A key driver of Rutherford County's economic growth has been the consistent quality of its schools, which routinely exceed expectations and rank at or near No. 1 in Tennessee in a variety of performance measures.
Two public school systems operate in the county:
Rutherford County Schools, with instruction from kindergarten through 12th grade, has enrollment of nearly 33,000 students in 42 schools. The school system is 100 percent accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, with 99.6 percent of its core courses taught by highly qualified teachers, as defined by state and federal standards.
Murfreesboro City Schools, with instruction from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, has enrollment of nearly 7,100 students in 12 schools. The school system is 100 percent accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Both school systems have racked up an impressive list of accolades. Rutherford County, for example, has six middle schools ranked in the state’s top 50 schools and is in a three-way tie with two other Tennessee counties for top-performing middle schools. Murfreesboro’s elementary school system is No. 6 statewide.
The Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce has played an active role in fostering business involvement in education. Programs such as the chamber's Business Education Partnership Foundation build collaborations between businesses and schools through grants, programs and services such as the BC3 Academy for Math/Science Study Enhancement, State Farm Summer Business Camp and job shadowing. BEP/Nissan teacher mini-grants are made available to teachers to fund specific classroom projects.