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Unaka Elementary School

Q: Is Unaka Elementary School a good school?

Unaka Elementary School ranks in the bottom 20.9% of Tennessee elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Unaka Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 194 students attended Unaka Elementary School.

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

Students at Unaka Elementary School are 93% White, 4% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

Q: What schools do graduates of Unaka Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Unaka Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Happy Valley Middle School High : Cloudland High School High : Hampton High School High : Happy Valley High School High : Unaka High School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

806^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,019 Tennessee Elementary Schools

Better than 21% of Tennessee elementary schools

Summary

Unaka Elementary School is a small, rural school in Elizabethton, Tennessee, serving 194 students in grades PK through 5 as part of Carter County Schools. Academically, the school is struggling: only 20% of students are proficient in mathematics, compared to 37.8% across the district and 43% statewide. English Language Arts proficiency (33.3%) trails the state by 7 points, and science proficiency (30%) is 12 points below the district. After a brief improvement a few years ago, the school's ranking has slipped back to the bottom fifth of Tennessee elementary schools.

What makes Unaka stand out is that its challenges do not appear to stem from attendance or funding. Chronic absenteeism is just 9.9% — well below the district rate of 15.9% and the state rate of 18.3% — and students benefit from a favorable 14:1 student-teacher ratio in a small-school setting. The school also spends $17,890 per student, one of the highest figures in the region. Yet test scores have declined even as spending has risen. There was a bright spot in 2022-23, when economically disadvantaged students ranked in the 80th percentile statewide, showing that Unaka is capable of strong outcomes — but that success has not been sustained.

Nearby comparisons highlight the room for growth. Valley Forge Elementary School, just 8.6 miles away in the same district, posts math proficiency of 56.6% — nearly triple Unaka's rate — despite a chronic absenteeism rate of 31.8%. West Side Elementary School in neighboring Elizabethton City Schools reaches 67.7% proficiency in math. These contrasts suggest that school-specific factors like leadership, instructional quality, and curriculum are the key differentiators, and that Unaka can improve by learning from proven practices in nearby schools.

194

Students ?

14.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,890

Per pupil spending ?

84.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

120 Unaka Drive
Elizabethton, TN 37643

(423) 474-4110

District: Carter County Schools

Students who attend Unaka Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Happy Valley Middle School
High:	Cloudland High School
	Hampton High School
	Happy Valley High School
	Unaka High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

92.8%

Two or more races:

3.6%

Hispanic:

3.1%

See top rated Tennessee elementary schools

Compare Unaka Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 21st percentile in 2014 → 21st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (28% vs 43% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (21st percentile)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school28%

District avg38%

Tennessee avg43%

806^th of 1,019

Tennessee public elementary schools ?

Bottom 21%▼ down 11 pts since 2018

From bottom 32% (2018) to bottom 21% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 7Elementary Schools in the Carter County Schools

