Fair Garden, 400 Fern St.: Pre-K (ages 3 and 4), 135 students in 2023-24. Office: 865-594-1320.

Last checked Oct. 18, 2026. Sources: fairgarden.knoxschools.org, Knox County Schools, the Tennessee Department of Education’s State Report Card and data files and the NCES school directory.

Fair Garden Family Center is a Knox County Schools preschool at 400 Fern St. in Knoxville. The school is inside Knoxville city limits.

Fair Garden was built in 1916 as a K-8 school in East Knoxville’s Burlington community. It now serves 3- and 4-year-old preschoolers who qualify for Title I classes, plus blended and voluntary pre-K classes, and is the only preschool in its district region, according to its About Us page.

Who to call
Address 400 Fern St., Knoxville, TN 37914
Phone 865-594-1320
Grades Pre-K (ages 3 and 4)
School day 7:10 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
District Knox County Schools
School board district and KCS region District 1, Region 5

Principal

Principal Tara Howell-Spikes, according to the school’s About Us page.

Enrollment and teachers

  • Federal count: 135 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 7 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That works out to about 19 students per teacher.

State report card

Tennessee gives most public schools an A-F letter grade. The Department of Education says the grades are meant “to provide a snapshot of how each school performed during the previous academic year,” according to its school letter grades page. The grade combines indicators scored from 1 to 5: student achievement, academic growth, growth of the highest-need students and, for high schools, college and career readiness.

The state lists Fair Garden as not eligible for a 2024-25 letter grade in its letter grade file, as it does for schools without enough tested students or with special missions.

The full report, with chronic absence and results by student group, is on the State Report Card page for Fair Garden.

Attendance zone and feeder schools

Preschool seats are not assigned by attendance zone in the same way as K-12 schools. Knox County Schools runs blended, Title I and voluntary pre-K programs; details and the preschool roundup are on the district’s preschool programs page. To find the zoned elementary school for an address, use the KGIS school zone search.

Families who want a school outside their zone apply for a transfer. The priority window for the 2027-28 school year opened Oct. 1, 2026, and closes at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2027; a final window runs April 1 to June 1, 2027. Seats depend on space, are assigned by lottery-style numbers within priority groups, and transfer students get no bus service, according to the district’s transfer page.

Calendar and bell times

From the Knox County Schools 2026-27 calendar:

  • Tuesday, Nov. 3: in-service day, no school for students
  • Wednesday, Nov. 18: half day for students
  • Nov. 25-27: Thanksgiving holidays, schools closed
  • Friday, Dec. 18: half day; end of the first semester
  • Dec. 21 to Jan. 1: winter break; students return Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2027
  • March 8-12, 2027: spring break
  • Wednesday, May 26, 2027: last day for students (half day)

Full-day preschool runs 7:10 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. and half-day preschool 7:10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., according to the district’s school schedules page.

More on Knoxville schools

Frequently asked questions

What grades does Fair Garden Family Center serve?

Fair Garden serves Pre-K (ages 3 and 4). It is a Knox County Schools campus at 400 Fern St., Knoxville; the main office number is 865-594-1320.

Does Fair Garden have a state letter grade?

No. The Tennessee Department of Education lists Fair Garden as not eligible for a 2024-25 letter grade. Its State Report Card page still holds enrollment and other data.

What time does Fair Garden start?

Full-day preschool runs 7:10 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., according to the Knox County Schools school schedules page.