Middle Schools in Jefferson County Schools

Jefferson County Schools in Tennessee is home to two middle schools—Maury Middle School and Jefferson Middle School—both serving grades 6–8 in the Dandridge and Jefferson City area, with a combined enrollment of 1,110 students. The district itself ranks in the middle of Tennessee districts (71st out of 141, 3-star rating), but the two schools tell very different stories. Maury is the clear academic leader: it ranks 165th out of 594 Tennessee middle schools (72nd percentile, 4 stars) and beats both district and state averages in every tested subject. Jefferson, by contrast, ranks 304th (49th percentile) and has fallen sharply over the past year, dropping 80 places from its 2024–2025 ranking. For parents, the takeaway is straightforward: Maury is the stronger choice academically, while Jefferson has notable challenges but a few bright spots.

Looking at 2025–2026 TNReady proficiency, Maury outperforms Jefferson across the board. In Math, Maury posts 44.6% proficient versus Jefferson's 32.7%; in ELA, 41.2% versus 33.3%; in Science, 50.1% versus 36.3%; and in Social Studies, 56.7% versus 52.9%. Maury also improved in Math (+2.8 points) and ELA (+0.6) year over year, while Jefferson declined in every subject—most dramatically in Science, which dropped 8.5 points to 36.3%. Jefferson's only competitive area is Social Studies, where it slightly exceeds the state average (52.9% vs. 51.4%). Interestingly, Jefferson actually spends more per student ($10,972 vs. $10,567) and has a slightly better chronic absenteeism rate (16.6% vs. 17.8%), yet it lags far behind Maury academically, suggesting that factors beyond funding and attendance are driving the gap.

Grade-level data reveals specific weak spots. Jefferson's 7th grade is especially concerning: Math proficiency is just 26.7% (vs. 39.2% statewide), Science is 29.4% (vs. 47.8%), and ELA is 32.1% (vs. 35.9%). Maury shows the opposite pattern in Math, with proficiency rising from 42.4% in 6th grade to 47.2% in 8th grade. Social Studies is a shared strength across the district—both schools exceed state averages in 8th grade Social Studies. The biggest concern for Jefferson is its rapid decline in ranking and science performance; for Maury, the challenge is holding onto its high standing after slipping slightly from 141st to 165th over three years. Missing data on poverty and class sizes limits deeper analysis, but the overall picture is clear: Maury is the standout, and Jefferson needs targeted support, especially in 7th grade.