Summary:
The city of Henry, Tennessee, is served by a single school: Henry Elementary School, a PK-8 institution within Henry County Schools that enrolls 353 students. Despite being labeled an elementary school, it covers both elementary and middle school grades, making it the only educational option in the city and a comprehensive choice for local families from Pre-K through 8th grade.
Henry Elementary is a mid-to-low-performing school within a strong district. Henry County Schools ranks 34th out of 141 Tennessee districts (a 4-star, top-quarter district), yet the school currently sits in the 38th percentile statewide, down from the 49th percentile in 2023-2024 but up from the 30th percentile the following year. Academically, the school trails its district in every subject—math (41.3% vs. 52.2%), English Language Arts (28.4% vs. 45.7%), science (36.8% vs. 51.7%), and social studies (42.1% vs. 58.9%). There are notable bright spots: 4th grade math proficiency reaches 70.4%, nearly matching the district and far exceeding the state's 49.4%, while 8th grade math (48.8%) tops the state average by 10.5 points. However, the most serious concern is a steady decline in ELA proficiency, dropping from 48.1% in 4th grade to just 11.6% by 8th grade—dramatically below the state's 32.3%.
Attendance is a relative strength, with chronic absenteeism at 15.8%, better than both the district (16.6%) and state (18.3%), and per-student spending is a robust $15,727. This suggests the school's challenges are not rooted in students missing class or a lack of resources. Instead, the academic gaps—particularly in upper-grade literacy—point toward curriculum and instructional quality as the key levers for improvement. For parents considering this school, the early grades and 4th grade math stand out as positives, while the middle school years, especially in reading, will require careful attention and likely targeted intervention.
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