The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in Social studies. The lowest is 37% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Westwood Elementary
Westwood Elementary is a regular public school in Manchester, Tennessee, serving students in prekindergarten through fifth grade. It is one of the elementary schools within the Manchester school district, and it sits in a small city that functions as the county seat of Coffee County. Because Westwood serves only elementary grades, it has no graduation rate to report, and measures like chronic absenteeism were not available in the data.
On state assessments, Westwood’s results show a mixed picture. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above places the school above the midpoint among Coffee County districts, and the overall proficiency index across tested subjects also ranks in the top quartile relative to other districts in the county. That is a meaningful point in its favor, especially given that the county comparison set includes four districts and Westwood sits at the high end. In English language arts, the proficiency rate is lower than in math, and in science it is lower still. Social studies data comes from a year when the state changed both the test and the cut scores, so that result is not directly comparable to current performance. A parent may want to ask the school how it supports students who are not yet meeting benchmarks in reading and science, and whether there are targeted interventions in place.
The school’s enrollment is sizable for an elementary school serving these grades. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic population—roughly three in ten students—and small shares of Black, Asian, and multiracial students. Data on students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, receive special education services, or are learning English were not reported, so a family cannot assess the level of economic or instructional support needs from this source alone. That is a gap a prospective parent might want to fill by speaking directly with the school.
Manchester itself is a small, auto-oriented city spread out along highway corridors. The built environment is low-density, and there is no mention of public transit or pedestrian infrastructure in the available descriptions. The city is best known regionally for hosting the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival at Great Stage Park, a large outdoor venue that temporarily brings in a much larger population each year. Outside of festival season, Manchester functions as a quieter county seat with government offices, a courthouse, and commercial strips along Hillsboro Boulevard and near Interstate 24. Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park sits just west of the city limits, and the Coffee County Fair takes place annually.
Housing in the area is priced below the national median home value, and rents are modest relative to incomes, suggesting that the community is relatively affordable compared to many parts of the country. The district itself did not surface any recent major changes in the publicly available record, so families considering the area will likely find a stable, familiar school environment rather than one undergoing rapid restructuring or new leadership.
For a family weighing options in Coffee County, Westwood Elementary offers above-average academic results within the local comparison group, particularly in math. The school’s size means it can likely offer a full range of elementary programs and activities. The missing data on student support populations and chronic absenteeism are gaps that deserve a direct inquiry. The community context is that of a small southern county seat with a modest cost of living, limited walkability, and a clearly defined town identity anchored by the courthouse and the annual festival.
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