Hancock County Schools

Hancock County Schools is a small, rural district in Sneedville, Tennessee, serving approximately 842 students across three schools: Hancock County Elementary School (grades K-5), Hancock Middle School (grades 6-8), and Hancock High School (grades 9-12). The district overall ranks 128 out of 141 Tennessee districts, placing it in the 9th percentile with a 0-star rating, indicating performance well below most districts in the state.

Within the district, the three schools present very different pictures. Hancock High School is the clear standout, earning a 2-star rating and ranking in the 45th percentile statewide — a steady improvement from the 29th percentile in 2023-2024. It is the only school in the district to beat the state in any subject, with a 46% US History proficiency rate, and it nearly matches the state in Algebra II and English II. Hancock County Elementary School, while only 1-star, performs above district averages in all three tested subjects and has the lowest chronic absenteeism at 15.7%, the only school below the state average. Hancock Middle School is the greatest concern, with just a 1-star rating and proficiency rates below district and state averages in every subject; its 18.8% math proficiency is less than half the state's 43%.

A clear pattern emerges with chronic absenteeism rising by grade level — from 15.7% at the elementary school to 23.1% at the middle school and 27.2% at the high school, likely connected to the high school's 77.6% graduation rate, which trails the state's 90.5%. There have been strong gains in some subjects, like high school US History (+14 points) and middle school Social Studies (+14.9 points), but also sharp declines such as high school English I (-15 points), showing inconsistent instruction. Notably, the middle school spends $16,662 per pupil and the high school $16,719, yet the elementary school — which spends less at $13,688 — posts better results, suggesting that additional spending does not automatically translate into higher achievement.