Summary:
The city of Elmwood, Tennessee has only one public school, Forks River Elementary, which serves grades PK-8 with a total enrollment of 220 students. While the school's academic performance is generally strong, with proficiency rates in math and ELA exceeding district and state averages, it has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the past few years, dropping from 163rd out of 1,020 Tennessee elementary schools in 2022-2023 to 423rd out of 1,009 in 2024-2025.
Forks River Elementary's strengths lie in its core subject areas, with math proficiency rates ranging from 34.8% to 72.7% across grade levels, and ELA proficiency rates from 21.7% to 54.5%. However, the school's performance in science and social studies is more mixed, with some grades performing above the district and state, while others fall below. Additionally, the school's chronic absenteeism rate of 18.9% is significantly higher than the state's average, which could be an area of concern.
Despite these challenges, Forks River Elementary appears to have a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 13.9, and the district is investing more per-student ($11,520) than the state average. By addressing attendance issues and focusing on improving student outcomes in science and social studies, the school may be able to regain its position as a top-performing school in the Smith County district and the state of Tennessee.
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