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Bells Elementary School

Q: Is Bells Elementary School a good school?

Bells Elementary School ranks 543 rd of 1019 Tennessee elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Bells Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 407 students attended Bells Elementary School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Bells Elementary School?

Students at Bells Elementary School are 62% White, 19% Hispanic, 16% African American, 1% Two or more races.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

543^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,019 Tennessee Elementary Schools

Better than 47% of Tennessee elementary schools

Summary

Bells Elementary School serves 407 students in grades PK through 5 in Bells, Tennessee, as part of the small Bells City Schools district. The school has historically been a solidly above-average performer in Tennessee, ranking in the 53rd to 76th percentile range from 2017 through 2024. However, the 2025-26 school year brought a notable downturn, with the school dropping to the 47th percentile statewide — its lowest relative standing in nearly a decade.

The most striking change is in math proficiency, which fell from 57.9% to 41.1% in a single year, dropping the school from well above the state average to slightly below it. Reading and science saw smaller declines. A closer look at the data shows 4th graders at Bells Elementary School are outperforming their peers statewide in every subject, while 3rd and 5th grade cohorts are lagging — a pattern that suggests a particular strength in 4th grade instruction. Within the surrounding area, Bells sits almost exactly in the middle of a polarized landscape: it clearly outperforms struggling schools like East Elementary School, where just 5.5% of students are proficient in math despite spending roughly $3,000 more per student, but it trails high-performing neighbors like Alamo Elementary School and Gadsden Elementary School, both of which earn 4-star ratings and rank in the 80th percentile or higher.

Bells has some important strengths to build on. Its chronic absenteeism rate of just 3.7% is dramatically lower than the 18.3% state average and among the lowest in the region — a foundational asset for learning. The school also gets strong results relative to its spending of about $12,173 per student, outperforming several nearby schools that spend significantly more. Economically disadvantaged students have remained consistently stable at around the 64th–65th percentile over the past three years, suggesting the school is relatively effective at supporting these learners. The path forward will likely involve stabilizing the 3rd and 5th grade cohorts and understanding why 4th grade is so much stronger, while continuing to protect the school's excellent attendance culture.

407

Students ?

13.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,173

Per pupil spending ?

70.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4547 Highway 88 South
Bells, TN 38006

(731) 663-2041

District: Bells City Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.4%

Hispanic:

19.4%

African American:

16.0%

See top rated Tennessee elementary schools

Compare Bells Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 83rd percentile in 2015 → 47th in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 36 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school42%

District avg42%

Tennessee avg43%

543^rd of 1,019

Tennessee public elementary schools ?

Bottom 47%▲ up 6 pts since 2017

From bottom 40% (2017) to bottom 47% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

91^st of 141Bells City Schools among Tennessee districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	46.2	543 of 1019	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	63.1	326 of 1009	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.8	285 of 1018	72.0%	★★★★☆
2023	63.6	307 of 1020	69.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.9	472 of 1000	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.6	324 of 983	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.2	256 of 985	74.0%	★★★★☆
2018	67.6	237 of 997	76.2%	★★★★☆
2017	42.1	385 of 646	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	77.9	148 of 855	82.7%	★★★★☆
2014	64.3	263 of 853	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	65.5	316 of 846	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	20.8	718 of 820	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	14.5	760 of 818	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	14.6	742 of 809	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	46.5	255 of 498	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.4	291 of 498	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	65.2	133 of 498	73.3%	★★★★☆
2023	64.0	139 of 500	72.2%	★★★★☆
2022	46.2	212 of 483	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.5	108 of 450	76.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	60.5	324 of 986	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.8	281 of 990	71.6%	★★★★☆
2023	60.0	334 of 989	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.1	388 of 975	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.5	267 of 945	71.7%	★★★★☆
2019	71.9	204 of 926	78.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	42.8	259 of 458	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	77.3	72 of 424	83.0%	★★★★☆
2024	42.1	237 of 415	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	75.9	64 of 387	83.5%	★★★★☆
2022	71.9	71 of 363	80.4%	★★★★☆
2021	68.3	66 of 324	79.6%	★★★★☆
2019	82.4	25 of 250	90.0%	★★★★★
2018	70.7	70 of 319	78.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	58.5	287 of 823	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.6	299 of 843	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.9	303 of 853	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	86.8	39 of 865	95.5%	★★★★★
2022	45.4	437 of 858	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	69.8	135 of 823	83.6%	★★★★☆
2019	80.5	55 of 821	93.3%	★★★★★
2018	57.0	296 of 877	66.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	63.0	305 of 984	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.6	325 of 991	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.7	284 of 987	71.2%	★★★★☆
2022	39.7	570 of 980	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.0	432 of 941	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.8	355 of 916	61.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	48.9	401 of 849	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.5	248 of 840	70.5%	★★★★☆
2024	64.5	239 of 847	71.8%	★★★★☆
2023	61.2	253 of 852	70.3%	★★★★☆
2022	43.2	455 of 844	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.1	335 of 844	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.2	219 of 812	73.0%	★★★★☆
2018	69.3	200 of 841	76.2%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Male (2025)69th percentile~ school

Female (2025)67th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)65th percentile+18 vs school

White (2026)53rd percentile+6 vs school

African American (2026)49th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)43rd percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Science43%-4 vs state

