Decatur County Virtual Academy

Decatur County Virtual Academy is a small alternative school in Parsons, Tennessee, serving just 33 students across grades K–12 through a virtual learning model within Decatur County Schools, a district ranked 57th out of 141 in Tennessee. The school's exceptionally small size and lean budget make it stand out from nearby schools in almost every way.

The most noticeable difference is cost: the academy spends just $5,967 per student, less than half of what Clarksburg School ($14,241) and Holladay Elementary School ($13,861) spend. Test scores are uneven. English II is a genuine bright spot, matching the state average almost exactly (58.3% vs. 58.1%), but other subjects lag far behind. Algebra I proficiency is just 5.9% compared to 32.3% statewide, and only 5.3% of students are proficient in US History versus 43.6% statewide. Biology I, Geometry, and general Science also fall well below district and state averages.

For parents, the takeaway is that this is a low-cost, niche virtual option serving a small population that likely needs an alternative to traditional school—and in English II, the model shows it can work. However, the school does not report graduation rates, absenteeism, or free/reduced lunch data, making it hard to fully evaluate. Compared to Clarksburg School, another alternative school that posts stronger science and English scores with more than double the funding, Decatur County Virtual Academy appears stretched thin in math, science, and social studies. Within its district it is an outlier, and families should weigh the flexibility of virtual learning against the limited resources and uneven results.