Putnam County Schools & Education
Putnam County, Tennessee
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
34/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Lower Signal
Graduation Rate
91.0%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
91.0%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 93.3%
Per-Pupil Spending
$5,824
National avg $13,239
State avg $6,215
School Score
34/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 47/100
State Score Position
#80
of 95 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Putnam County
Measured School Summary
Despite a lower school score of 34/100, Putnam County maintains a strong graduation rate of 91.0%, suggesting effective student support systems.
Funding Context
At $5,824 per pupil, Putnam County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 27% below the Tennessee average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 2.3 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 6% lower than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Putnam County before comparing districts
County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.
Local context that changes the interpretation
22 public schools and 1 district are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.
Overall screen
34/100
Lower measured signal. Ranks #80 of 95 Tennessee counties with school score data.
Completion
91.0%
2.3 pts below the state average
Funding context
$5,824
$391 below the state average
School coverage
22
1 district represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Putnam County has 22 public schools across 1 district, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.
Verify local rules
Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.
What Putnam County school data means before you move
County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.
Dominant-district county
Putnam County carries most of the listed public-school system, with 22 of 22 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.
State position
#80
of 95 Tennessee counties with school score data. The county score is 13 points below the state average.
Data confidence
Usable
3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.
K-12 continuity check
These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.
Putnam County
Elementary to high school visible
12,032 students
22 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Putnam County is the largest listed district slice, with 22 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.
What the data cannot tell you
NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.
Questions to ask before choosing an address
Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Putnam County?
Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Education Overview
About Schools in Putnam County, Tennessee
This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.
Putnam County's Expansive Education Hub
Putnam County operates a large-scale school system with 22 public schools serving 12,032 students. The infrastructure is diverse, featuring 11 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 4 high schools, and 3 specialized programs. A single district manages this entire student body, making it one of the larger systems in the region.
The Putnam County Unified District
The Putnam County school district is the sole provider of public education for its 12,032 students. There are no charter schools in the county, so all residents attend the 22 traditional public institutions. This unified structure supports large high schools and specialized alternative education programs.
A Town-Centric Educational Experience
All 22 schools in the county are located in town settings, offering a more suburban and connected feel than neighboring rural areas. Cookeville High School is the largest with 2,199 students, while Upperman High serves a smaller cohort of 903. The average school size is 547, reflecting a more robust campus life and more diverse extracurricular options.
School Overview
Total Schools
22
in Putnam County
Reported Enrollment
12,032
22 schools reporting
School Districts
1
district
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
1 School District in Putnam County
22 Public Schools in Putnam County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 20 of 22 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cookeville High School | Profile | Putnam County | Cookeville, 38501Town: Remote | 9–12 | High | 2,199 |
| Upperman High School | Record | Putnam County | Baxter, 38544Town: Remote | 9–12 | High | 903 |
| Upperman Middle School | Record | Putnam County | Baxter, 38544Town: Remote | 5–8 | Middle | 853 |
| Prescott South Middle School | Record | Putnam County | Cookeville, 38506Town: Remote | 5–8 | Middle | 812 |
| Algood Middle School | Record | Putnam County | Cookeville, 38506Town: Remote | 5–8 | Middle | 757 |
| Avery Trace Middle School | Record | Putnam County | Cookeville, 38501Town: Remote | 5–8 | Middle | 720 |
| Monterey High School | Record | Putnam County | Monterey, 38574Town: Remote | 7–12 | High | 572 |
| Prescott South Elementary | Record | Putnam County | Cookeville, 38506Town: Remote | PK–4 | Primary | 558 |
| Burks Elementary | Record | Putnam County | Monterey, 38574Town: Remote | PK–6 | Primary | 522 |
| Algood Elementary | Record | Putnam County | Algood, 38506Town: Remote | PK–4 | Primary | 521 |
| Capshaw Elementary | Record | Putnam County | Cookeville, 38501Town: Remote | PK–4 | Primary | 521 |
| Park View Elementary | Record | Putnam County | Cookeville, 38501Town: Remote | PK–4 | Primary | 439 |
| Cane Creek Elementary | Record | Putnam County | Cookeville, 38501Town: Remote | PK–4 | Primary | 437 |
| Northeast Elementary | Record | Putnam County | Cookeville, 38501Town: Remote | PK–4 | Primary | 435 |
| Cornerstone Elementary | Record | Putnam County | Baxter, 38544Town: Remote | 2–4 | Primary | 358 |
| Baxter Primary | Record | Putnam County | Baxter, 38544Town: Remote | PK–1 | Primary | 328 |
| Jere Whitson Elementary | Record | Putnam County | Cookeville, 38501Town: Remote | PK–4 | Primary | 327 |
| Putnam County VITAL | Record | Putnam County | Cookeville, 38506Town: Remote | KG–12 | Virtual | 301 |
| Sycamore Elementary | Record | Putnam County | Cookeville, 38501Town: Remote | PK–4 | Primary | 298 |
| White Plains Academy | Record | Putnam County | Algood, 38506Town: Remote | KG–12 | Alternative | 108 |
Cookeville High School
Putnam County
Cookeville, 38501 / Town: Remote
Prescott South Middle School
Putnam County
Cookeville, 38506 / Town: Remote
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$5,824
State avg $6,215
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Putnam County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which Tennessee counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Tennessee?
How should I read the school score in Putnam County?
What is the graduation rate in Putnam County?
How much does Putnam County spend per student?
Frequently Asked Questions
Schools in Putnam County, Tennessee — FAQ
What does the school system look like in Putnam County, Tennessee?
Putnam County operates a large-scale school system with 22 public schools serving 12,032 students. The infrastructure is diverse, featuring 11 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 4 high schools, and 3 specialized programs. A single district manages this entire student body, making it one of the larger systems in the region.
What are the major school districts in Putnam County, Tennessee?
The Putnam County school district is the sole provider of public education for its 12,032 students. There are no charter schools in the county, so all residents attend the 22 traditional public institutions. This unified structure supports large high schools and specialized alternative education programs.
What is the school experience like in Putnam County?
All 22 schools in the county are located in town settings, offering a more suburban and connected feel than neighboring rural areas. Cookeville High School is the largest with 2,199 students, while Upperman High serves a smaller cohort of 903. The average school size is 547, reflecting a more robust campus life and more diverse extracurricular options.
Counties with Similar School Profile
Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.