The top reported proficiency rate is 42% in Math. The lowest is 32% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Black Fox Elementary
Black Fox Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in Murfreesboro, a fast-growing suburb of Nashville that is also the seat of Rutherford County. The school is part of Murfreesboro City Schools, a district that covers elementary and middle grades; students move on to Rutherford County Schools for high school. Black Fox sits on South Rutherford Boulevard, near the southern edge of town, in a corridor of residential neighborhoods and commercial development.
The student body is diverse. Children come from a range of backgrounds, and no single ethnic group makes up a majority. Hispanic students are the largest group, followed by White students and Black students, with smaller shares identifying as Asian, two or more races, or other categories. The school is large for an elementary school, with enrollment spread fairly evenly across kindergarten through fifth grade and a smaller sixth-grade class.
State test results from Tennessee’s TNReady assessment offer an incomplete picture of academic performance, but the available data shows areas where families may want to ask questions. In math, about two in every five students met the state’s proficiency bar. In English language arts, the share was smaller, roughly one in three. Science and social studies scores fell in between, with social studies data based on a smaller tested group. Across all tested subjects, the school’s overall proficiency index placed it in the bottom quarter when compared with other elementary schools within Rutherford County’s two school districts. These figures reflect how the school’s students performed on a single set of state exams and do not capture other measures of learning, but they do suggest that a parent might want to explore the school’s instructional supports and how it addresses gaps in literacy and math.
The school does not report its rates of students with disabilities or English learners, and no information on free or reduced-price meal eligibility was available from the data provided. These are common data points in public school profiles, and their absence means a family cannot directly gauge the level of economic need or special education support at Black Fox from this record alone.
Murfreesboro itself is a city that has been growing rapidly for decades, driven by its proximity to Nashville and the presence of Middle Tennessee State University, the state’s largest undergraduate campus. Major employers include Nissan, an Amazon fulfillment center, Ascension St. Thomas Rutherford hospital, and the university. Housing values in the area are somewhat above the national average, and the typical monthly mortgage payment is higher than the typical rent, a sign that buying may be less accessible for some households than renting. The city’s growth has brought new development, and the school is located in a part of Murfreesboro that has seen a mix of residential and commercial expansion.
No recent policy or curriculum changes were reported for Murfreesboro City Schools that meet the threshold of a lasting, parent-relevant shift. The district itself comprises a dozen or so elementary and K-6 schools, and Black Fox is one of its larger ones.
For a family considering this school, the picture is mixed. Black Fox has a diverse student body in a growing city with a strong job base and university presence. Its test results, however, indicate that a majority of students are not reaching proficiency benchmarks, particularly in reading and math. A parent would likely want to visit the school, talk to staff about how instruction is tailored for students who are below grade level, and look into what enrichment or intervention programs are offered. The school’s grade span through sixth grade means students stay here for a long stretch, so the academic trajectory set in these years matters. For those who value a school that reflects the broader community's diversity and is embedded in an economically vibrant region, Black Fox offers that base. For those prioritizing strong test scores, other options in the county may warrant a look.
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