The Tennessee State Department of Education has a great web-site. One of the links is under statistics is the 2010-2011 Statistical Report. I 'saved-as' "Table 50 - Expenditures - Current Expenditures Per ADA" to find out where Rutherford County and Murfreesboro ranked in the state.
In all fairness, I do not know if this chart is truly indicative of each county's local government's commitment to education. Some counties may pay lower teacher salaries than others. Others may have far more transportation expenses than others. I am not an accountant or a school superintendent or a journalist but the way I understand the comments these dollars represent county dollars for educating a student in a classroom. Federal and State dollars are excluded (I think I have that right.)
OUR Rutherford County Commissioners took five cents of the Rutherford County School Board's share of the property taxes and transferred it to the general fund for the 1998-1999 fiscal year. Since The County Commission voted 14-7 to not give them the five cents back or any other increase for the 1999-2000 fiscal year we went from 62nd in the state in '97-'98 to 103rd now!!! Want to know more? A History of Our County's Wheel Tax and keep in mind now 102 County and/or City School systems now spend more per student in the the State Of Tennessee than our county does.
| 1 | OAK RIDGE | 4,288 | 51,941,497 | $12,112 |
| 2 | *FRANKLIN | 3,616 | 42,813,336 | $11,839 |
| 3 | MEMPHIS | 97,662 | 1,105,895,436 | $11,324 |
| 4 | DAVIDSON COUNTY | 70,427 | 780,320,824 | $11,080 |
| 5 | HUMBOLDT | 1,148 | 12,481,801 | $10,871 |
| 6 | ALCOA | 1,623 | 17,576,219 | $10,826 |
| 7 | TULLAHOMA | 3,048 | 31,995,644 | $10,499 |
| 8 | GREENEVILLE | 2,586 | 26,425,355 | $10,220 |
| 9 | KINGSPORT | 6,196 | 63,128,617 | $10,189 |
| 10 | MANCHESTER | 1,279 | 12,905,655 | $10,089 |
| 11 | ETOWAH | 295 | 2,974,540 | $10,085 |
| 12 | LAKE COUNTY | 821 | 8,275,107 | $10,081 |
| 13 | DYERSBURG | 2,815 | 28,133,411 | $9,992 |
| 14 | JOHNSON COUNTY | 2,060 | 20,488,078 | $9,943 |
| 15 | NEWPORT | 695 | 6,804,617 | $9,795 |
| 16 | HARDIN COUNTY | 3,249 | 31,811,776 | $9,790 |
| 17 | ATHENS | 1,531 | 14,990,271 | $9,788 |
| 18 | MADISON COUNTY | 11,951 | 116,236,945 | $9,726 |
| 19 | VAN BUREN COUNTY | 681 | 6,602,286 | $9,689 |
| 20 | BRISTOL | 3,647 | 35,161,944 | $9,640 |
| 21 | GILES COUNTY | 3,865 | 36,572,942 | $9,463 |
| 22 | HANCOCK COUNTY | 946 | 8,924,441 | $9,437 |
| 23 | CLAY COUNTY | 997 | 9,404,689 | $9,431 |
| 24 | FAYETTE COUNTY | 3,310 | 31,198,428 | $9,426 |
| 25 | HAMILTON COUNTY | 39,434 | 370,613,215 | $9,398 |
| 26 | BENTON COUNTY | 2,183 | 20,520,319 | $9,398 |
| 27 | JOHNSON CITY | 7,018 | 65,876,460 | $9,387 |
| 28 | CLINTON | 848 | 7,961,955 | $9,387 |
| 29 | BLEDSOE COUNTY | 1,719 | 16,139,185 | $9,386 |
| 30 | PERRY COUNTY | 1,051 | 9,857,766 | $9,376 |
