The top reported proficiency rate is 66% in Science. The lowest is 33% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Rock Springs Elementary
Rock Springs Elementary is a regular public school in Kingsport, Tennessee, serving prekindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of Sullivan County Schools, a district that recently adopted a four-day school week beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year, a change driven by teacher recruitment challenges and budget constraints. That schedule shift is the single most consequential fact for any family evaluating this school, as it reshapes childcare logistics, instructional time, and weekly routines for all students.
Academically, Rock Springs Elementary posts a mixed profile on the state’s TNReady assessments. In math, the share of students meeting the state’s proficiency benchmark is solid, and science proficiency is even stronger. Reading and language arts proficiency is around the halfway mark. When the school’s overall performance across tested subjects is averaged and placed alongside the other school districts in Sullivan County, it sits just below the midpoint among the three districts. That is a reasonable benchmark: within a small county set, Rock Springs is neither at the top nor the bottom. The data for social studies is from several years ago and involved a test change, so it is not directly comparable to current results.
The school has a student body that is predominantly white, with very small numbers of Hispanic students and students identifying as two or more races. Enrollment is modest for a PK-5 school, with a fairly balanced spread across grades. Information on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals, on students with disabilities, and on English learners was not available in the data reviewed. A parent who wants to understand the full picture of student support and economic needs would need to ask the school directly.
In terms of setting, Rock Springs Elementary is located in Kingsport, a city originally planned as a “Model City” with separate zones for housing, commerce, and industry. The Eastman Chemical Company headquarters remains a major employer, and the area has a historic downtown, parks such as Bays Mountain Park and Warrior’s Path State Park, and a local bus system. The housing market in the school’s zip code is notably affordable relative to the state and national averages, with home values in a range that many families would find accessible. Rents have been rising recently, but the overall cost of living in Kingsport has been highlighted as low by local sources.
Because Rock Springs Elementary serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report and no data on chronic absenteeism. The school is not a charter or magnet, and it did not report any special program designations in the available data. The district brief noted the four-day week, but no other recent major changes were found in publicly reported sources. A family looking at this school should weigh that schedule change as a central factor—it may align well with some family structures and create challenges for others.
Overall, Rock Springs Elementary offers a traditional elementary education in a community that blends industrial employment with residential neighborhoods. Its academic results are mixed, with stronger math and science performance and a gap in reading. The school’s peer environment is fairly homogeneous, and the local housing market is relatively affordable. The four-day week is a recent, district-level shift that will affect everything from pickup times to summer child-care planning. For a family that finds that schedule compatible and values a stable, mid-sized elementary school in a planned industrial city, Rock Springs is a plausible fit.
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