The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in Science. The lowest is 36% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Wilson Elementary
Wilson Elementary serves the rural unincorporated community of Crawford in Overton County, a school that covers prekindergarten through eighth grade under the Overton County district. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and sits on a highway in a very low-density area that was once a coal mining hub. For a family considering this school, the setting is the first thing to understand: Crawford has no downtown, limited commercial activity, and no walkable street life. The school itself is a roadside campus, and the nearest civic center is the county seat of Livingston roughly a dozen miles southeast. This is a place where a car is essential for nearly everything.
Academically, Wilson Elementary presents a mixed picture. On the state’s TNReady assessments for the most recent year, proficiency rates for tested subjects fell within a range. Math and science showed stronger results relative to ELA, with a modest majority of students reaching proficiency in science and social studies. ELA proficiency was notably lower, a pattern that a parent may want to explore further with the school, particularly since literacy skills are foundational across all subjects. Participation rates on the tests were high, so the results reflect nearly the full tested population. Because the school ends at eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report; the transition to high school would happen elsewhere, typically at one of Overton County’s high schools.
The student body is small and strikingly homogenous in its composition. A large majority of the roughly 180 students are white, with a very small number of Hispanic students and a handful of students identifying as two or more races. Data on students eligible for free or reduced-price meals, students with disabilities, and English learners were not available in the provided records, so a parent would need to ask the school directly about the distribution of those supports. The school serves a wide grade span from PK through 8, and enrollment per grade appears fairly even, with no single grade dominating.
The surrounding community shapes what daily life looks like. Housing values in the ZIP code area are well below state and national medians, and the median household income locally is low relative to Tennessee as a whole. Historically a coal mining town that boomed in the late 1800s, Crawford has since seen population stagnation or decline, and no major new housing developments were identified in publicly reported sources. Major employers are not present within Crawford itself; the nearest job centers are roughly nine to fifteen miles away in Livingston or Monterey. Civic anchors are few: a post office, with nearby natural attractions like Dale Hollow Lake and Standing Stone State Park providing outdoor recreation but little else in terms of public infrastructure like a library or transit.
For the district as a whole, no recent changes of lasting impact were found in the available research, so the school operates under a stable district framework.
The academic pathway here is straightforward: a small, rural elementary and middle school that feeds into the county’s secondary schools. The peer environment is largely homogenous by race and likely by economic background given the community context. The school’s size means most students and staff know each other, and the PK-8 structure keeps children in the same building for many years, which can provide continuity. The proficiency numbers, especially in ELA, suggest room for growth, and a family considering this school would benefit from talking with the principal or teachers about how the school supports reading and writing across the grades. With no program offerings listed in the available data, it is unclear whether the school offers specialized electives, advanced coursework for upper grades, or extracurricular activities; this is something to confirm directly.
In short, Wilson Elementary is a small, rural school in a community with limited amenities, serving a homogeneous student body through eighth grade. Academic performance is uneven, with stronger science and math results and weaker ELA proficiency. The setting demands a car and a willingness to drive for most errands and services. The school fits a family that values a small, familiar environment and does not require urban or suburban infrastructure.
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