The top reported proficiency rate is 58% in Math. The lowest is 24% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Sullivan Gardens Elementary
Sullivan Gardens Elementary serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school within the Sullivan County district in Kingsport, Tennessee. It is one of three school districts in the county. The school is small, with enrollment numbering in the low hundreds, and it draws overwhelmingly from a single racial background. The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of students who identify as two or more races, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Black. The school does not report data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, nor on students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the makeup of its support population.
On Tennessee’s state assessments, Sullivan Gardens Elementary posted a mixed picture. In math and English language arts, roughly half of tested students scored proficient or above, with a slightly stronger result in math than in ELA. In science, the share was lower. Social studies results are available only from an earlier school year and showed a further reduced share at proficiency. The school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects sits below the midpoint when compared with the three districts in Sullivan County. Participation rates on the assessments were very high, suggesting that nearly all enrolled students took the tests.
Because Sullivan Gardens is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to report. The school does not serve high school grades, so measures of college readiness, advanced coursework, and postsecondary outcomes are not applicable here.
The district that runs the school, Sullivan County Schools, undertook a significant operational change beginning in the 2025-2026 school year: it moved to a four-day school week. District leaders cited difficulty recruiting and retaining teachers, along with budget pressures, as the reasons. This shift has real consequences for families. A shorter school week means students have an extra day out of school each week, which may require adjustments to childcare schedules, after-school activities, and the overall rhythm of the school year. Any parent considering this school should weigh how a four-day week fits their family’s routines and whether the district provides structured programming or supervision on the non-attendance day.
The school sits in Kingsport, a city with a distinctive history. It was planned from the start as a “Model City,” with separate zones for housing, commerce, and industry. The Eastman Chemical Company remains a major employer, along with Ballad Health, BAE Systems, and the city’s own school system. The city has a historic downtown with street events such as the annual Fun Fest, but the broader layout is car-oriented. The housing market in the area is relatively affordable; home values and rents sit well below national and state medians. The median household income nationally is moderate, and the local cost of living is low. For a family looking for a stable, lower-cost community with an industrial employment base, this part of Kingsport offers that context.
The school itself offers no specialized programs such as magnet or charter status. It is a regular elementary school with a conventional grade span. The setting is not explicitly urban or rural; the city is a mid-sized industrial and commercial center, and the school’s immediate neighborhood likely reflects the mixed-use character of the area.
In sum, Sullivan Gardens Elementary is a small, homogeneous elementary school in a district that recently adopted a four-day week. Its state test results are moderate in math and ELA, weaker in science, and from an older year in social studies. A parent whose priority is a traditional elementary experience in an affordable, industrial city should consider both the academic numbers and the district’s structural change. The gaps in reported data on economic disadvantage and special services are worth clarifying directly with the school.
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