In testimony to the state legislature it was stated that during COVID 3,000 students left Knox County Schools yet the School Budget increased 35%. I will check the budget figures in a future post.

Let us check the ADM from FY 2017 through FY 2026. Thank you to my source(s) for helping to obtain these numbers.

FY 2017 • 57,805

FY 2018 • 58,387 ( + 582 students)

FY 2019 • 58,846 ( +459 students)

FY 2020 • 58,918 ( +72 students)

FY 2021 • 59,599 ( +681 students)

FY 2022 • 57,384 (-2,215 students)

FY 2023 • 58,301 ( +917 students)

FY 2024 • 58,539 ( +238 students)

FY 2025 • 58,442 ( -97 students)

*FY 2026 • 57,978 ( -464 students) these numbers i am told are projections for upcoming budget preparations.

In the current year, the all male Knoxville Preparatory School opened. That would explain a percentage of the 97 students this year. While FY 2022 did have a decrease of 2,215 students. Many of those may have achieved a GED. However in FY 2023 the district gained 917 almost half of the previous year’s loss.