The top reported proficiency rate is 64% in Math. The lowest is 44% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Dyllis Springs Elementary
Dyllis Springs Elementary is a regular public school in the Roane County district, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The school is located in Oliver Springs, a small town that sits across three counties and has a history tied first to mineral springs resorts, then to coal mining, and later to government jobs at nearby Oak Ridge. After the Cold War-era employment declines at Oak Ridge, Oliver Springs has worked to find new economic footing, and the current direction points toward ATV-recreation tourism in the surrounding mountains. The town’s civic life is centered on a compact downtown along Main Street, where Town Hall and the public library—housed in a restored railroad depot—serve as anchors.
The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic students and students of other backgrounds. Enrollment runs through a full span of elementary grades, with a classroom count that makes this a school of a medium elementary size for its grade band. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals was not available, so a family considering this school would want to ask the school directly about its economic profile and any related support programs. Information on students with disabilities and English learners was also absent from the available data, another area where a parent may wish to follow up.
On state assessments, Dyllis Springs Elementary shows a mixed academic picture. In math, the share of students meeting the state’s proficiency benchmark was solid, with participation high. In science, the result was also solid, landing in a similar range. In English language arts, however, the proficiency rate was notably lower, sitting well below the math and science marks. This ELA weakness is the most significant soft spot in the school’s academic profile, and a parent moving to the area with a child who needs strong literacy instruction would want to investigate what reading and writing supports are in place. The social studies testing data available comes from a much older year, with changes to both the assessment name and cut scores in the years since, so that result is not directly comparable to current conditions and should not be weighed heavily.
Because the school serves only elementary grades, there are no graduation rate data to report. The comparison fact-set against districts in Roane County could not position the school’s overall proficiency because there was only one district in the county, making a relative comparison impossible. Chronic absenteeism data was also missing.
The district brief turned up no parent-relevant changes or initiatives reported in the recent period that would clear the bar for lasting impact, so there is no district-level policy or programming shift to note here.
For a family considering this school, the core takeaway is an elementary building with a clear strength in math and science instruction and a notable gap in English language arts that is worth exploring. The setting is a small, rural town with a quiet downtown, a history of economic transition, and a current push toward outdoor recreation. The peer environment is largely homogeneous. The school sits within Roane County schools, and a parent would need to confirm with the district whether any literacy intervention programs or curriculum changes are in the works to address the ELA shortfall.
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