The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in Science. The lowest is 27% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Livingston Middle School
Livingston Middle School serves students in grades five through eight in the county seat of Overton County, Tennessee. As a regular public school, it is one of five schools within the town of Livingston, sitting between the elementary school and the high school in a conventional K-12 progression. The school’s enrollment is modest for a middle school, with roughly comparable numbers across each grade level. The student body is overwhelmingly white, with small shares of Hispanic students and students identifying as two or more races, and a negligible number of Black students. Data on students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals was not reported, nor were counts of students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those support structures.
On the Tennessee state assessments, Livingston Middle School shows a mixed performance picture. In science, just under half of students scored at the proficient or advanced level, which stands out as the strongest subject area. In math, about a third of students reached proficiency. Social studies fell in between those two, with roughly two out of five students meeting the bar. English language arts had the lowest proficiency rate, with just over a quarter of students scoring at or above expectations. These results come from the TNReady assessments, and participation rates were high, so the scores reflect nearly all enrolled students. Taken together, the data suggest that the school’s academic outcomes are generally below what many parents would hope for, particularly in reading and writing. A family considering the school may want to investigate what supports are in place for literacy and mathematics, and how the school is working to raise performance in those areas.
The school sits within Overton County Schools, the only district in the county, so a comparison to other local districts is not meaningful. No recent district-level changes that would directly affect the school were found in publicly available sources. The town of Livingston itself is a small county seat with a traditional courthouse square and a mix of residential neighborhoods and downtown commercial activity. The community describes itself as family-oriented, and the schools are located within the town rather than on remote campuses. Livingston has a branch campus of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology and a satellite of Volunteer State Community College, offering postsecondary options nearby.
Housing in the area is more affordable than both the state and national medians. Typical home values have risen at a modest pace recently, and the combination of moderate home prices and mortgage rates near the national average makes homeownership accessible relative to many parts of Tennessee. The local unemployment rate is slightly above the national rate, while median household income is roughly in line with the national figure. The town is experiencing gradual population growth, part of the broader Cookeville micropolitan area, but no large-scale development projects surfaced in the research.
Livingston Middle School offers a small-town, conventional public school experience in a community that values its historic center and local identity. The academic proficiency rates, particularly in English language arts and math, are areas where a parent would want to see evidence of improvement efforts or alternative supports. The school’s strongest showing in science suggests that area of the curriculum may be a relative strength. For families who prioritize a tight-knit community and affordable home prices, this school could be a reasonable fit, but the test scores warrant a close look at whether the school can meet a child’s particular academic needs.
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