Best Public Schools in Paris, TN

Paris, Tennessee is served by four public schools — two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school — that together educate 2,555 students in grades PK through 12. The schools are split between two well-regarded districts: Henry County Schools (ranked 34th of 141 in Tennessee, 4 stars) serves Henry County High School, while Paris Special School District (ranked 26th of 141, 4 stars) operates W G Rhea Elementary School, Paris Elementary School, and W O Inman Middle School. Both districts are above average, with Paris Special School District holding the higher state ranking.

Henry County High School is the standout for graduation and dropout outcomes, posting a 96.6% graduation rate versus the state's 90.5% and a 1.5% dropout rate versus the state's 6.7%. Its state rank has climbed from the 65th to the 81st percentile in two years, with large gains in Algebra II, Biology I, and Geometry. W O Inman Middle School excels in math, science, and social studies — most notably hitting 70.6% proficiency in 8th-grade math, more than 32 points above the state average. Paris Elementary School exceeds state averages in math and ELA at every tested grade, while W G Rhea Elementary School serves the district's youngest students (PK–2) with the highest per-student spending at $14,790.

The main areas to watch are absenteeism and specific subject gaps. Chronic absenteeism rises with grade level: W O Inman leads the city at 14.9%, W G Rhea at 15.5%, Paris Elementary at 16.4%, and Henry County High trails at 19.9% — above the state average of 18.3%. Middle school ELA is Inman's weak spot at 36.9% proficiency (state: 40.6%), with 7th-grade ELA especially low at 28.2%. Henry County High's Biology I proficiency of 46.2% also lags the district's 66.0%. Still, the feeder pattern — W G Rhea (PK–2) to Paris Elementary (3–5) to W O Inman Middle (6–8) to Henry County High (9–12) — provides a predictable path through schools that generally outperform Tennessee averages.