Maury County, TN - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Maury County

Maury County Public Schools is the sole public school district in Maury County, Tennessee, serving a large student population from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade across more than twenty schools. The district covers a wide geographic area that includes the city of Columbia, the fast-growing town of Spring Hill, and smaller communities such as Mount Pleasant, Culleoka, Santa Fe, and Hampshire. Because Maury County contains only this one district, the usual comparisons to neighboring county districts are not possible here. The district stands on its own terms within the county.

The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial share of Black and Hispanic students, the latter reflecting a growing population in the region. Families here will find a mix of school settings: several comprehensive high schools, middle schools, elementary schools, unit schools that serve all grades in one building, and a virtual academy. This variety means that a family’s experience can differ depending on which attendance zone they live in.

On state assessments administered to students in grades three through eight, proficiency rates across subjects are modest. In both math and English language arts, roughly a third of students scored at the proficient level or above. Science and social studies proficiency rates were slightly higher, though still below half. These results place the district in a middle range relative to the state overall. The district’s high schools also take the same state assessments, but separate data for those grades were not available for this profile. No graduation rate was reported here, which is a notable gap for any district that runs high schools. A parent may want to ask the district directly for that figure.

The housing market across Maury County is varied. In Columbia, the county seat, home values and rents are moderate. Spring Hill, which has seen significant residential development in recent decades, commands higher home prices. Other parts of the county, such as Mount Pleasant, offer more affordable options. Renters will find the greatest concentration of rental properties in Columbia and Spring Hill. Overall, home values in the district have risen at a rate similar to the national trend, and the cost of a typical mortgage modestly exceeds average local rents.

The district recently made two policy changes that have drawn attention. In May 2024, the school board approved a shift from a 10-point grading scale to a 12-point scale. Under the new system, scores of 90 to 92 earn a B instead of an A. The change sparked significant backlash from parents who argue it puts Maury County students at a competitive disadvantage for college admissions and scholarships compared to students in neighboring districts that retained the 10-point scale. A board member later filed a resolution to review the policy, and as of the most recent reporting the matter remained under discussion. Separately, ahead of the 2024-2025 school year, the board debated and moved toward implementing a stricter cell phone policy during school hours, part of a broader trend across Middle Tennessee districts. These debates suggest a community actively engaged in how the district sets academic expectations and manages the school environment.

Several pieces of information that families often use to evaluate a district were not available in the data provided. There are no reported figures on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, the percentage of students with individualized education programs, or the number of English learners. Discipline data and chronic absenteeism rates are also absent, and the district’s per-pupil spending was not included. For a family making a decision about where to live, these gaps are worth noting. The district itself would be the best source for that information.

Maury County Public Schools is a large, geographically dispersed district with a student population that is diverse in race and economic background. Its state test scores are neither high nor low, sitting in a middle range that reflects a system with room for growth. The recent grading scale controversy shows that how the district defines and communicates academic achievement is an active, unsettled question. For families already in the county or considering a move, the specific school within the district is likely to matter as much as the district overall, given the range of school types and community contexts. The district brief turned up no reports of major facility changes or leadership turnover, so the current picture is one of a stable system working through policy debates.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

13,084

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 16%

Black 16%

White 62%

Asian 1%

Two+ 5%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

22%

48%

Gr 4

31%

47%

Gr 5

17%

38%

Gr 6

17%

38%

Gr 7

11%

30%

Gr 8

26%

Gr 38

19%

38%

Math

Gr 3

24%

49%

Gr 4

32%

45%

Gr 5

15%

41%

Gr 6

14%

42%

Gr 7

10%

35%

Gr 8

10%

31%

Gr 38

18%

41%

Science

Gr 3

21%

45%

Gr 4

29%

50%

Gr 5

12%

37%

Gr 6

19%

49%

Gr 7

21%

43%

Gr 8

19%

40%

Gr 38

20%

44%

Social studies

Gr 6

21%

49%

Gr 7

29%

48%

Gr 8

18%

40%

Gr 38

22%

45%

Schools in this District

23 schools are officially reported under this district.

E. A. Cox Middle School

J. R. Baker Elementary

J. Brown Elementary

Columbia Central High School

Culleoka Unit School

Hampshire Unit School

Highland Park Elementary

Mt Pleasant High School

J E Woody Elementary

Riverside Elementary

Santa Fe Unit School

Spring Hill Elementary

Spring Hill High School

Whitthorne Middle School

R Howell Elementary

Mt. Pleasant Middle Visual Perform. Arts

J E Woodard Elementary

Marvin Wright Elementary School

Spring Hill Middle School

Northfield Academy

Battle Creek Elementary School

Battle Creek Middle School

Virtual Academy of Maury County

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

1 grade reported

35%

Grades 3-8

English Language Arts

1 grade reported

33%

Grades 3-8

Science

1 grade reported

38%

Grades 3-8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

40%

Grades 3-8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$390,118

Year-over-year change+1.3%

Range across 10 ZIP codes$283K to $575K

vs. state typical1.17x

vs. national typical1.06x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (10 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
38401	Columbia	$375K	+1.1%	46.5%
38474	Mount Pleasant	$283K	+0.6%	14.8%
38451	Culleoka	$434K	+1.1%	11.1%
37174	Spring Hill	$518K	-0.7%	8.5%
38482	Santa Fe	$477K	+4.8%	7.2%
38487	Williamsport	$395K	+4.6%	5.4%
38461	Hohenwald	$366K	-0.0%	4.9%
38476	Primm Springs	$575K	+2.5%	1.1%
37091	Lewisburg	$294K	+4.7%	0.4%
38483	Summertown	$296K	+7.5%	0.1%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,633/mo

Year-over-year change+1.3%

Range across 2 ZIP codes$1,580 to $1,922/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
38401	Columbia	$1,580	+2.2%	46.5%
37174	Spring Hill	$1,922	-3.8%	8.5%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,969/mo

Home price / national median income4.7x

Annual rent / national median income23.4%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$336/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$334,075 (+0.3% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.