Best Public Schools in Calhoun, TN

Calhoun, Tennessee, is served by a single school, Calhoun Elementary School, a Pre-K through 8th grade campus within the McMinn County Schools district that enrolls 317 students. Because there is only one school in the city, the analysis focuses on how this school compares to district and state averages, as well as on internal grade-level patterns.

Calhoun Elementary is a school of stark contrasts. Its strongest academic areas are Science and Social Studies, where all-grade proficiency rates of 53.3% and 62.8% respectively exceed both the district and state. The 8th grade is exceptional, posting 77.8% proficiency in both subjects—roughly 30 points above state averages. Mathematics overall is also slightly above state levels (47.3% vs. 43.0%), with 5th grade (61.5%) and 8th grade (48.1%) leading the way. However, English Language Arts is a clear weakness, with an overall proficiency of 38.0%—below the state’s 40.6%. The 7th grade ELA result of 22.9% is particularly concerning, sitting 13 points below the state, while 4th grade ELA (34.5%) also trails significantly. Meanwhile, 3rd grade Science (25.7%) lags 18.6 points behind the state, highlighting an isolated but dramatic deficit. On a positive note, the school’s chronic absenteeism rate of 14.6% is healthier than the district’s 15.3% and the state’s 18.3%, providing a solid foundation for learning.

Despite these bright spots, the school is trending downward. From 2024-2025 to 2025-2026, proficiency fell in every subject—most sharply in Science (-10.4 points) and Social Studies (-7.7 points)—contributing to a state rank slide from the 76th to the 61st percentile over three years. For parents, the key takeaway is that Calhoun Elementary offers strong upper-grade science and social studies instruction, but needs focused intervention in ELA, particularly for 4th and 7th graders, along with attention to the 3rd grade science gap. The school spends a substantial $14,075 per student, and with better-than-average attendance, there is a solid base to build upon, though reversing the recent academic declines will require targeted effort.