The top reported proficiency rate is 55% in Math. The lowest is 50% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Dorothy and Noble Harrelson School
Dorothy And Noble Harrelson School serves about that size of a student body from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in the small, primarily residential rural city of Puryear in northern Henry County. Puryear itself is a very small community of roughly that scale spread over a few square miles, with basic municipal utilities and a handful of city staff. US Route a nearby highway passes along the east side of town, and a state route runs through the center, but the texture is low-density residential with minimal commercial activity. Housing values in the area sit modestly below Tennessee’s statewide benchmark, and the local housing inventory appears tight. The school sits in Henry County, whose county seat of Paris is roughly a short drive south; residents looking for larger civic or commercial amenities would head there.
The student body at Harrelson is overwhelmingly white, with a small share of Hispanic students and an even smaller share of Black students. The school reports that a modest share of students identify as two or more races. Data on income level, students with disabilities, and English learners was not provided, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and the availability of special education and English language supports.
On state assessments administered to students in grades three through eight, Harrelson’s overall proficiency across tested subjects sits above the midpoint relative to the other district in Henry County. In math, roughly half of students scored at the proficient or above level. In English language arts and in science, the share of students reaching proficiency was about the same, just under half. In social studies, exactly half of the tested students met the proficient or above threshold. Participation rates on these tests were very high. These results paint a picture of a school where a solid portion of students are meeting grade-level expectations, but a roughly equal portion are not, and there is no tested subject where proficiency stands out as markedly higher or lower than the others. A parent considering this school would want to understand how the school supports students who are not yet proficient and whether academic growth trends, which were not available for review, show improvement over time.
Because the school serves only through eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. Students who continue on to high school attend elsewhere in Henry County. The district’s parent-relevant changes were searched but no recent policy, curriculum, or facility changes of lasting impact were found in public reporting; the district’s strategic direction on academic programming was not readily available from the sources consulted.
The school environment profile is thin on several fronts. No information was provided on class sizes, teacher experience or turnover, discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, or the availability of programs such as art, music, or extracurricular activities. The school is a regular public school, neither a charter nor a magnet. Its Title I status was not reported. Puryear itself has no parks, library, or public transit mentioned in search results; the town’s civic anchors are City Hall, a fire department, and a police department. Paris Landing State Park, roughly a short drive east, may serve as a regional recreational outlet for families.
Housing in the area has seen price appreciation recently, but the typical home value remains below the state average, and the local unemployment rate sits near the national figure. The median household income nationally has held fairly steady in recent years.
For a family looking at Harrelson, the central question is fit with a school that is moderate-sized for an elementary and middle school, predominantly white and rural in character, where academic performance is mixed. The school is the only option in this immediate community for pre-K through eighth graders in the Henry County system, so most local children attend here. The lack of public detail on special programs, student supports, and school climate means a parent would want to visit, talk with staff, and ask about how the school addresses the roughly half of students who are not yet scoring proficient, what enrichment or intervention programs exist, and how the school transitions its eighth graders to high school.
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