The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in English language arts. The lowest is 10% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Tharptown High School
Tharptown High School, a regular public school serving seventh through twelfth grade, is part of the Franklin County school district and located on Highway 80 in Russellville. The town of Russellville is the county seat of Franklin County, a car-dependent community with a downtown centered on the courthouse and the historic Roxy Theatre. Population growth has been modest recently, essentially flat after a long period of economic decline as mining and heavy industry left the region. The housing market is relatively affordable compared to national and state benchmarks, with home values recently sitting below state medians. Most families in the area live in a low-density, spread-out setting.
The school has a moderate enrollment for a secondary school serving six grade levels. The student body is roughly evenly split between White students and Hispanic students, with small numbers of students identifying as two or more races, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Black. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
State testing data from the most recent assessment year shows that proficiency rates in both math and English language arts are low across the tested grades. In seventh grade math and eighth grade math, the share of students meeting the state proficiency bar is very low. In eighth grade science, proficiency is also low. English language arts performance is higher than math but still modest, with seventh graders and eighth graders reaching proficiency at rates that suggest a majority of students are not yet meeting the state standard. Because this is the first year of available data from the state's current assessment, there is no trend line yet to show whether the school is improving or declining.
Compared to other districts within Franklin County, overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places this school in the bottom quartile. A graduation rate was not available in the data, so that measure could not be compared.
No information was available on course offerings, including Advanced Placement, dual enrollment, or career and technical education pathways. Parents who want to understand the breadth of academic programming for older students — particularly college-preparatory coursework or career-training options — would need to ask the school directly. Data on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, and staffing ratios were also not part of the available record. Special education and English learner counts were missing as well, which makes it harder to assess the school's support systems for students with individualized learning needs.
Russellville itself offers a few civic anchors — parks, the Roxy Theatre, and the annual Franklin County Watermelon Festival — but the town does not have fixed-route transit, and the school campus is set apart from the downtown core. The economy draws on manufacturing, retail, health care, and government employment, with the school district itself a likely significant public-sector employer.
For a family considering Tharptown High School, the central facts are straightforward: the school serves a largely rural community with modest housing costs, a student population that is roughly half Hispanic and half White, and a high share of students from low-income households. Academic performance is low relative to state and county benchmarks, particularly in math and science, and the available data does not show whether programming beyond the core academics exists. A parent should investigate directly with the school what academic pathways are available for high school students and what interventions are in place to support the substantial number of students who are not yet proficient in core subjects.
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