Best Public Schools in Alcoa, TN

Alcoa, Tennessee is served by a single, high-performing Alcoa City Schools district that includes four schools spanning pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and enrolling roughly 2,270 students. Overall, this district ranks in the 91st percentile statewide with a 5-star rating, and nearly every school outperforms Tennessee state averages in academics, attendance, and graduation metrics.

Among the schools, Alcoa Intermediate School stands out as the academic powerhouse, ranking in the 83rd percentile and leading the district with exceptional proficiency rates in math (62.3% vs. 43.0% statewide) and ELA (56.3% vs. 40.6% statewide). It also has the lowest chronic absenteeism in the district at just 8.4%, far below the state’s 18.3%. Alcoa High School excels at keeping students on track, with a 97.8% graduation rate and a dropout rate of only 1.1% compared to the state’s 6.7%, and it invests the most per student at $14,878. Alcoa Middle School offers consistent rankings around the 83rd percentile and posts a notable strength in social studies, with 65.3% proficiency versus 51.4% statewide. Alcoa Elementary School (PK–2) has no recent test-based ranking because of its early grade span, but it serves 581 students and spends $13,768 per pupil.

District-wide, chronic absenteeism is a clear strength, with all four schools below the 18.3% state average, though the high school’s 13.1% rate is higher than the district’s 11.2% average. The high school also shows some unusual grade-level test score patterns—like very low proficiency for Biology I and Geometry among certain grades—likely reflecting course sequencing and retakes rather than overall weakness. The intermediate and middle schools are both rated 4 stars and rank comfortably above state medians, while the district’s high school ranking slipped slightly in the most recent year but remains well above the state median. For parents, this is a district where students generally achieve well above state norms, with the intermediate school leading academically, the high school leading in graduation outcomes, and the middle school showing a hidden gem in social studies.