The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in English language arts. The lowest is 27% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Lamar Elementary
Lamar Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in Jonesborough, Tennessee’s oldest town and the county seat of Washington County. Jonesborough is a small, growing community with a preserved historic downtown, a tourism-and-arts economy anchored by the National Storytelling Festival and the International Storytelling Center, and a role as a county government hub. The school itself sits in Washington County, which has recently discussed expanding career and technical education pathways at the secondary level and approved a five-year strategic plan focused on academic achievement and school safety. A proposed county property tax increase would support district capital improvements and technology upgrades.
The student body is overwhelmingly white, with a small share of Hispanic students and an even smaller number of students from other racial backgrounds. Enrollment runs from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, with class sizes that are moderate for the grade band. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and it operates within the Washington County school system.
On state assessments administered through Tennessee’s TNReady program, a little more than a third of Lamar Elementary students scored at the proficient level or above in math and in English language arts. Science proficiency landed in a similar range. Social studies proficiency was lower, with about a quarter of tested students meeting the bar. Participation rates on these assessments were high, so the results reflect nearly all enrolled students in the tested grades. Compared to other districts in Washington County, Lamar’s overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades placed in the bottom quartile. The comparison set includes only two districts, so the range is narrow, and a bottom-quartile placement here means the school’s results are below those of its single neighboring district in the county. A parent may want to ask the school about its approach to instruction in the core subjects and what supports are in place for students who are not yet meeting proficiency.
Because Lamar serves students only through eighth grade, there is no high school graduation rate to report. No data was available on chronic absenteeism, discipline, or course access. The school’s free-or-reduced-price lunch rate and special education and English learner counts were also absent from the data, so a family cannot see from available figures how many students qualify for income-based meal support or receive specialized instruction. These are gaps a parent might want to clarify directly with the school.
Housing in the Jonesborough area is broadly in line with state and national benchmarks. The typical home value and typical rent in the zip code are close to the statewide average. The area has seen modest price growth recently. National mortgage rates and rent-of-shelter indices are at levels that shape affordability for most households, but specific local trends in new housing developments were not identified in publicly available information.
Lamar Elementary offers a full pre-K through eighth grade continuum in a single building, which means students in a family can stay at the same school for many years without transitioning to a separate middle school. The school sits in a district that is actively planning curriculum expansions and facility investments, though those plans are at the district level and their direct impact on Lamar is not detailed in available material. The town of Jonesborough itself is walkable in its historic core, with pedestrian-scale streets, a repertory theatre, music events in warmer months, and a storytelling center that draws national visitors. The school’s academic performance on state measures is an area where a family would want to ask follow-up questions about instruction, intervention, and how the school supports students toward proficiency.
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