Fort Sanders EDC, 501 S. 21st St.: Pre-K, plus a K-12 developmental classroom, 12 students in 2024-25. Office: 865-594-5035.

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

Fort Sanders Educational Development Center is a Knox County Schools preschool at 501 S. 21st St. in Knoxville. The school is inside Knoxville city limits.

Fort Sanders Educational Development Center opened in 1957 at South 21st Street and Clinch Avenue. It serves about 175 students, including preschoolers and a Comprehensive Developmental Classroom for students in kindergarten to 12th grade, according to its About Us page.

Who to call
Address 501 S. 21st St., Knoxville, TN 37916
Phone 865-594-5035
Grades Pre-K, plus a K-12 developmental classroom
School day 7:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
District Knox County Schools
Students, 2024-25 (state count) 12

Principal

Principal Jessica Schaefer Ruiz, according to the school’s About Us page.

Enrollment and teachers

  • State count: 12 students in the 2024-25 school year, in the Tennessee Department of Education’s school profile file.
  • Federal count: 481 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 9 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That works out to about 53 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 Fort Sanders EDC 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 Fort Sanders EDC.

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 7:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. and half-day preschool 7:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. or 11 a.m., according to the district’s school schedules page.

More on Knoxville schools

Frequently asked questions

What grades does Fort Sanders Educational Development Center serve?

Fort Sanders EDC serves Pre-K, plus a K-12 developmental classroom. It is a Knox County Schools campus at 501 S. 21st St., Knoxville; the main office number is 865-594-5035.

Does Fort Sanders EDC have a state letter grade?

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

What time does Fort Sanders EDC start?

Full-day preschool runs 7:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., according to the Knox County Schools school schedules page.