The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in Science. The lowest is 45% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Jim Satterfield Middle School
Jim Satterfield Middle School serves grades six through eight in Hartsville, the county seat of Trousdale County. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet school. The school is part of the Trousdale County district, which also includes one elementary school and one high school. The district was publicly reported to have received an award for improving student achievement several years ago, though no recent district-level changes were found in available records.
The student body is drawn from Hartsville itself, a small consolidated city-county with a traditional business district along the West Fork of Goose Creek, at a highway junction roughly a manageable drive northeast of Nashville. Hartsville has seen notable population growth in recent years, a change that has also been reflected in rising home values. The town’s character includes a mix of residential and limited commercial activity, and a CoreCivic-operated correctional center is a major local institution. Housing in the area, while below the national median, has been appreciating, and the monthly mortgage cost on a typical home would be a meaningful expense for many households. The school’s setting is integrated into the town fabric rather than isolated on a separate campus.
The student population is predominantly white, with Hispanic and Black students each making up a modest share, and a small number of students identifying as two or more races or American Indian or Alaska Native. Enrollment is concentrated fairly evenly across the three middle grades, with the eighth grade slightly larger than the sixth. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about these dimensions of student support.
State testing results from the most recent school year show a picture that depends on the subject. In science and social studies, a majority of students scored at the proficient level or above. Math results were also encouraging, with a solid majority reaching proficiency. English language arts was the weaker area: fewer than half of students met the proficiency bar. This pattern is not unusual in middle schools nationally, but a parent whose child struggles with reading and writing may want to inquire about specific interventions and supports in that subject. Participation rates on all tests were complete, so the results reflect the tested student body.
Beyond testing, the available data does not include information on course offerings, staffing ratios, discipline rates, or chronic absenteeism. These are significant gaps for a parent trying to understand the daily environment. The school serves only the middle grades, so there is no high school graduation rate to report here; that measure would apply to the district’s high school.
Jim Satterfield Middle School is a relatively straightforward option in a small-town setting with rising housing demand and a clear academic profile: strong in math, science, and social studies, with room for growth in English language arts. A family considering this school should seek out the missing details on student economic background, special programs, and school climate to round out the picture.
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