Summary:
McNairy County Schools serves one middle school, Selmer Middle School, located in Selmer, TN, and serving grades 6 through 8 with an enrollment of 197 students. As the only middle school in the district, Selmer’s performance is best understood by comparing it to district and state benchmarks rather than to other local schools, and it receives a 3-star rating with a state percentile of 56th — notably stronger than the district’s 35th percentile ranking.
Selmer Middle School stands out for its strong 6th grade performance, where students exceed both district and state averages in every subject. Science is a particular strength, with overall proficiency at 50%, outpacing the district (45.8%) and state (46.9%). Chronic absenteeism is also remarkably low at 9.5%, compared to 16.8% for the district and 18.3% statewide. These positive indicators suggest a healthy, engaging school environment in the early middle grades.
However, the school experiences a sharp decline by 8th grade, especially in English Language Arts, where proficiency drops to just 16.4% — well below the state average of 32.3% and more than 31 points below Selmer’s own 6th grade ELA score. Math, science, and social studies also show notable decreases by 8th grade. With only 197 students, grade-level results can shift with each cohort, but the consistent pattern of decline from 6th to 8th grade, along with overall scores in math (37.6%) and ELA (34.2%) that trail the state, points to a need for targeted support in the upper grades, particularly in reading and writing.
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