The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in Math. The lowest is 28% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Lobelville Elementary
Lobelville Elementary serves students from prekindergarten through eighth grade in Perry County, Tennessee. The school is a regular public school that sits within the small, rural community of Lobelville, a city along the Buffalo River known locally as the "Queen City of the Buffalo River." The town's character revolves around outdoor recreation, with canoeing, fishing, and tourism tied to the river and nearby Mousetail Landing State Park. The Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company operates a major transfer point in town and is the oldest continuously running business there. Lobelville has seen slow but steady population growth in recent years, and property values increased notably around 2020, though the overall setting remains low-density and quiet, with limited walkability and little street life.
The elementary school is the primary educational hub for this part of the county, covering the range of early childhood through middle school grades. Its enrollment is on the smaller side for a pre-K-through-eighth-grade building. The student body is overwhelmingly white, with very small numbers of students who are American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black, Hispanic, or multiracial. The school reported no information on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, and data on students with disabilities or English learners was also absent from the available records. A parent may want to ask the school directly about the extent of these support services and programs.
On state testing, the picture is mixed. The school participates in Tennessee's TNReady assessments, and the most recent results showed that across math, English language arts, science, and social studies, the proportion of students scoring at the proficient level or above was on the lower side. This pattern held in each tested subject. The participation rate was very high, so the results reflect nearly all enrolled students. For a school serving through eighth grade, these scores are a soft spot, and a family considering the school would want to look into how the school is working to address academic performance and what individualized support looks like for students who are not yet meeting proficiency benchmarks.
The school itself has no high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to consider. There were no program offerings listed in the available data, such as career and technical education pathways or advanced coursework, which is common for an elementary and middle school. The district brief returned no information about recent changes at the district level that would directly affect families, such as boundary adjustments, curriculum shifts, or leadership turnover. The community and housing context shows that home values in the area are below the state and national benchmarks, and the typical home is affordable relative to national income figures. The local economy has a modest unemployment rate consistent with broader national trends.
Lobelville Elementary is the kind of school that fits a family looking for a small, rural setting where their child can attend from prekindergarten through eighth grade without changing schools. It is one of two schools in the Perry County district, and because the county has only that single district, there is no within-county comparison available for proficiency or other metrics. The school’s academic results are a meaningful concern, and the lack of detail on economic disadvantage and special education means a parent will need to probe further. The setting is quiet and recreation-focused, with a slow growth trajectory and affordable housing, which may appeal to those seeking a lower-cost, slower-paced community.
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