Summary:
The Franklin Special School District in Tennessee serves grades 5–8 across three middle-level schools: Freedom Intermediate School, Freedom Middle School, and Poplar Grove 5-8 School. The district is highly ranked (#10 out of 141 Tennessee districts), but the three schools show meaningful differences in academic outcomes and spending.
Freedom Intermediate (grades 5–6) is the clear academic leader, posting the highest proficiency rates in every core subject—math (77.9%), ELA (67.3%), science (73.6%), and social studies (76.8%)—while also having the lowest chronic absenteeism (5.6%). Freedom Middle (grades 7–8) is the highest-ranked school statewide (91st percentile in 2025–2026) and shows strong improvement, especially in math where proficiency jumped from 48.2% to 55.6%. Poplar Grove 5-8 is the smallest school (307 students) and spends the most per student ($25,182), yet it trails well behind in math and ELA proficiency, with its 7th-grade math rate (29.5%) falling below the state average.
All three schools improved in math, ELA, and social studies from the prior year, with social studies a universal bright spot (+5 to +6.6 points). Chronic absenteeism aligns inversely with performance—Poplar Grove has the highest rate (7.7%) while Freedom Intermediate has the lowest (5.6%), though all are far below the state’s 18.3%. Notably, higher spending does not guarantee stronger results, and Poplar Grove’s Algebra I program is a nuanced strength: its all-grades proficiency (88.9%) is impressive, but its 8th-grade Algebra I rate (84.6%) trails both the district (93.1%) and the state 8th-grade average (88.3%). For parents, the data suggests that Freedom Intermediate and Freedom Middle are delivering consistently strong academics, while Poplar Grove may benefit from targeted support in grades 7–8, despite its higher investment per student.
Thank you for your feedback!