Summary:
Decherd, Tennessee is served by a single school, Decherd Elementary School, which enrolls 436 students in grades PK-5 within the Franklin County Schools district.
With only one school in the city, there are no local school-to-school comparisons, so the most useful benchmarks are against the district and state. Decherd Elementary is persistently low-performing, holding a 1-star rating and ranking in the 11th percentile statewide for the past two years. Proficiency in every subject trails both the district and state averages, with the widest gap in math: only 15.7% of students are proficient versus 43.0% statewide. The most alarming figure is 4th grade math, where just 7.5% of students are proficient—a staggering 41.9 points below the state average and far below the school's own 3rd and 5th grade math scores. Reading and science also lag, though science is a relative bright spot: 28.3% proficiency represents a strong 7.7-point improvement over the previous year and is now the school's strongest subject. Chronic absenteeism is a significant concern, with 21.2% of students missing school chronically, higher than both the district (15.1%) and state (18.3%).
For parents, the picture is clear: Decherd Elementary faces substantial academic challenges, especially in math, and absenteeism is likely a contributing factor. The school spends $12,468 per student, which is moderately high, yet outcomes remain well below average. The district itself ranks 109th out of 141 Tennessee districts, so the school is operating within a broader environment that also struggles. The most encouraging sign is the momentum in science, which suggests that targeted efforts can yield improvement. If similar gains can be replicated in math and reading, the school may be able to reverse its downward trend. However, the current data indicates that parents should closely monitor their child's progress and consider seeking additional academic support, particularly in 4th grade math.
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