The Tennessee State Department of Education has a great web-site. One of the links is under statistics is the 2009-2010 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 105th now!!! Want to know more? A History of Our County's Wheel Tax and keep in mind now 104 County and/or City School systems now spend more per student in the the State Of Tennessee than our county does.
| 1 | *FRANKLIN | 3,565 | 42,498,554 | $11,923 |
| 2 | OAK RIDGE | 4,213 | 49,764,558 | $11,813 |
| 3 | DAVIDSON COUNTY | 69,198 | 745,764,167 | $10,777 |
| 4 | MEMPHIS | 98,412 | 1,059,615,040 | $10,767 |
| 5 | GREENEVILLE | 2,590 | 26,516,525 | $10,236 |
| 6 | ALCOA | 1,604 | 16,244,120 | $10,128 |
| 7 | KINGSPORT | 6,093 | 61,245,997 | $10,052 |
| 8 | TULLAHOMA | 3,151 | 31,580,286 | $10,021 |
| 9 | ETOWAH | 308 | 3,084,125 | $10,014 |
| 10 | MANCHESTER | 1,260 | 12,475,303 | $9,903 |
| 11 | *BRADFORD | 503 | 4,968,807 | $9,886 |
| 12 | BRISTOL | 3,624 | 35,354,634 | $9,754 |
| 13 | LAKE COUNTY | 835 | 8,111,609 | $9,713 |
| 14 | BLEDSOE COUNTY | 1,679 | 16,219,142 | $9,662 |
| 15 | HUMBOLDT | 1,224 | 11,789,613 | $9,628 |
| 16 | CLINTON | 815 | 7,764,116 | $9,527 |
| 17 | MADISON COUNTY | 11,986 | 112,705,308 | $9,403 |
| 18 | MARYVILLE | 4,741 | 44,578,159 | $9,403 |
| 19 | ANDERSON COUNTY | 6,250 | 58,754,525 | $9,401 |
| 20 | ATHENS | 1,590 | 14,856,497 | $9,342 |
| 21 | NEWPORT | 716 | 6,647,846 | $9,282 |
| 22 | FAYETTE COUNTY | 3,323 | 30,792,659 | $9,267 |
| 23 | HAMILTON COUNTY | 38,301 | 353,120,260 | $9,220 |
| 24 | HANCOCK COUNTY | 962 | 8,869,780 | $9,218 |
| 25 | JOHNSON COUNTY | 2,093 | 19,268,505 | $9,206 |
| 26 | ELIZABETHTON | 2,013 | 18,488,863 | $9,183 |
| 27 | HARDIN COUNTY | 3,435 | 31,153,685 | $9,069 |
| 28 | JOHNSON CITY | 6,940 | 62,873,281 | $9,059 |
| 29 | DYERSBURG | 2,952 | 26,718,304 | $9,051 |
| 30 | MOORE COUNTY | 917 | 8,279,609 | $9,033 |
| 31 | GRUNDY COUNTY | 2,082 | 18,766,089 | $9,013 |
| 32 | HARDEMAN COUNTY | 3,861 | 34,639,923 | $8,971 |
| 33 | GILES COUNTY | 3,952 | 35,410,181 | $8,961 |
| 34 | PERRY COUNTY | 1,044 | 9,355,438 | $8,960 |
| 35 | UNION COUNTY | 2,792 | 24,981,569 | $8,948 |
| 36 | VAN BUREN COUNTY | 721 | 6,425,590 | $8,913 |
| 37 | LEXINGTON | 985 | 8,743,146 | $8,874 |
| 38 | CLEVELAND | 4,505 | 39,974,596 | $8,873 |
| 39 | BENTON COUNTY | 2,251 | 19,879,400 | $8,830 |
| 40 | HAYWOOD COUNTY | 3,105 | 27,398,780 | $8,824 |
| 41 | CLAY COUNTY | 1,009 | 8,899,995 | $8,823 |
| 42 | CARTER COUNTY | 5,295 | 46,592,288 | $8,799 |
