Summary
Caryville Elementary School is a PK-5 public school in Caryville, TN, serving 634 students and operating within the Campbell County Schools district, which ranks in the bottom 10% of Tennessee districts. In recent testing, Caryville matched or slightly exceeded its district's averages in math, English, and science, but it still trails state proficiency levels by roughly 7–10 percentage points in each subject. The school's performance is mixed compared to nearby schools; Jacksboro Elementary School, just under two miles away and serving a similarly large student body, outperforms Caryville in every subject, while other nearby schools in Anderson County Schools such as Norris Elementary School and Andersonville Elementary School rank in the top 25% of the state, demonstrating that high performance is achievable in the same geographic region.
Caryville shows some genuine bright spots alongside its challenges. The school has seen dramatic improvement in outcomes for special education students, jumping from the 7th percentile statewide in 2023-2024 to the 44th percentile in 2025-2026. However, there is a consistent and significant gender gap, with female students ranking in the 30th percentile statewide compared to male students in the 17th percentile, a pattern that has persisted for three years. Additionally, grade-level data reveals a particular weakness in 3rd-grade math, where only 19.3% of students are proficient, compared to 40.9% in 4th grade, suggesting students make progress in later years but start with a significant early deficit. Attendance appears closely tied to achievement, with the school's best test scores coming in 2023-2024, the same year its chronic absenteeism rate dropped to 12.3%, well below the state average.
Science is a relative strength for the school, with 37% proficiency in the most recent year, outpacing its math and ELA scores and representing a significant jump from the prior year. Chronic absenteeism, a key indicator of student engagement, was 21.7% in 2024-2025, better than the district rate of 28.6% but above the state's 18.3%. While Caryville's per-student spending of $11,252 is moderate compared to nearby schools, it does not appear to be the sole driver of outcomes, as Jacksboro Elementary School spends less but achieves better results. Caryville's path forward likely lies in strengthening early-grade math instruction, developing more effective strategies for engaging male students, and maintaining a focus on reducing absenteeism.
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