a
1,186 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
17 Students
46,971 Students
% of Two or more races Students
1%
5%
Students by Grade:
# Students in PK Grade:
113
33,223
# Students in K Grade:
161
74,731
# Students in 1st Grade:
168
76,014
# Students in 2nd Grade:
144
77,971
# Students in 3rd Grade:
168
74,743
# Students in 4th Grade:
144
75,052
# Students in 5th Grade:
139
75,941
# Students in 6th Grade:
138
75,064
# Students in 7th Grade:
151
74,290
# Students in 8th Grade:
135
74,350
# Students in 9th Grade:
190
77,036
# Students in 10th Grade:
167
77,259
# Students in 11th Grade:
157
73,989
# Students in 12th Grade:
156
70,761
# Ungraded Students:
-
-
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $11,594 in this school district is less than the state median of $11,979. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $11,043 is less than the state median of $11,478. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
Total Revenue
$25 MM
$12,104 MM

Spending
$24 MM
$11,597 MM

Revenue / Student
$11,594
$11,979

Spending / Student
$11,043
$11,478

Best Polk County School District Public Schools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Benton Elementary School
(Math: 45-49% | Reading: 40-44%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
215 Schoolhouse Hill Rd
Benton, TN 37307
(423) 299-0090
Benton, TN 37307
(423) 299-0090
Grades: PK-5
| 395 students
Rank: #22.
South Polk Elementary School
(Math: 35-39% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
964 Old Federal Rd
Old Fort, TN 37362
(423) 338-4512
Old Fort, TN 37362
(423) 338-4512
Grades: PK-5
| 341 students
Rank: #33.
Chilhowee Middle School
(Math: 40% | Reading: 36%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
215 Schoolhouse Hill Rd
Benton, TN 37307
(423) 299-0086
Benton, TN 37307
(423) 299-0086
Grades: 6-8
| 292 students
Rank: #44.
Copper Basin High School
(Math: 27% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
205 Cougar Dr
Copperhill, TN 37317
(423) 496-3291
Copperhill, TN 37317
(423) 496-3291
Grades: 7-12
| 244 students
Rank: #55.
Polk County High School
(Math: 30% | Reading: 36%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
7200 Highway 411 North
Benton, TN 37307
(423) 299-0078
Benton, TN 37307
(423) 299-0078
Grades: 9-12
| 446 students
Rank: #66.
Copper Basin Elementary School
(Math: 30-34% | Reading: 30-34%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
206 Cougar Dr
Copperhill, TN 37317
(423) 496-3271
Copperhill, TN 37317
(423) 496-3271
Grades: PK-6
| 316 students
Rank: #77.
Polk Innovative Learning Academy
(Math: 11-19% | Reading: 30-39%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
131 Stephens St
Benton, TN 37307
(423) 299-0471
Benton, TN 37307
(423) 299-0471
Grades: K-12
| 97 students
Frequently Asked Questions
How many schools belong to Polk County School District?
Polk County School District manages 7 public schools serving 2,131 students.
What is the rank of Polk County School District?
Polk County School District is ranked #54 out of 147 school districts in Tennessee (top 50%) based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data for the 2021-2022 school year. This district ranks in the top 20% of Tennessee school districts for: Lowest student:teacher ratio (Top 1%)
What is the racial composition of students in Polk County School District?
95% of Polk County School District students are White, 2% of students are Hispanic, 1% of students are Asian, 1% of students are Black, and 1% of students are Two or more races.
What is the student/teacher ratio of Polk County School District?
Polk County School District has a student/teacher ratio of 13:1, which is lower than the Tennessee state average of 15:1.
What is Polk County School District's spending/student ratio?
The school district's spending/student of $11,043 is less than the state median of $11,478. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
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