| 31 | *BRADFORD | 522 | 4,829,552 | $9,259 |
| 32 | CLEVELAND | 4,664 | 43,047,984 | $9,230 |
| 33 | *RICHARD CITY | 302 | 2,788,078 | $9,227 |
| 34 | MARYVILLE | 4,758 | 43,840,773 | $9,214 |
| 35 | GRUNDY COUNTY | 2,102 | 19,351,572 | $9,205 |
| 36 | MURFREESBORO | 6,560 | 60,370,577 | $9,203 |
| 37 | ANDERSON COUNTY | 6,317 | 58,120,068 | $9,201 |
| 38 | UNION COUNTY | 2,791 | 25,582,612 | $9,167 |
| 39 | HARDEMAN COUNTY | 3,783 | 34,674,215 | $9,167 |
| 40 | WAYNE COUNTY | 2,207 | 20,184,713 | $9,145 |
| 41 | ELIZABETHTON | 2,119 | 19,358,403 | $9,137 |
| 42 | LEXINGTON | 951 | 8,687,913 | $9,133 |
| 43 | CARTER COUNTY | 5,208 | 47,549,267 | $9,129 |
| 44 | SULLIVAN COUNTY | 10,412 | 94,742,301 | $9,099 |
| 45 | SEVIER COUNTY | 13,319 | 120,710,225 | $9,063 |
| 46 | UNION CITY | 1,378 | 12,431,081 | $9,023 |
| 47 | HAYWOOD COUNTY | 3,154 | 28,274,970 | $8,965 |
| 48 | PICKETT COUNTY | 665 | 5,958,267 | $8,960 |
| 49 | SHELBY COUNTY | 44,563 | 399,159,218 | $8,957 |
| 50 | LAUDERDALE COUNTY | 4,214 | 37,463,889 | $8,890 |
| 51 | COCKE COUNTY | 4,395 | 38,957,774 | $8,865 |
| 52 | ROANE COUNTY | 6,771 | 59,958,054 | $8,856 |
| 53 | HENRY COUNTY | 2,970 | 26,175,023 | $8,812 |
| 54 | LENOIR CITY | 2,129 | 18,728,782 | $8,795 |
| 55 | COFFEE COUNTY | 4,111 | 36,088,199 | $8,779 |
| 56 | CLAIBORNE COUNTY | 4,318 | 37,469,023 | $8,678 |
| 57 | STEWART COUNTY | 2,004 | 17,353,234 | $8,658 |
| 58 | HAWKINS COUNTY | 6,994 | 60,446,238 | $8,642 |
| 59 | *ONEIDA | 1,124 | 9,703,081 | $8,634 |
| 60 | MAURY COUNTY | 10,748 | 92,722,041 | $8,627 |
| 61 | MOORE COUNTY | 945 | 8,146,950 | $8,625 |
| 62 | SWEETWATER | 1,399 | 12,054,352 | $8,614 |
| 63 | JACKSON COUNTY | 1,456 | 12,452,633 | $8,552 |
| 64 | LOUDON COUNTY | 4,578 | 39,110,206 | $8,543 |
| 65 | *LEBANON | 3,089 | 26,381,871 | $8,541 |
| 66 | DYER COUNTY | 3,417 | 29,128,517 | $8,525 |
| 67 | KNOX COUNTY | 52,213 | 444,196,401 | $8,507 |
| 68 | SUMNER COUNTY | 26,084 | 221,376,244 | $8,487 |
| 69 | MEIGS COUNTY | 1,663 | 14,097,955 | $8,478 |
| 70 | FRANKLIN COUNTY | 5,467 | 46,057,018 | $8,425 |
| 71 | BLOUNT COUNTY | 10,543 | 88,570,429 | $8,401 |
| 72 | HOUSTON COUNTY | 1,328 | 11,144,903 | $8,395 |
| 73 | ROGERSVILLE | 653 | 5,476,386 | $8,391 |
| 74 | FENTRESS COUNTY | 2,204 | 18,431,723 | $8,364 |
| 75 | *W. CARROLL | 943 | 7,874,110 | $8,352 |
| 76 | MONTGOMERY COUNTY | 27,832 | 232,092,340 | $8,339 |
| 77 | WILSON COUNTY | 14,579 | 121,495,743 | $8,333 |
| 78 | OBION COUNTY | 3,617 | 30,117,195 | $8,326 |
| 79 | MARSHALL COUNTY | 4,946 | 41,097,721 | $8,309 |
| 80 | HICKMAN COUNTY | 3,516 | 29,160,588 | $8,293 |
| 81 | HUMPHREYS COUNTY | 2,873 | 23,822,912 | $8,292 |
| 82 | DECATUR COUNTY | 1,509 | 12,496,809 | $8,281 |
| 83 | *S. CARROLL | 352 | 2,910,060 | $8,276 |
| 84 | MORGAN COUNTY | 3,029 | 25,055,716 | $8,272 |
