NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- How safe is your child at school if a fire breaks out?

Video: Investigation Reveals Several Schools Violate Fire Codes

In December, Channel 4 News reported that Cheatham County High School had 67 violations from a lack of hydrants to not having proper exits from the gym.

The county said it is now working to correct the problems.

The Channel 4 News I-Team checked into other schools to find out how they fared against fire.

Rock Springs Middle School in Smyrna earned an A+ for fire safety.

Richard Depenhart said he would spend four hours going through every room at this school, writing up an extension cord that shouldn't be there, or boxes that are blocking the sprinkler heads.

Depenhart is the fire marshal.

The school passed with flying colors.

That isn't always the case in middle Tennessee's schools.

The I-Team analyzed hundreds of school inspection reports from the State Fire Marshal's office.

They inspect every Tennessee school except in the bigger cities like Nashville who have their own inspectors.

The average school in middle Tennessee has fewer than four violations each, but the I-Team found some troubled schools that have a lot more; In some cases, dozens of violations.

Coffee County is the county with the highest concentration of them.

On a list of the top 10 offending schools, eight are in Coffee County.

Coffee County School Director Kenny Casteel said all the schools have problems.

His newest school is 31 years old and almost every school is overcrowded, he said.

“It really makes a challenging situation,” said Casteel

North Coffee Elementary had 32 violations – more than any other school in middle Tennessee.

Some of the problems were rotten entry ramps, rotting floors and ceilings, no exit signs, no smoke detectors or fire alarms and in some places, duct tape held doors together. The buildings these problems were found in were portable.

The fire marshal's office ordered repairs immediately. The damaged ceiling and floors have been replaced. “We spent nearly $15,000 this year to make those corrections,” Casteel said.

But the portables still aren't connected to the main fire alarm system.

Casteel estimates it will cost $6 million to make all the changes and upgrades the fire inspectors want them to do.

Coffee County will vote on whether to raise the sales tax to help pay for the work.

“Our students deserve to go to a building that they can feel safe in, that they're proud of,” Casteel said.

Coffee County was No. 1 on the I-Team’s list of the highest average violations per school with 13.

Franklin County isn't far behind with an average of 11.

Macon County and Wilson County schools averaged six violations each.

Robertson, Rutherford, Williamson, Dickson and Lincoln counties had the lowest number of violations per school with less than one per school. Bedford County schools had no reported violations.

PDF: Click here for the full list.

A statewide school fire inspection program was mandated by the legislature in 1999.

Depenhart said schools are fixing things as they get the money.

“Overall, the schools in this state, what they are today, even though you'll have some problems, it's a lot better than they were five years ago,” he said.

The schools in Metro Nashville are not inspected by the State Fire Marshal's office because they have their own inspectors.

Coffee County votes on its sale tax increase on Feb. 27.

PDF: Click here for the full list.