The top reported proficiency rate is 34% in Science. The lowest is 15% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on East Side Elementary
East Side Elementary serves only third and fourth graders in Brownsville, Tennessee, a small rural city and the county seat of Haywood County. The school is part of the Haywood County district. Because the school covers just two grade levels, there is no graduation rate to report and no high school course offerings such as Advanced Placement or career pathways. The school’s purpose is focused squarely on the early elementary years, and families with older children will need to look at the district’s other schools for upper grades.
The student body is predominantly Black, with a large share of White students and a smaller Hispanic presence. Enrollment is in the mid-hundreds, which is a typical size for an elementary in a small community. Most students at East Side Elementary likely qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of the area’s economic base. The town historically centered on cotton agriculture and trading, and today the economy is influenced by proximity to the Memphis Regional Megasite, which is expected to bring industrial growth. The median home value in the area is moderately priced compared to the national average, and rent is also relatively affordable. Housing values have edged down slightly in recent months, while the local unemployment rate sits near the national figure. The area’s population has experienced a modest decline over the past decade, and the town retains a small-town character with a historic downtown square, a performing arts center, and cultural assets like the Tina Turner Museum.
On state assessments, East Side Elementary’s performance is a clear area of concern. The share of students scoring proficient or above in math is low, and the share in English language arts is also low but somewhat higher than math. Science proficiency is moderate, while social studies data is too old to be considered current. In all tested subjects, a substantial majority of students are performing below the state’s proficiency benchmark. A parent considering this school should look into these results further with the school or district to understand what supports are available and how the school is working to address academic achievement. Participation rates on tests were very high, indicating that nearly all enrolled students took the assessments.
No data was available on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staff qualifications, or course access for this school, so it is not possible to assess those areas. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. The district brief turned up no recent major policy changes or program updates that would affect parents, so families may want to ask the school directly about any curricular initiatives or support programs in place.
For a family in Brownsville, East Side Elementary represents the elementary option within the Haywood County system for these two grades. The school’s small size and single-grade-band structure mean that children attend for just two years before moving to another school. The academic data points to a school where most students are not yet meeting state expectations, and this is likely the most important factor for a parent weighing this school against other choices. The community itself is quiet and historically rooted, with a low cost of housing and a range of civic and cultural offerings for a town its size. The district’s programming beyond third and fourth grade, including middle and high school options, is something a parent should verify if they plan to stay in the area for several years.
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