English Language Arts42%~ state avg

Mathematics41%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Bells Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				TNReady Mathematics (2026)							TNReady English Language Arts (2026)							TNReady Science (2026)							TNReady Social Studies (2026)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2016)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	TNReady Mathematics 3rd Grade	TNReady Mathematics 4th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 5th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 6th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	TNReady English Language Arts 3rd Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 4th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 5th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 6th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 7th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 8th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts All Grades	TNReady Science 3rd Grade	TNReady Science 4th Grade	TNReady Science 5th Grade	TNReady Science 6th Grade	TNReady Science 7th Grade	TNReady Science 8th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	TNReady Social Studies 6th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 7th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 8th Grade	TNReady Social Studies All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bells Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4547 Highway 88 South	Bells	38006	Crockett County	Bells City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 663-2041	411	30	13.7	39.4%	263 (64.0%)	74 (18.0%)	67 (16.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	46.2	543^rd of 1019 public elementary schools	46.7%		63.1	326^th of 1009 public elementary schools	67.7%	217	30.2	57.8	33.3				41.1	31.7	53.1	39.6				41.7	46.0	51.6	29.2				43.4					$12,173	$786	$10,349
Alamo Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	265 E Park Street	Alamo	38001	Crockett County	Alamo City School	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 696-5515	607	41	14.9	67.3%	404 (66.6%)	59 (9.7%)	114 (18.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.4%)	83.2	132^nd of 1019 public elementary schools	87.0%		85.5	119^th of 1009 public elementary schools	88.2%	13	64.9	72.5	60.3	58.8			64.7	73.0	63.8	60.3	64.7			65.4	60.8	52.5	61.5	56.9			58.0	58.8			58.8	$12,151	$1,203	$9,872
Gadsden Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	18989 Highway 79	Gadsden	38337	Crockett County	Crockett County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 663-2453	152	14	10.9	74.5%	104 (68.4%)	26 (17.1%)	14 (9.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (5.3%)	75.2	196^th of 1019 public elementary schools	80.8%		72.2	220^th of 1009 public elementary schools	78.2%	24	62.5	55.6	61.3				60.3	58.3	55.6	40.6				50.0	54.2	72.2	61.3				61.6					$14,152	$945	$11,811
Maury City Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5442 Highway 88	Maury City	38050	Crockett County	Crockett County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 656-2244	224	21	10.5	69.5%	189 (84.4%)	16 (7.1%)	18 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	76.6	183^rd of 1019 public elementary schools	82.0%		65.4	293^rd of 1009 public elementary schools	71.0%	110	69.2	82.1	55.2				68.7	65.4	64.3	34.5				54.2	65.4	71.4	41.4				59.0					$13,510	$814	$11,280
Stigall Primary School	Public	PK, KG-1	301 Westside Drive	Humboldt	38343	Gibson County	Humboldt City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 784-2825	216	15	14.4	98.0%	35 (16.2%)	142 (65.7%)	25 (11.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (6.5%)								(n/a)																										$16,018	$2,388	$11,751
East Side Elementary School	Public	3-4	1315 East Jefferson	Brownsville	38012	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 772-1233	361	25	14.4	89.4%	81 (22.4%)	247 (68.4%)	26 (7.2%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	22.3	830^th of 1019 public elementary schools	18.5%		18.6	852^nd of 1009 public elementary schools	15.6%	22	25.7	23.2					24.4	32.0	34.3					33.2	35.7	28.0					31.7					$15,402	$1,270	$12,962
Pope School	Public	PK, KG-8	1081 Ashport Road	Jackson	38305	Madison County	Jackson-Madison County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 668-0350	613	41	14.9	60.2%	169 (27.6%)	308 (50.2%)	60 (9.8%)	23 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (8.6%)	42.3	606^th of 1019 public elementary schools	40.5%		52.6	456^th of 1009 public elementary schools	54.8%	150	43.0	38.7	46.3	38.2	23.5	21.2	36.3	34.7	35.5	36.7	35.3	28.2	18.2	32.4	42.0	38.3	35.5	49.0	38.8	13.6	37.6	37.3	48.5	36.4	41.3	$12,762	$1,230	$10,824
East Elementary School	Public	2-6	1560 North 30th Avenue	Humboldt	38343	Gibson County	Humboldt City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 784-4171	421	26	16.1	98.1%	92 (21.9%)	268 (63.7%)	40 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.0%)	5.5	996^th of 1019 public elementary schools	2.3%		6.1	985^th of 1009 public elementary schools	2.4%	11	5.6	9.6	5.8	< 5%			5.5	17.4	12.3	14.5	9.2			13.2	21.1	11.0	10.1	21.1			15.9	10.7			10.7	$15,108	$2,084	$11,238
Haywood Elementary School	Public	1-2	313 N Grand Avenue	Brownsville	38012	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 772-0732	365	27	13.5	77.6%	99 (27.1%)	231 (63.3%)	27 (7.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.6%)								(n/a)																										$18,198	$1,612	$15,438
Anderson Early Childhood School	Public	PK-K	620 West Main	Brownsville	38012	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 772-9053	351	30	11.8	77.7%	73 (20.8%)	239 (68.1%)	26 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.1%)								(n/a)																										$24,874	$1,826	$20,448

Frequently Asked Questions about Bells Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Bells Elementary School?

Students at Bells Elementary School are 62% White, 19% Hispanic, 16% African American, 1% Two or more races.

What district is Bells Elementary School in?

Bells City Schools

Is Bells Elementary School a good school?

Bells Elementary School ranks 543^rd of 1019 Tennessee elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Bells Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 407 students attended Bells Elementary School.

Rate Bells Elementary School!

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Latest Tennessee data All new data »

2025–26 TNReady test scoresAug 25, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesApr 2, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataFeb 27, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataDec 18, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Tennessee Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.