Schools in Zip Code 38870

ZIP code 38870 is served by a single school, Smithville School, a K-12 alternative school within the Monroe County School District that enrolls 540 students and maintains a favorable 11.2 student-teacher ratio. Because there is only one school in this rural area, the most meaningful comparisons are drawn against district and state averages rather than against other local schools.

Smithville School stands out for exceptional mathematics performance, especially in elementary grades. In 2025-2026, 5th grade math proficiency reached 92.7% compared to 49.6% statewide, while 3rd grade math hit 91.4% versus 48.8% statewide. Science scores are also strong, with 5th grade science at 92.7% versus 71.5% statewide and Biology at 77.1% versus 63.1% statewide. Average math proficiency across grades 3-8 was 81.3% in 2025-2026, well above the district's 66.9% and the state's 52.0%. ELA performance is above average as well, though the margin is smaller, with average proficiency of 61.2% compared to 47.1% statewide. Notably, 8th grade math improved dramatically from 51.4% to 73.6% in a single year. The school's graduation rate of 91.7% exceeds both the district (86.7%) and the state (89.2%), an encouraging result for a school with an "Alternative" designation.

The most significant concern is chronic absenteeism, which sits at 37.7% — nearly 14 percentage points higher than the state rate of 23.9%, meaning roughly 2 in 5 students are chronically absent. The clearest academic vulnerability is Algebra I, which dropped sharply from 87.0% proficiency in 2024-2025 to 51.3% in 2025-2026, falling below both district and state averages. Overall, Smithville School shows that a relatively small rural school can achieve strong results in math and science while graduating students at an above-average rate, but addressing chronic absenteeism and high-school math performance will be essential to sustaining long-term success.