Pickett County Schools

Pickett County Schools is a small rural Tennessee district serving roughly 605 students across just two schools: Pickett County Elementary School (PK–8, 415 students) and Pickett County High School (9–12, 190 students). The district as a whole ranks in the 19th percentile statewide with a 1-star rating, but both individual schools earn 2 stars and rank in the 38th–40th percentile among their respective school types, suggesting the district-level rating understates current school-level performance.

Pickett County Elementary School is the district's academic bright spot. It improved from a 1-star, 29th-percentile ranking in 2023–2024 to a 2-star, 38th-percentile ranking in 2025–2026, with gains in every core subject. Social studies is a standout, with 53.6% proficiency that exceeds the state average. However, math proficiency collapses as grade levels rise — 4th graders hit 52.4% (above state), but 7th graders fall to just 9.4% (state: 39.2%). Meanwhile, Pickett County High School excels at keeping students on track: its 92.3% graduation rate and 1.9% dropout rate both beat state averages. Academically, though, every end-of-course subject falls below state proficiency, with English II (37.5% vs. 58.1%) and Algebra II (17.6% vs. 37.3%) representing the largest gaps.

Chronic absenteeism is a concern at both schools — 20.2% at the elementary and 23.0% at the high school, versus the 18.3% state average — yet the high school still graduates students at a strong rate. Both schools spend roughly $12,300 per student, a relatively high figure given the below-average outcomes. High school test scores are volatile, with Biology I dropping 23 points while Algebra I jumped 16.4 points; with only 190 students, these swings likely reflect small cohort sizes. Overall, the elementary school is improving with social studies as a strength, the high school is strong on persistence but weak on proficiency, and middle-grades math plus chronic absenteeism are the district's key challenges.