The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in Math. The lowest is 22% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Hillcrest Elementary
Hillcrest Elementary is a regular public school in Morristown, Tennessee, serving students from prekindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Hamblen County district. With an enrollment that places it among the larger elementary schools in the area for its grade band, the student body reflects the broader community’s demographic composition: the largest share of students are Hispanic, followed by a substantial white population, with smaller numbers of students who identify as two or more races, Black, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals, receiving special education services, or classified as English learners were not provided, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about these support structures.
On state assessments, Hillcrest Elementary’s results show room for growth. In math, well under half of tested students scored at the proficient level or above, placing performance below what many families would consider a strong baseline. English language arts proficiency was similarly modest, at a rate slightly below the math figure. Science proficiency was lower still, with about three in ten students meeting the bar. Social studies results are available only from an earlier school year and reflect a period when both the assessment and its cut scores changed, making that older data not directly comparable to current expectations. Full participation in testing was reported for math and ELA, and nearly universal for science.
Because Hillcrest Elementary serves only grades PK through five, there is no graduation rate to report. The school’s academic context is defined entirely by these elementary-level results. No data on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, staffing ratios, or course access were available in the provided records, so families may wish to seek those details from the school or district directly.
The housing market in the area Hillcrest draws from shows home values in a range somewhat below the national median but close to the state median, with typical monthly mortgage costs that are moderate relative to local incomes. Rents also appear to fall within a typical range for the region. The national 30-year mortgage rate was at a level that has been fairly stable in recent months. These factors together suggest that the neighborhood around the school is reasonably affordable compared to many parts of the country, though specific local market conditions can vary street by street.
Morristown itself is a regional economic hub with a manufacturing-based economy anchored by industries such as automotive and aircraft parts, furniture, poultry processing, and health care products. The city has experienced steady population growth over recent decades and advertises itself with the motto “A City Always Expanding.” Its downtown centers on Main Street, with civic anchors including Cherokee Lake, Panther Creek State Park, the Rose Center cultural venue, and Walters State Community College. The built environment mixes residential neighborhoods, a traditional downtown core, and industrial areas. No major district-level changes or initiatives affecting parents were identified in the available recent records.
For a family considering Hillcrest Elementary, the picture is straightforward. The school serves a diverse student population in a mid-sized industrial city with steady growth and moderate housing costs. Academic proficiency rates on state tests are below the halfway mark in core subjects, which is a soft spot worth discussing with the school to understand what supports and interventions are in place at the classroom level. The absence of data on free lunch eligibility, special education enrollment, and English learner services means a parent cannot yet gauge the level of need or the resources allocated to meet it. The school’s size and grade configuration are typical for the area, and the wider community offers a range of recreational and civic amenities. This is a school where a proactive conversation with the principal about academic support and student services would be a natural next step for any parent looking for a fuller picture beyond the numbers available here.
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