The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in Science. The lowest is 39% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Friendsville Elementary
Friendsville Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in the Blount County district, located in a small, rural Tennessee town that has seen little population growth over many decades. The school itself sits within the town fabric, on the site of the former Friendsville High School, and draws its roughly two hundred students from the surrounding residential and agricultural area. The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of Asian, Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, as well as counts for students with disabilities and English learners, was not available in the state reporting used here, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about these supports.
On the Tennessee state assessments, the school shows a mixed academic picture. In math, fewer than half of students scored at the proficient or above level. In English language arts, the share was lower still, below two-fifths. Science was a relative bright spot, with more than half of students reaching proficiency. Social studies data was from an older testing administration and is not directly comparable to the current assessments, so meaningful conclusions about current performance in that subject cannot be drawn from it. When compared across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index falls below the midpoint among the districts in Blount County. This is not a strength, and a family considering the school will want to understand what instructional supports are in place and how the school is working on these areas.
Because Friendsville Elementary serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate or high school outcomes to evaluate. The school is not a charter or magnet, and no specific program offerings, such as gifted or specialized academies, were reported in the data provided. The district brief turned up no recent parent-relevant changes, so the operational context appears stable.
The town of Friendsville itself is quiet and low-density, with a history rooted in Quaker settlement and the marble industry. The Tennessee Marble Company and Pellissippi State Community College’s Blount County campus are notable local employers and institutions. Outdoor recreation along Fort Loudoun Lake and surrounding trails is a draw, but the town has minimal walkability, no public transit, and no separate downtown commercial district. Housing values in the area are above the state median, and rents are modest relative to incomes, which may matter for families weighing the cost of living with the school’s academic profile. Growth has been effectively flat for decades, with no major new housing or commercial developments evident in available sources.
The school fits a family looking for a small, rural elementary setting within a stable district, where the peer environment is predominantly white and the community is quiet and outdoor-oriented. The academic results in math and reading are soft spots, and a parent considering Friendsville Elementary should speak with the school about current instructional strategies, intervention programs, and how the school supports students who are below proficiency. The science outcome is a more positive data point, but the overall picture is one of a school that has room to grow in core academic areas.
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