| 85 | ALAMO | 554 | 4,581,781 | $8,269 |
| 86 | PUTNAM COUNTY | 9,965 | 82,374,307 | $8,266 |
| 87 | MARION COUNTY | 4,012 | 33,136,175 | $8,260 |
| 88 | RHEA COUNTY | 3,943 | 32,544,507 | $8,253 |
| 89 | WARREN COUNTY | 6,208 | 51,124,575 | $8,235 |
| 90 | *PARIS | 1,575 | 12,962,513 | $8,231 |
| 91 | FAYETTEVILLE | 1,113 | 9,130,475 | $8,203 |
| 92 | POLK COUNTY | 2,504 | 20,484,931 | $8,182 |
| 93 | CHEATHAM COUNTY | 6,170 | 50,472,887 | $8,181 |
| 94 | *HOLLOW ROCK-BR | 622 | 5,080,990 | $8,172 |
| 95 | UNICOI COUNTY | 2,375 | 19,370,158 | $8,155 |
| 96 | DAYTON | 706 | 5,759,846 | $8,155 |
| 97 | *MILAN | 2,018 | 16,385,738 | $8,119 |
| 98 | MCNAIRY COUNTY | 4,080 | 33,104,005 | $8,114 |
| 99 | DICKSON COUNTY | 7,886 | 63,963,262 | $8,111 |
| 100 | HENDERSON COUNTY | 3,555 | 28,812,395 | $8,105 |
| 101 | WASHINGTON COUNTY | 8,477 | 68,648,358 | $8,098 |
| 102 | CANNON COUNTY | 2,003 | 16,216,196 | $8,097 |
| 103 | RUTHERFORD COUNTY | 36,330 | 294,083,433 | $8,095 |
| 104 | CROCKETT COUNTY | 1,716 | 13,887,200 | $8,094 |
| 105 | WILLIAMSON COUNTY | 30,046 | 242,819,138 | $8,082 |
| 106 | MONROE COUNTY | 5,213 | 42,125,664 | $8,081 |
| 107 | LAWRENCE COUNTY | 6,395 | 51,657,844 | $8,078 |
| 108 | ROBERTSON COUNTY | 10,348 | 83,542,071 | $8,073 |
| 109 | TIPTON COUNTY | 11,139 | 89,630,263 | $8,046 |
| 110 | BELLS | 382 | 3,062,267 | $8,017 |
| 111 | *HUNTINGDON | 1,166 | 9,331,675 | $8,000 |
| 112 | BEDFORD COUNTY | 7,400 | 59,128,497 | $7,991 |
| 113 | OVERTON COUNTY | 3,270 | 26,109,354 | $7,985 |
| 114 | TROUSDALE COUNTY | 1,163 | 9,281,654 | $7,982 |
| 115 | SCOTT COUNTY | 2,728 | 21,656,940 | $7,939 |
| 116 | *TRENTON | 1,299 | 10,261,420 | $7,902 |
| 117 | WEAKLEY COUNTY | 4,331 | 34,169,358 | $7,889 |
| 118 | JEFFERSON COUNTY | 6,946 | 54,641,606 | $7,867 |
| 119 | MACON COUNTY | 3,531 | 27,613,354 | $7,820 |
| 120 | MCMINN COUNTY | 5,536 | 43,089,361 | $7,784 |
| 121 | CAMPBELL COUNTY | 5,576 | 43,177,950 | $7,744 |
| 122 | CUMBERLAND COUNTY | 6,897 | 53,353,196 | $7,736 |
| 123 | GRAINGER COUNTY | 3,300 | 25,395,733 | $7,695 |
| 124 | DEKALB COUNTY | 2,743 | 21,028,752 | $7,666 |
| 125 | HAMBLEN COUNTY | 9,675 | 73,896,196 | $7,638 |
| 126 | LINCOLN COUNTY | 3,728 | 28,433,097 | $7,627 |
| 127 | SEQUATCHIE COUNTY | 2,139 | 16,280,943 | $7,610 |
| 128 | SMITH COUNTY | 3,085 | 23,382,121 | $7,579 |
| 129 | LEWIS COUNTY | 1,783 | 13,494,377 | $7,567 |
| 130 | WHITE COUNTY | 3,792 | 28,650,423 | $7,555 |
| 131 | BRADLEY COUNTY | 9,501 | 71,633,569 | $7,540 |
| 132 | GREENE COUNTY | 6,741 | 50,232,815 | $7,451 |
| 133 | CHESTER COUNTY | 2,574 | 18,939,203 | $7,357 |
| 134 | *MCKENZIE | 1,333 | 9,250,717 | $6,941 |
| 135 | *GIBSON CO. SPEC. | 3,455 | 23,254,701 | $6,730 |
| 136 | CARROLL COUNTY | 2 | 3,729,936 | NA |
| 137 | GIBSON COUNTY | NA | NA | NA |
| * SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT |