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Best Elementary Schools in Portland, TN

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Tennessee rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

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At a glance

Schools

1,700

Students

Top rankedWatt Hardison Elementary School482^nd of 1,019 Tennessee elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Portland Gateview Elementary School up 14 spots statewide this year

Compare Tennessee cities →See the top-ranked Tennessee schools →

Summary:

Portland, Tennessee has four elementary schools—Portland Gateview Elementary School, Watt Hardison Elementary School, J W Wiseman Elementary School, and Clyde Riggs Elementary School—serving 1,618 students in grades PK/K through 5 as part of Sumner County Schools, ranked 33rd out of 141 districts in Tennessee with a 4-star rating. Despite the district's strength, Portland's schools average near the 34th percentile statewide, and every school trails district averages in all subjects. Only Watt Hardison Elementary School exceeds state averages in math and ELA.

Watt Hardison Elementary School is the top performer: highest rank (482 of 1,019, 53rd percentile, 3 stars), best proficiency (45.4% math, 45.8% ELA, 41.7% science), lowest absenteeism (10.9%), and lowest spending ($12,837). J W Wiseman Elementary School needs the most attention: ranked 801st (21st percentile, 1 star), it has the highest absenteeism (19.4%), highest spending ($18,138), and lowest math (27.1%) and science (30.6%) proficiency. Clyde Riggs Elementary School has declined most sharply, falling from the 75th percentile (4 stars) in 2023-2024 to the 32nd percentile (2 stars) in 2025-2026, with science down 16.3 points in one year. Portland Gateview Elementary School, the largest at 552 students, is the most stable and posted the biggest math improvement, from 21.2% to 31.6%.

Third-grade math is a universal weak spot: three of the four schools score at or below 20% versus the 42.6% state average, while 4th grade is a bright spot—Clyde Riggs Elementary School reaches 56.3% in math and J W Wiseman Elementary School hits 46.7% in ELA. Absenteeism tracks performance: Watt Hardison Elementary School and Portland Gateview Elementary School have the lowest rates and strongest outcomes, while J W Wiseman Elementary School (19.4%) and Clyde Riggs Elementary School (15.6%) are declining. Spending more does not yield better results—J W Wiseman Elementary School spends the most but performs worst, while Watt Hardison Elementary School spends the least and performs best. For parents, Watt Hardison Elementary School is the top overall choice; J W Wiseman Elementary School and Clyde Riggs Elementary School deserve close examination.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				TNReady Mathematics (2026)				TNReady English Language Arts (2026)				TNReady Science (2026)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2020)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	TNReady Mathematics 3rd Grade	TNReady Mathematics 4th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 5th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	TNReady English Language Arts 3rd Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 4th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 5th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts All Grades	TNReady Science 3rd Grade	TNReady Science 4th Grade	TNReady Science 5th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
J W Wiseman Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	922 South Broadway	Portland	37148	Sumner County	Sumner County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 325-8580	386	30	13.0	60.5%	257 (66.6%)	14 (3.6%)	94 (24.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.4%)	25.3	801^st of 1019 public elementary schools	21.4%		37.4	637^th of 1009 public elementary schools	36.9%	164	20.0	34.1	28.0	27.1	24.0	46.7	32.0	33.8	20.0	38.6	34.0	30.6	$18,138	$1,275	$14,903
Clyde Riggs Elementary School	Public	K-5	211 Fountain Head Road	Portland	37148	Sumner County	Sumner County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 325-2391	319	21	14.9	51.3%	241 (75.5%)	11 (3.4%)	45 (14.1%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.0%)	35	693^rd of 1019 public elementary schools	32.0%		58.9	364^th of 1009 public elementary schools	63.9%	329	18.2	56.3	37.0	37.7	29.5	41.7	39.1	37.0	20.5	37.5	41.3	33.3	$15,383	$953	$13,298
Watt Hardison Elementary School	Public	K-5	300 Gibson Street	Portland	37148	Sumner County	Sumner County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 325-3233	425	27	15.7	54.4%	316 (74.4%)	23 (5.4%)	60 (14.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.1%)	50.9	482^nd of 1019 public elementary schools	52.7%		53.6	442^nd of 1009 public elementary schools	56.2%	40	38.9	50.0	47.4	45.4	50.0	50.0	38.5	45.8	43.1	40.9	41.0	41.7	$12,837	$1,161	$10,992
Portland Gateview Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1098 Gateview Drive	Portland	37148	Sumner County	Sumner County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 323-7638	570	41	14.0	53.7%	430 (75.4%)	33 (5.8%)	66 (11.6%)	7 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.8%)	34.3	705^th of 1019 public elementary schools	30.8%		31.3	719^th of 1009 public elementary schools	28.7%	14	19.0	34.0	42.7	31.6	32.1	37.5	38.7	36.1	32.1	42.7	46.7	40.4	$14,171	$882	$12,741

Cities Near Portland

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Cottontown	6.17 mi	1	6^th
Bethpage	7.47 mi	2	53^rd
Cross Plains	11.1 mi	2	256^th
White House	11.42 mi	9	204^th
Gallatin	11.49 mi	18	156^th

See the top TN Tennessee cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Tennessee Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.