The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in Social studies. The lowest is 38% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on John Hay Elementary
John Hay Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Morristown, Tennessee, as part of the Hamblen County school district. For a family researching this school, the core question is straightforward: what do the state assessments show, and what kind of school environment do the numbers describe.
On state testing, the picture is mixed. In math, about two out of five students scored at the proficient level or above. In English language arts, the rate was similar, again roughly two in five. In science, the proficiency rate was close to the same mark. A parent familiar with Tennessee’s TNReady assessments will recognize these as mid-range results, a level of attainment that leaves room for growth. The school’s performance does not stand out as unusually high or low relative to broader state patterns, but a family focused on strong test scores would want to look into this further with the school and understand what academic supports are in place. Social studies data was available from an older testing cycle, but the assessment has changed since then, so that older result is not useful for comparison.
The student body is diverse. A little more than half of the students are White. About three out of ten are Hispanic. The rest are a mix of students who are Asian, Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, or of two or more races. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch was not reported, so the economic makeup of the school is not clear from the available information. Similarly, data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was missing, which is a gap a parent may want to address directly with the school.
The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. Its enrollment is small relative to many elementary schools, serving just a few hundred students. That size, combined with a kindergarten-through-fifth-grade structure, creates a setting where a child typically stays in one building for six years, which can foster familiarity among students, families, and staff. No information on the school’s Title I status was available.
Morristown itself is a manufacturing and industrial hub in the Lakeway Area of East Tennessee. The city has a traditional downtown along Main Street, and the broader economy is anchored by companies involved in automotive parts, furniture, poultry processing, and healthcare. Cherokee Lake and Panther Creek State Park lie nearby, and Walters State Community College is a local higher-education anchor. The city’s population has grown steadily. The school sits in a residential area on Brittain Court, within the city. Housing values in the ZIP code area are below the state average, and rents are close to the national average relative to income. For a family moving to the area, this means the cost of living is moderate, and the school is one of several elementary options within the Hamblen County district.
No recent parent-relevant changes from the district were found in the available research. A family looking to understand what the district is prioritizing, such as curriculum shifts or facility plans, would need to seek that information directly from the district office.
There is no graduation rate or high school programming to consider, because the school ends at fifth grade. Similarly, data on chronic absenteeism was not available. The neighbor comparison could not place the school relative to other Hamblen County districts, because there is only one district in the county, so no meaningful comparative frame exists.
For a parent or resident weighing John Hay Elementary, the key takeaway is a mid-sized elementary school with average state assessment results, a diverse student population, and a location in an industrial city with affordable housing. The missing pieces—economic data, special education and English learner counts, and recent district initiatives—are gaps worth filling with a direct call to the school.
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