Putnam County School District

1400 East Spring St
Cookeville, TN 38506-4313
(District boundaries shown in map)
7/
10
Top 50%

Top Rankings

Putnam County School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Tennessee for:

Category
Attribute
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there are 5 public high schools serving 3,887 students in Putnam County School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 6/10, which is in the top 50% of public high schools in Tennessee.
Public High Schools in Putnam County School District have an average math proficiency score of 26% (versus the Tennessee public high school average of 25%), and reading proficiency score of 38% (versus the 40% statewide average).
Public High School in Putnam County School District have a Graduation Rate of 88%, which is more than the Tennessee average of 87%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Cookeville High School, with 89% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in Tennessee or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 26% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Tennessee public high school average of 42% (majority Black).

Overview

This School District
This State (TN)
# Schools
22 Schools
509 Schools
# Students
11,776 Students
323,802 Students
# Teachers
n/a
5 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
n/a
n/a

Student By Grade

District Rank

Putnam 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 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 88% has decreased from 90% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (TN)
#48 out of 147 school districts
(Top 50%)
40%
34%
37%
37%
39%
40%
88%
90%
(2022-23)
18.2%
23.6%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.40
0.61
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
1%
2%
% Hispanic
19%
16%
% Black
3%
20%
% White
75%
58%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
2%
4%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $10,337 in this school district is less than the state median of $12,076. The school district revenue/student has grown by 9% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $10,292 is less than the state median of $11,570. The school district spending/student has grown by 9% over four school years.
This School District
This State (TN)
Total Revenue
$122 MM
$12,104 MM
Spending
$121 MM
$11,597 MM
Revenue / Student
$10,337
$12,076
Spending / Student
$10,292
$11,570

Best Putnam County School District Public High Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Cookeville High School
Magnet School
(Math: 31% | Reading: 50%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
1 Cavalier Dr
Cookeville, TN 38501
(931) 520-2287
Gr: 9-12 | 2,241 students Minority enrollment: 28%
Rank: #22.
Monterey High School
(Math: 27% | Reading: 28%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
710 East Commercial Ave
Monterey, TN 38574
(931) 839-2970
Gr: 7-12 | 526 students Minority enrollment: 38%
Rank: #33.
Upperman High School
(Math: 18% | Reading: 30%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
6950 Nashville Hwy
Baxter, TN 38544
(931) 858-3112
Gr: 9-12 | 899 students Minority enrollment: 12%
Rank: #44.
White Plains Academy
Alternative School
(Math: ≤5% | Reading: 6-9%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
288 E. Main St
Cookeville, TN 38506
(931) 528-1847
Gr: K-12 | 76 students Minority enrollment: 35%
Rank: n/an/a
268 East Main St
Cookeville, TN 38506
(931) 528-8685
Gr: 9-12 | 22 students Minority enrollment: 64%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 22 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 11,776 students
  • Minority Enrollment: 25%
  • : 88% (Top 30% in TN)
  • : Top 50%
  • : 40% (Top 30%)
  • : 37% (Top 50%)
  • : 39% (Top 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), TN Dept. of Education

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