Middle Schools in Lawrence County Schools

Lawrence County Schools in Tennessee has two middle schools—E O Coffman Middle School and Summertown Middle School—serving grades 6–8 in the Lawrenceburg and Summertown areas. Both schools are rated 3 stars by the state, but Summertown Middle School is the stronger performer overall, ranking in the 59th percentile of Tennessee middle schools compared to E O Coffman Middle School’s 55th percentile. Summertown also posted a dramatic turnaround, jumping from the bottom third of the state two years ago to above the median today. It leads Coffman in math (41.6% vs. 37.0%), English language arts (39.8% vs. 35.5%), and social studies (52.4% vs. 49.3%), while Coffman is ahead only in science (43.4% vs. 39.0%).

Attendance is a key differentiator: Summertown Middle School has a chronic absenteeism rate of just 12.3%, well below the state average of 18.3%, while E O Coffman Middle School sits at 20.0%—even above the district’s 14.5%. Summertown also spends slightly more per student ($11,536 vs. $10,972) despite enrolling only 187 students compared to Coffman’s 586. Coffman’s attendance problem may help explain why it trails in core subjects, though its science and some grade-level social studies results remain competitive. Both schools fell below district averages in math, ELA, and science this year, but Summertown exceeded both district and state averages in social studies.

Grade-level data reveals shared weaknesses and notable gaps. Both schools struggle in 8th-grade ELA, with Coffman’s 25.6% proficiency especially low, while Summertown matches the state average of 32.3%. In 8th-grade math, Summertown excels at 44.2% (5.9 points above the state) while Coffman lags at 31.5%. Summertown also shows volatile social studies results—excelling in 6th and 7th grade but collapsing to 37.1% in 8th grade. For parents, Summertown Middle School stands out for its better attendance, higher achievement, and consistent recent gains, while E O Coffman Middle School offers a larger school environment but faces clear challenges in literacy, math, and chronic absenteeism.