The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in Science. The lowest is 34% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Westwood Middle School
Westwood Middle School serves sixth through eighth grade in Manchester, the county seat of Coffee County. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and it sits within the Manchester school district. The school draws its students from a small city that is quiet outside one major annual event—the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival—which for a few days each year brings a large influx of visitors to Great Stage Park near town. The rest of the year Manchester functions as a typical Tennessee county seat with a downtown courthouse, old industrial and commercial corridors along US Route 41 and near Interstate 24, and a low-density layout. Housing in the area is moderately priced compared to national averages, though home values have risen modestly over the past year. Rent is a bit below what it would cost to own a comparable home at current mortgage rates, a pattern that may matter to families weighing whether to rent or buy.
On state assessments administered in the 2024–25 school year, Westwood’s students posted proficiency rates that were below half in every tested subject. In math and English language arts, roughly one in three students scored at or above the proficient level. Science and social studies came in higher, with about two in five students proficient in social studies and a bit under half in science. Participation was universal, so the results reflect the full tested population. When placed against other middle and high schools in Coffee County districts—a set of four districts overall, though the proficiency comparison used three with available data—Westwood’s combined proficiency index sits above the midpoint of that group. That means the school performs somewhat stronger than the middle of the pack among Coffee County districts, though the absolute rates are still modest. A parent may want to ask the school what supports are in place for students who are below proficiency, and whether there are programs aimed at raising those numbers.
The school’s enrollment is concentrated in grades six through eight. The student body is majority white, with a substantial Hispanic minority and smaller shares of Black, Asian, and multiracial students. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals was not reported, nor were figures for students with disabilities or English learners. Those gaps make it harder to assess the level of economic or academic need the school serves. The district brief turned up no recent publicly reported changes to Manchester schools’ leadership, boundaries, or programs, so there is no major shakeup to factor in.
Westwood is a mid-sized middle school in a small city where the local economy blends government, schools, and the festival industry. Its test results are a mixed picture: relative strength among Coffee County districts but low absolute performance in literacy and math. Families considering this school will want to look into the specific classroom support and enrichment offerings the school provides, since course access and staffing data were not available in the record. The community itself is car-dependent and typical of its region, with housing that is neither cheap nor prohibitive for middle-income households. For a parent weighing schools in this part of Tennessee, Westwood sits as a middle-of-the-road option that merits a closer look at what its academic and extracurricular programs actually deliver day to day.
See more original research from School Decision →