Marshall County Schools

Marshall County Schools in Tennessee serves about 5,322 students across 10 schools — four elementary, three middle, and three high schools — and is rated 3 stars, ranking 60th out of 141 districts statewide (57th percentile). Overall, the district shows strong science instruction and some excellent individual schools, but notable weaknesses emerge in middle school and 9th-grade core courses, with chronic absenteeism concentrated at the secondary level. For parents, the standout choices are Forrest School, the top high school at the 83rd percentile with well-above-average math, ELA, science, and a very low 1.1% dropout rate; Chapel Hill Elementary, the best elementary school at the 74th percentile with the district's lowest chronic absenteeism (9.8%); and Delk-Henson Intermediate, which posts exceptional 6th-grade science (76.2% proficiency) despite the lowest per-pupil spending among tested schools ($10,363). Cornersville School has the best graduation rate (95%) and strong Biology I results, but its chronic absenteeism is the district's highest at 21.9%, and its rank has declined sharply.

The biggest academic concern is the middle school transition. Lewisburg Middle falls dramatically below state averages in every subject — math 33.0% vs. 43.0%, ELA 25.3% vs. 40.6%, science 38.3% vs. 47.4% — while Westhills Elementary also lags in ELA (29.2%). At the high school level, Marshall County High School is the largest school (808 students) and the district's weakest high school, with only 16.7% of Algebra I and 27.6% of English I students proficient, plus a 4.8% dropout rate. However, its advanced-track students shine — Geometry proficiency is 89.3% and Algebra II is 88.9% — suggesting a strong program for high achievers but a struggling standard track.

Chronic absenteeism is clearly a secondary-level problem, with all five highest rates at middle/high schools (Cornersville School 21.9%, Forrest 20.2%, Westhills 17.6%, MCHS 17.0%, Lewisburg 16.7%), while elementary schools are much lower, led by Chapel Hill. Spending does not predict performance: Oak Grove Elementary spends the most ($15,027) but has no test data (PK-1), while Delk-Henson spends the least and performs well. Ranking trends are mixed — Chapel Hill is improving, Forrest is stable, but Cornersville Elementary, Cornersville School, and MCHS are declining. The highest-impact improvements would be addressing secondary absenteeism and strengthening 9th-grade Algebra I and English I, particularly at Marshall County High.