Summary:
The city of Cosby, Tennessee, has four schools—three elementary schools and one high school—serving about 1,050 students in pre-K through 12th grade, with no standalone middle school. The schools belong to two districts: Cocke County Schools (57th percentile, 3 stars) and Sevier County Schools (34th percentile, 2 stars). Overall, Cosby’s elementary schools are stronger than its high school, especially in math and science.
Smoky Mountain Elementary School is the top performer: 4 stars, 233rd in Tennessee, highest math (56.9%), science (67.9%), and social studies (63.0%), plus the lowest chronic absenteeism at 15.3%. Cosby Elementary School excels in middle-grade math—62.2% in 6th grade and 61.5% in 8th grade—but struggles in ELA, especially in 4th and 8th grades. Jones Cove Elementary School spends $28,788 per student, more than double Smoky Mountain’s $13,027, yet ranks 592nd (2 stars) with below-average math and ELA. Cosby High School graduates 95.3% of students and improved its state rank to the 44th percentile, with strong Biology I and English II scores, but lags in Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, English I, and U.S. History.
Key takeaways: elementary schools consistently exceed state science averages, and Smoky Mountain Elementary School and Cosby Elementary School deliver strong math results. However, Cosby High School’s chronic absenteeism is 34.2%, nearly double the state average, which likely feeds into low algebra and history proficiency. Spending also does not predict performance: Jones Cove Elementary School’s high cost yields weak results, while Smoky Mountain’s lower spending yields the city’s best outcomes. Families will find excellent elementary options, especially at Smoky Mountain, but should know that elementary gains do not fully carry into high-school-level proficiency, despite a solid graduation rate.
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