Van Buren County School District

293 Sparta St
Spencer, TN 38585-3002
(District boundaries shown in map)
4/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Van Buren 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 2026 school year, there are 2 public elementary schools serving 754 students in Van Buren County School District. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 4/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public elementary schools in Tennessee.
Public Elementary Schools in Van Buren County School District have an average math proficiency score of 35% (versus the Tennessee public elementary school average of 39%), and reading proficiency score of 28% (versus the 36% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 2% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Tennessee public elementary school average of 43% (majority Black).

Overview

This School District
This State (TN)
# Schools
2 Schools
1,499 Schools
# Students
754 Students
719,350 Students
# Teachers
63 Teachers
48,385 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
12:1
12:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Van Buren County School District, which is ranked within the bottom 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 90% has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
This School District
State Average (TN)
#92 out of 147 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
35%
34%
29%
37%
35%
40%
(21-22)
≥90%
90%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.04
0.61
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
n/a
2%
% Hispanic
1%
15%
% Black
1%
21%
% White
98%
57%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
n/a
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $13,251 is higher than the state median of $11,980. The school district revenue/student has grown by 16% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $12,725 is higher than the state median of $11,478. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (TN)
Total Revenue
$10 MM
$12,104 MM
Spending
$10 MM
$11,597 MM
Revenue / Student
$13,251
$11,980
Spending / Student
$12,725
$11,478

Best Van Buren County School District Public Elementary Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Spencer Elementary School
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 25-29%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
311 Sparta Street
Spencer, TN 38585
(931) 946-2171
Gr: PK-5 | 368 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 1%
Rank: #22.
Van Buren Co High School
(Math: 32% | Reading: 29%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
337 Sparta Street
Spencer, TN 38585
(931) 946-2442
Gr: 6-12 | 386 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 3%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 2 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 754 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 12:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 2%
  • : ≥90% (Btm 50% in TN)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 35% (Top 50%)
  • : 29% (Btm 50%)
  • : 35% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), TN Dept. of Education

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