The top reported proficiency rate is 47% in Social studies. The lowest is 35% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Scales Elementary School
Scales Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, part of the Murfreesboro City Schools system. The school is a straightforward neighborhood elementary option in a fast-growing city, and the available data gives a clear picture of its academic performance and community context.
On state assessments, Scales Elementary shows proficiency rates that place the school in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Rutherford County. In math, just over a third of students scored at the proficient level or above. In English language arts, a similar share of students reached that threshold. In science, the pattern held, with roughly a third of students meeting the bar. The most recent social studies results, from a prior testing year, showed a higher share of students proficient, though this was tested on a smaller group. Across all subjects, these figures indicate that the majority of students are not yet scoring at the proficient level on the state's TNReady assessments, which measure grade-level expectations. A parent looking at these results may want to discuss with the school what academic supports are in place, especially in math and reading, where the proficiency rates are modest.
The student body is large for an elementary school serving these grades. Racially and ethnically, the school is diverse, with a majority white student population alongside substantial shares of Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students, as well as a smaller Asian group. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, receiving special education services, or classified as English learners was not available in the provided material, so a complete picture of the student support context is not possible from this source alone.
The school sits in Murfreesboro, a city that has been one of the fastest-growing in the country and is Tennessee's fastest-growing major city since the 1990s. It functions as the largest suburb of Nashville and the county seat of Rutherford County, with a strong university presence at Middle Tennessee State University. The local economy is anchored by major employers including Nissan, an Amazon fulfillment center, MTSU, and health care systems, as well as the county government and school system. Housing values in the zip code around the school are above the state median home value, and rents are moderate relative to incomes. The broader economic context shows a healthy national labor market with steady but not surging home price growth. For a family moving to the area, Murfreesboro offers a mix of suburban and institutional uses, with a traditional downtown, a greenway trail system, and highway access to Nashville. The rapid population growth means that new housing and infrastructure are ongoing realities of the area.
No recent district-level policy, curriculum, or budget changes were found in publicly available material meeting the bar of a lasting impact, so the district context appears stable on those fronts for now.
For a parent considering Scales Elementary, the key takeaway is the academic performance profile. The school has full participation in state testing and serves a large, diverse student body, but the proficiency rates are modest across core subjects, and the school sits below the middle of the pack in its county on this measure. This is not a school where the majority of students are meeting state standards on the primary assessments. Whether this reflects the school's instructional approach, the student population's needs, or other factors is something a family would want to explore directly with the school. The surrounding community offers a growing economy and a range of housing options, with the trade-off of rapid development and its accompanying pressures.
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