The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in Social studies. The lowest is 25% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Holladay Elementary
Holladay Elementary serves children from kindergarten through ninth grade in a single building in the small, unincorporated rural village of Holladay, Tennessee. The school sits within Benton County, a largely agrarian area where the local economy is built on agriculture, forestry, and small-scale enterprises. Holladay itself has a population of about a hundred people, and growth is extremely slow; housing values in the broader area tend to be below the national median, making it a relatively affordable place to live. The region has little walkability and no formal downtown, and the school is the primary public institution for local families with school-aged children.
The student body is small and predominantly white, with much smaller shares of Hispanic and Black students. The school draws from the surrounding rural population, and the peer environment reflects that community composition. Enrollment data show a roughly even spread from kindergarten through eighth grade, with a handful of students in each grade level. The school is listed as serving through ninth grade, but the most recent enrollment figures show no students registered for that grade, so it is unclear whether ninth graders are typically present or if the school’s stated grade band includes a level that is rarely filled. There is no available data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, nor on the share of students with individualized education programs or English learner status. A parent may want to ask the school directly about these support indicators.
On state testing, the picture is mixed. Student participation in the TNReady assessments was complete, so the results represent nearly all students in the tested grades. In mathematics, about a quarter of students scored at the proficient level or above. In English language arts, roughly three in ten students met that bar. Science results were somewhat higher, with a bit more than a third of students reaching proficiency. Social studies was the strongest subject, where roughly half of students scored proficient or above. These results position the school on the lower end of academic attainment in math and ELA relative to state averages, though social studies stands out as a relative strength. Because the comparison set for this school is limited—it is the only school serving similar grades in the district—it cannot be meaningfully ranked against nearby schools within the county. A parent considering this school would want to understand the instructional approach and how the school supports students who are not yet on grade level, since the majority of students in tested grades are not meeting proficiency in core subjects.
The school operates as a regular public school and is not a charter or magnet. No information was available about its course offerings, staffing ratios, discipline rates, or chronic absenteeism. Similarly, no data was reported on whether the school receives Title I funding, which would indicate a federal designation for serving a high concentration of low-income students. The absence of this information leaves questions about the level of resources and support available to students. A parent may want to ask the school about class sizes, enrichment offerings, and how the school addresses student behavior and attendance.
Holladay Elementary offers families in this quiet rural community a local option for schooling through the middle grades, with a small, familiar setting and full participation in state testing. The academic results, particularly in math and reading, suggest room for growth, and the limited data on student support programs means that families should inquire further. For a family that values a very small school environment and a rural, low-population setting, this school fits that profile, but the academic pathway is one where a parent would want to be actively engaged in understanding the school’s efforts to raise proficiency.
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