| 43 | PICKETT COUNTY | 644 | 5,663,354 | $8,796 |
| 44 | SEVIER COUNTY | 13,263 | 116,337,220 | $8,772 |
| 45 | SULLIVAN COUNTY | 10,746 | 94,207,860 | $8,767 |
| 46 | WAYNE COUNTY | 2,244 | 19,636,435 | $8,749 |
| 47 | UNION CITY | 1,389 | 12,088,097 | $8,704 |
| 48 | *ONEIDA | 1,127 | 9,782,244 | $8,681 |
| 49 | FAYETTEVILLE | 954 | 8,270,620 | $8,668 |
| 50 | ROANE COUNTY | 6,889 | 59,625,084 | $8,655 |
| 51 | MURFREESBORO | 6,599 | 57,042,820 | $8,644 |
| 52 | ROGERSVILLE | 635 | 5,476,378 | $8,622 |
| 53 | STEWART COUNTY | 2,020 | 17,304,261 | $8,564 |
| 54 | CLAIBORNE COUNTY | 4,305 | 36,851,795 | $8,560 |
| 55 | KNOX COUNTY | 51,871 | 442,380,905 | $8,529 |
| 56 | COCKE COUNTY | 4,482 | 38,219,597 | $8,528 |
| 57 | LENOIR CITY | 2,086 | 17,641,736 | $8,458 |
| 58 | *LEBANON | 3,039 | 25,683,153 | $8,450 |
| 59 | SHELBY COUNTY | 45,510 | 384,052,860 | $8,439 |
| 60 | *RICHARD CITY | 292 | 2,455,281 | $8,415 |
| 61 | DYER COUNTY | 3,295 | 27,697,758 | $8,406 |
| 62 | HENRY COUNTY | 3,010 | 25,280,537 | $8,399 |
| 63 | LAUDERDALE COUNTY | 4,246 | 35,500,340 | $8,360 |
| 64 | HICKMAN COUNTY | 3,578 | 29,891,220 | $8,353 |
| 65 | BELLS | 353 | 2,943,728 | $8,338 |
| 66 | COFFEE COUNTY | 4,071 | 33,944,236 | $8,338 |
| 67 | FENTRESS COUNTY | 2,215 | 18,420,618 | $8,317 |
| 68 | HAWKINS COUNTY | 7,118 | 59,102,694 | $8,303 |
| 69 | BLOUNT COUNTY | 10,686 | 88,521,804 | $8,284 |
| 70 | MAURY COUNTY | 10,774 | 89,076,234 | $8,268 |
| 71 | *PARIS | 1,508 | 12,462,461 | $8,266 |
| 72 | SCOTT COUNTY | 2,601 | 21,468,500 | $8,254 |
| 73 | MORGAN COUNTY | 3,023 | 24,901,689 | $8,236 |
| 74 | CANNON COUNTY | 2,014 | 16,576,021 | $8,232 |
| 75 | SWEETWATER | 1,402 | 11,539,662 | $8,229 |
| 76 | FRANKLIN COUNTY | 5,444 | 44,452,474 | $8,166 |
| 77 | MONTGOMERY COUNTY | 27,319 | 222,702,932 | $8,152 |
| 78 | ALAMO | 553 | 4,499,630 | $8,142 |
| 79 | *S. CARROLL | 352 | 2,859,184 | $8,119 |
| 80 | POLK COUNTY | 2,485 | 20,106,848 | $8,092 |
| 81 | HUMPHREYS COUNTY | 2,884 | 23,320,133 | $8,086 |
| 82 | WASHINGTON COUNTY | 8,576 | 69,172,679 | $8,066 |
| 83 | WARREN COUNTY | 6,090 | 48,951,205 | $8,038 |
| 84 | JACKSON COUNTY | 1,540 | 12,371,813 | $8,035 |
| 85 | *W. CARROLL | 950 | 7,617,088 | $8,016 |
| 86 | DECATUR COUNTY | 1,499 | 11,996,231 | $8,002 |
| 87 | MARSHALL COUNTY | 4,954 | 39,532,496 | $7,981 |
| 88 | MEIGS COUNTY | 1,731 | 13,794,820 | $7,970 |
| 89 | HENDERSON COUNTY | 3,511 | 27,826,959 | $7,925 |
| 90 | MARION COUNTY | 4,039 | 31,961,052 | $7,913 |
