Summary:
Sumner County Schools serves 11 high schools across Sumner County, Tennessee, with roughly 9,276 students in grades 9-12, and ranks 33rd out of 141 Tennessee districts (77th percentile, 4 stars). The district beats state averages in graduation rate (93.4% vs 90.5%) and chronic absenteeism (12.2% vs 18.3%), and exceeds the state average in every tested subject. These schools range from large traditional comprehensive high schools to small specialty, early-college, and virtual programs, creating a wide spectrum of options for families.
The clear academic leaders are Station Camp High School, ranked #10 in the state with 5 stars, and Liberty Creek High School, ranked #14 with 5 stars — both post average proficiency rates above 63% along with strong graduation rates and low chronic absenteeism. Beech Senior High School (#30), White House High School (#32), and Hendersonville High School (#36) also earn 5-star ratings, giving the district five top-tier schools. At the other end of the spectrum, Gallatin Senior High School, the largest school with 1,644 students, ranks only #164 and struggles with a 25.3% chronic absenteeism rate — more than double the district rate — along with below-district scores in every subject. The small specialty schools also lag academically: Sumner County Middle Technical College High School at Portland ranks #325, and Patricia Brown Virtual Academy has the district's lowest test scores despite its 96.4% graduation rate.
Math is the district's biggest challenge: Algebra I proficiency sits at just 42.3%, the lowest of all seven tested subjects, while English II is the strongest at 67.7%. Westmoreland High School is a mixed picture — it has the district's highest Algebra I and US History scores but also the lowest graduation rate (87.7%) and highest per-pupil spending ($15,298). Notably, spending does not appear to drive outcomes: Station Camp High School and Liberty Creek High School achieve excellent results near the district-average spending level, while Patricia Brown Virtual Academy spends the least yet graduates students at the highest rate. Parents should weigh graduation rates and test scores together, since high graduation rates do not always align with high academic proficiency.
Thank you for your feedback!