Best Elementary Schools in Baxter, TN

Summary:

The city of Baxter, Tennessee is home to two elementary schools: Cornerstone Elementary and Baxter Primary. These schools serve students in grades 2-4 and PK-1, respectively, and are part of the Putnam County school district.

Based on the available data, Cornerstone Elementary appears to be the standout school in the area. Cornerstone consistently ranks in the top 39% of Tennessee elementary schools and outperforms the district and state averages in Mathematics, English Language Arts, and Science proficiency. Additionally, Cornerstone spends $13,424 per student, which is lower than the $15,415 spent per student at Baxter Primary.

However, both schools face a concerning issue with chronic absenteeism, with 18.9% of students being chronically absent at both Cornerstone Elementary and Baxter Primary. This indicates a need for the district to address attendance challenges. Overall, the data suggests that Cornerstone Elementary is providing a stronger academic foundation for its students compared to Baxter Primary, despite the higher spending per student at the latter school.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				TNReady Mathematics (2025)			TNReady English Language Arts (2025)			TNReady Science (2025)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	TNReady Mathematics 3rd Grade	TNReady Mathematics 4th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	TNReady English Language Arts 3rd Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 4th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts All Grades	TNReady Science 3rd Grade	TNReady Science 4th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cornerstone Elementary	Public	2-4	371 First Avenue South	Baxter	38544	Putnam County	Putnam County	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 858-9190	367	26	14.3		339 (92.4%)	5 (1.4%)	14 (3.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (1.9%)	57.2	392^nd of 1009 public elementary schools	61.1%		48.2	497^th of 1018 public elementary schools	51.2%	105	58.9	56.7	57.8	42.9	40.3	41.6	43.8	43.3	43.5	$13,480	$998	$11,709
Baxter Primary	Public	PK, KG-1	125 Elmore Town Road	Baxter	38544	Putnam County	Putnam County	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 858-3110	352	22	16.3		317 (90.1%)	11 (3.1%)	15 (4.3%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.4%)								(n/a)										$16,234	$756	$14,058

Cities Near Baxter

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Cookeville	5.34 mi	17	151^st
Sparta	10.75 mi	7	64^th
Elmwood	13.42 mi	1	93^rd
Gainesboro	13.46 mi	3	190^th
Smithville	16.05 mi	6	271^st

See the top TN Tennessee cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Tennessee Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.