Warren County Schools

Warren County Schools, serving roughly 6,241 students across 12 schools in McMinnville, Tennessee, includes 8 elementary schools (several serving through 8th grade), a middle school, a high school, and 2 alternative schools. The district ranks 116th out of 141 Tennessee districts, placing it in the 18th percentile with a 1-star rating, and overall academic performance trails the state in most subjects. However, meaningful bright spots exist at a few elementary schools and at the high school graduation level.

Centertown Elementary School stands out as the district's best overall performer, ranking in the 62nd percentile with 3 stars and outperforming the state in ELA, Science, and Social Studies while spending less per student than most peers. Eastside Elementary School is the most improved, jumping from the 40th to 53rd percentile in one year with 41% ELA proficiency, above the state's 40.6%. Hickory Creek School and Bobby Ray Memorial School both show meaningful upward momentum, with Bobby Ray reaching 43.2% math proficiency and matching the state average. Warren County High School posts a 97.0% graduation rate, well above the state's 90.5%, and a dropout rate less than half the state's, despite below-average test scores.

The district's biggest academic gap is Geometry: only 20% of Warren County High School students are proficient versus 42.3% statewide. Chronic absenteeism ranges widely, from 7.3% at Irving College Elementary School to 38.7% at Warren County Alternative Academy, with Warren County High School at 19.3%. West Elementary School spends the most of any traditional school at $15,028 per student yet ranks in the 25th percentile, while Centertown achieves top results with $11,147 per student, showing spending alone does not drive outcomes. Irving College has the lowest absenteeism but saw math proficiency fall from 44.5% to 31.1% and its ranking drop from the 58th to 42nd percentile, highlighting that factors beyond attendance matter. Warren Connect School and Warren County Alternative Academy serve the district's highest-need students with very low proficiency, though Warren Connect reports a 92.9% graduation rate.