| 91 | RHEA COUNTY | 3,980 | 31,419,426 | $7,895 |
| 92 | PUTNAM COUNTY | 9,865 | 77,848,627 | $7,891 |
| 93 | *MILAN | 2,016 | 15,904,315 | $7,891 |
| 94 | LOUDON COUNTY | 4,785 | 37,739,571 | $7,887 |
| 95 | OBION COUNTY | 3,652 | 28,777,675 | $7,879 |
| 96 | WEAKLEY COUNTY | 4,452 | 35,032,633 | $7,869 |
| 97 | SUMNER COUNTY | 25,692 | 201,396,245 | $7,839 |
| 98 | WILLIAMSON COUNTY | 29,278 | 228,971,698 | $7,821 |
| 99 | LINCOLN COUNTY | 3,783 | 29,555,928 | $7,814 |
| 100 | DEKALB COUNTY | 2,626 | 20,473,609 | $7,796 |
| 101 | HAMBLEN COUNTY | 9,265 | 72,026,943 | $7,774 |
| 102 | DICKSON COUNTY | 7,954 | 61,671,167 | $7,754 |
| 103 | LAWRENCE COUNTY | 6,385 | 49,481,144 | $7,750 |
| 104 | UNICOI COUNTY | 2,425 | 18,779,187 | $7,745 |
| 105 | RUTHERFORD COUNTY | 35,425 | 273,024,143 | $7,707 |
| 106 | DAYTON | 710 | 5,466,724 | $7,698 |
| 107 | MONROE COUNTY | 5,196 | 39,948,447 | $7,688 |
| 108 | CROCKETT COUNTY | 1,721 | 13,228,672 | $7,685 |
| 109 | TIPTON COUNTY | 11,133 | 85,184,352 | $7,651 |
| 110 | HOUSTON COUNTY | 1,376 | 10,516,164 | $7,643 |
| 111 | ROBERTSON COUNTY | 10,298 | 78,696,497 | $7,642 |
| 112 | GREENE COUNTY | 6,694 | 51,145,596 | $7,640 |
| 113 | MCNAIRY COUNTY | 4,116 | 31,286,185 | $7,602 |
| 114 | CAMPBELL COUNTY | 5,645 | 42,822,323 | $7,586 |
| 115 | *HUNTINGDON | 1,182 | 8,956,355 | $7,575 |
| 116 | CUMBERLAND COUNTY | 6,916 | 52,378,364 | $7,574 |
| 117 | TROUSDALE COUNTY | 1,235 | 9,352,426 | $7,571 |
| 118 | JEFFERSON COUNTY | 6,950 | 52,581,296 | $7,565 |
| 119 | WILSON COUNTY | 14,225 | 107,512,175 | $7,558 |
| 120 | BRADLEY COUNTY | 9,455 | 71,440,757 | $7,556 |
| 121 | *TRENTON | 1,341 | 10,134,682 | $7,555 |
| 122 | GRAINGER COUNTY | 3,282 | 24,540,195 | $7,476 |
| 123 | MCMINN COUNTY | 5,545 | 41,336,754 | $7,455 |
| 124 | *HOLLOW ROCK-BR | 640 | 4,763,717 | $7,441 |
| 125 | BEDFORD COUNTY | 7,350 | 54,569,010 | $7,424 |
| 126 | LEWIS COUNTY | 1,801 | 13,361,680 | $7,418 |
| 127 | MACON COUNTY | 3,544 | 26,216,107 | $7,398 |
| 128 | OVERTON COUNTY | 3,278 | 24,162,107 | $7,371 |
| 129 | SEQUATCHIE COUNTY | 2,152 | 15,796,360 | $7,342 |
| 130 | SMITH COUNTY | 3,125 | 22,887,053 | $7,324 |
| 131 | CHEATHAM COUNTY | 6,426 | 47,000,763 | $7,314 |
| 132 | *MCKENZIE | 1,324 | 9,484,668 | $7,166 |
| 133 | CHESTER COUNTY | 2,567 | 18,312,274 | $7,134 |
| 134 | WHITE COUNTY | 3,863 | 26,985,672 | $6,986 |
| 135 | *GIBSON CO. SPEC. | 3,270 | 21,816,013 | $6,671 |
| 136 | CARROLL COUNTY | 5 | 3,619,277 | NA |
| 137 | GIBSON COUNTY | NA | NA | NA |