Total enrollment
4,450
-440 (-9%) vs SY 2020-21
16 schools in Carter County
Tennessee · 4,539 students · 5 cities
Of all public K-12 schools in Tennessee, 16 sit under Carter County, with combined enrollment of roughly 4,539 students (8 elementary, 1 middle, and 5 high).
4-year change in Carter County
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
14
-2 (-12%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Carter County ranks
Among districts| Measure | This district | In Tennessee | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 4,539 | #52 of 135 | #2,133 of 9,234 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 15 | #26 of 135 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.2:1 | #2 of 8 | #2,198 of 9,044 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 16.8% | #106 of 123 | #6,016 of 6,853 |
Districts need at least 2 schools and 500 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton Elementary | Hampton | Elementary | PK-08 | 662 |
| Happy Valley Elementary | Johnson City | Elementary | PK-04 | 506 |
| Hunter Elementary | Elizabethton | Elementary | KG-08 | 498 |
| Happy Valley High School | Elizabethton | High | 09-12 | 449 |
| Hampton High School | Elizabethton | High | 09-12 | 368 |
| Happy Valley Middle School | Elizabethton | Middle | 05-08 | 354 |
| Unaka High School | Elizabethton | High | 09-12 | 284 |
| Central Elementary | Johnson City | Elementary | PK-08 | 267 |
| Cloudland Elementary School | Roan Mountain | Elementary | PK-06 | 262 |
| Cloudland High School | Roan Mountain | High | 07-12 | 236 |
| Unaka Elementary | Elizabethton | Elementary | PK-08 | 194 |
| Valley Forge Elementary | Elizabethton | Elementary | PK-05 | 186 |
| Carter County Online Academy | Elizabethton | Combined | KG-12 | 123 |
| Little Milligan | Butler | Elementary | PK-05 | 89 |
| Carter County Alternative School | Elizabethton | High | 05-12 | 61 |
| Keenburg Elementary | Elizabethton | Combined | M-M | · |
About Carter County
Carter County is a rural-scale Tennessee school district running 16 schools with combined enrollment near 4,539.
On the level-by-level breakdown, Carter County covers 8 elementary, 1 middle, 5 high schools, and 2 combined or other.
Per-school enrollment averages around 284 in this district, below the Tennessee typical of 537.
Over the past 4-year window. Total public-school enrollment in Carter County has contracted 9% since SY 2020-21, moving from about 4,890 students to 4,450. Carter County now counts 14 public schools, down from 16 in SY 2020-21.
On this page, the community for Carter County discusses open enrollment windows, redistricting talk, and busing logistics. Members of the local community share what they see day-to-day.