Rhea County Schools & Education
Rhea County, Tennessee
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
33/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Lower Signal
Graduation Rate
89.0%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
89.0%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 93.3%
Per-Pupil Spending
$6,317
National avg $13,239
State avg $6,215
School Score
33/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 47/100
State Score Position
#81
of 95 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Rhea County
Measured School Summary
Rhea County faces educational challenges with a school score of 33/100 and a graduation rate of 89.0%, falling below typical benchmarks.
Funding Context
At $6,317 per pupil, Rhea County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 30% below the Tennessee average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 4.3 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 2% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Rhea 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
8 public schools and 2 districts 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
33/100
Lower measured signal. Ranks #81 of 95 Tennessee counties with school score data.
Completion
89.0%
4.3 pts below the state average
Funding context
$6,317
$102 above the state average
School coverage
8
2 districts 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
Rhea County has 8 public schools across 2 districts, 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 Rhea 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.
Small-system county
Rhea County has a compact public-school footprint. A single school change, boundary rule, or district update can move the lived experience more than the county score suggests.
State position
#81
of 95 Tennessee counties with school score data. The county score is 14 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.
Rhea County
Elementary to high school visible
4,091 students
7 listed schools in this county slice.
Dayton
Elementary school only in this slice
848 students
1 listed school in this county slice.
District reality check
Rhea County is the largest listed district slice, with 7 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 Rhea County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Rhea County district systems?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Data Story
Dayton and Rhea County Manage Independent Districts
Education data brief for Rhea County, Tennessee.
Education in Rhea County is provided through two districts: Rhea County, which serves 4,091 students, and the Dayton district, which serves 848 students. Across eight schools, the average enrollment is 617 students, which is notably higher than many neighboring rural counties. Rhea County High School is the largest facility with 1,500 students. The county’s graduation rate of 89.0% is below the Tennessee state average of 93.3% but higher than the national average of 87.0%. Per-pupil expenditure is $6,317, slightly exceeding the state average of $6,215 but falling far short of the national average of $13,000. The county’s composite school score of 33.1 is lower than the state average of 47.5 and the national median of 50.0. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
8
in Rhea County
Reported Enrollment
4,939
8 schools reporting
School Districts
2
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
2 School Districts in Rhea County
Rhea County
GuideDayton
8 Public Schools in Rhea 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 8 of 8 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhea County High School | Profile | Rhea County | Evensville, 37332Rural: Distant | 9–12 | High | 1,500 |
| Dayton City Elementary | Record | Dayton | Dayton, 37321Town: Distant | PK–8 | Primary | 848 |
| Rhea Central Elementary | Record | Rhea County | Dayton, 37321Town: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 607 |
| Spring City Elementary | Record | Rhea County | Spring City, 37381Rural: Remote | PK–5 | Primary | 570 |
| Rhea Middle School | Record | Rhea County | Evensville, 37332Rural: Distant | 6–8 | Middle | 556 |
| Frazier Elementary | Record | Rhea County | Dayton, 37321Rural: Fringe | KG–5 | Primary | 336 |
| Spring City Middle School | Record | Rhea County | Spring City, 37381Rural: Remote | 6–8 | Middle | 293 |
| Graysville Elementary School | Record | Rhea County | Dayton, 37321Town: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 229 |
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$6,317
State avg $6,215
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Rhea 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 Rhea County?
What is the graduation rate in Rhea County?
How much does Rhea County spend per student?
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.