Lewis County Schools

Lewis County Schools is a small Tennessee district in Hohenwald, TN, serving 7 schools—3 elementary, 2 middle, and 2 high schools—with about 3,731 students and a notable split between traditional brick-and-mortar schools and the Volunteer State Virtual Academy. The district overall ranks 105th out of 141 Tennessee districts (1 star), but that single ranking hides the fact that the three virtual schools enroll roughly 53% of all students and are the primary drag on performance, while the traditional schools are actually competitive with the rest of the state.

Among the traditional schools, Lewis County Middle School is the clear standout, earning 4 stars and ranking in the 72nd percentile statewide—with math proficiency at 51.6%, science at 53.5%, and social studies at 55.9%, all above state averages. Lewis County Intermediate School also performs well, with 3 stars and proficiency rates near or above state averages in math, ELA, and science; its 4th grade is particularly strong. Lewis County High School earns 3 stars and boasts a 90.1% graduation rate and a 5.9% dropout rate, better than the state average. Lewis County Elementary School serves only PK–2 and has no test data, but its chronic absenteeism is among the district's best.

In contrast, the Volunteer State Virtual Academy High School, Volunteer State Virtual Academy Elementary School, and Volunteer State Virtual Academy Middle School all rank in the bottom 28th percentile, with math proficiency as low as 17.2% versus the state's 43.0%. The virtual high school has a 71.2% graduation rate and a 23.1% dropout rate, while chronic absenteeism reaches 39.2% at the virtual middle school—more than double the state rate. Spending per student is also dramatically lower in virtual schools ($4,940–$6,349) compared to traditional schools ($10,693–$14,201). They are improving from low baselines, but remain far behind. Simply put, Lewis County's traditional schools are performing well, while the virtual academy represents the district's biggest challenge.