KAEC, 5719 Kingston Pike: grades K-12, 42 students in 2024-25. Office: 865-909-9020.

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

Knoxville Adaptive Education Center is a Knox County Schools special program school for kindergarten to 12th grade at 5719 Kingston Pike in Knoxville. The school is inside Knoxville city limits.

Knoxville Adaptive Education Center was established in 1968 on Kingston Pike. It serves select students in kindergarten through 12th grade from across Knox County who need a structured, supportive setting with a strong mental health component, according to its About Us page. Students reach the program through the Individual Education Plan process, according to the district’s school schedules page.

Who to call
Address 5719 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919
Phone 865-909-9020
Grades K to 12
School day 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
District Knox County Schools
School board district and KCS region District 4, Region 1
Students, 2024-25 (state count) 42

Principal

Principal Cory Smith, according to the school’s About Us page.

Enrollment and teachers

  • State count: 42 students in the 2024-25 school year, in the Tennessee Department of Education’s school profile file.
  • Federal count: 41 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 11 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That works out to about 4 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 KAEC 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.

Spring 2026 TCAP tests (share of students who met or exceeded expectations, all grades, from the state’s 2026 school assessment file):

Subject Met or exceeded Valid tests
Science 7.7% 13

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

Attendance zone and feeder schools

KAEC does not have its own attendance zone. Every student keeps a zoned base school, found with 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)

The school day runs 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and half days 8:30 a.m. to noon, according to the district’s school schedules page.

More on Knoxville schools

Frequently asked questions

What grades does Knoxville Adaptive Education Center serve?

KAEC serves kindergarten to 12th grade. It is a Knox County Schools campus at 5719 Kingston Pike, Knoxville; the main office number is 865-909-9020.

Does KAEC have a state letter grade?

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

What time does KAEC start?

The school day runs 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., according to the Knox County Schools school schedules page.