108^th of 141Carter County 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	24.9	806 of 1019	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.3	809 of 1009	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.9	650 of 1018	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.9	622 of 1020	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.8	770 of 1000	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.2	799 of 983	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.4	730 of 985	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.0	682 of 997	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	28.9	709 of 855	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	30.2	670 of 853	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	40.8	654 of 846	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	56.5	380 of 820	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	76.7	165 of 818	79.8%	★★★★☆
2010	31.6	610 of 809	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	20.6	817 of 986	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.3	848 of 990	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.6	656 of 989	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.2	741 of 975	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.4	627 of 945	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.9	723 of 926	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2023	69.4	173 of 865	80.0%	★★★★☆
2022	42.5	476 of 858	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.8	517 of 823	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	27.5	663 of 821	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.7	626 of 877	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2024	31.7	696 of 991	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.1	706 of 987	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.1	813 of 980	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.0	744 of 941	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.1	705 of 916	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	12.6	806 of 849	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	13.9	790 of 840	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	26.2	672 of 847	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.7	645 of 852	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.8	778 of 844	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	12.6	817 of 844	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.9	717 of 812	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.2	724 of 841	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	54.5	238 of 583	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.4	312 of 587	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.0	368 of 594	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	21.5	451 of 569	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.0	505 of 576	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.1	382 of 574	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.2	392 of 563	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	34.7	390 of 492	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	27.8	396 of 485	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	62.6	195 of 475	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	56.5	218 of 466	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	21.2	399 of 462	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2024	22.5	440 of 554	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.3	334 of 560	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	16.0	474 of 552	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	7.7	522 of 538	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	30.1	397 of 529	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2024	75.7	60 of 510	88.2%	★★★★☆
2023	65.1	113 of 514	78.0%	★★★★☆
2022	44.2	248 of 495	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	20.1	412 of 483	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.9	304 of 490	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.3	252 of 481	47.6%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	46.3	286 of 550	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.8	378 of 560	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.3	373 of 557	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.4	398 of 540	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.5	421 of 529	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.0	348 of 523	33.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	43.9	261 of 492	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.4	342 of 504	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.1	374 of 503	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.8	463 of 500	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	8.0	490 of 496	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	27.2	395 of 484	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.0	391 of 481	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Low Socio Economic Status (2023)80th percentile+41 vs school

Male (2024)30th percentile-6 vs school

Female (2025)17th percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)5th percentile-16 vs school

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)88th percentile+41 vs school

Male (2025)48th percentile-11 vs school

White (2025)47th percentile-12 vs school

Female (2024)21st percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts33%-7 vs state

Science30%-17 vs state

Mathematics20%-23 vs state

★

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Schools Near Unaka 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
Unaka Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	120 Unaka Drive	Elizabethton	37643	Carter County	Carter County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 474-4110	213	15	14.3	84.7%	202 (94.8%)	1 (0.5%)	7 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	24.9	806^th of 1019 public elementary schools	20.9%		23.3	809^th of 1009 public elementary schools	19.8%	3	15.4	33.3					20.0	38.5	25.0					33.3	38.5	33.3					30.0					$17,890	$2,394	$13,958
Hunter Elementary School	Public	K-8	145 Hope Street	Elizabethton	37643	Carter County	Carter County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 547-4074	519	39	13.4	80.3%	462 (89.0%)	4 (0.8%)	38 (7.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.3%)	36.2	681^st of 1019 public elementary schools	33.2%		31.3	720^th of 1009 public elementary schools	28.6%	39	28.3	51.5	49.3	14.9	34.4	44.1	37.2	33.3	52.2	30.4	26.9	21.3	16.9	30.5	36.7	61.8	27.5	23.9	32.8	42.4	37.5	23.9	37.7	42.4	34.2	$12,895	$1,281	$10,869
East Side Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	800 Siam Road	Elizabethton	37643	Carter County	Elizabethton City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 547-8010	462	27	16.9	65.0%	409 (88.5%)	10 (2.2%)	14 (3.0%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	21 (4.5%)	59	380^th of 1019 public elementary schools	62.7%		65.9	286^th of 1009 public elementary schools	71.7%	94	30.0	73.9	45.2				48.5	24.0	56.5	47.9				43.2	34.0	78.3	57.5				56.2					$14,288	$978	$12,477
Harold McCormick Elementary School	Public	K-5	226 Cedar Avenue	Elizabethton	37643	Carter County	Elizabethton City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 547-8020	363	26	13.8	73.5%	321 (88.4%)	7 (1.9%)	12 (3.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.1%)	55.5	433^rd of 1019 public elementary schools	57.5%		61.5	343^rd of 1009 public elementary schools	66.0%	90	26.5	58.2	41.7				41.0	36.8	65.5	45.8				48.4	39.7	67.3	50.0				51.4					$14,522	$710	$12,954
Emmett Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	753 Emmett Road	Bristol	37620	Sullivan County	Sullivan County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 354-1865	309	24	12.8	57.9%	296 (95.8%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	41.7	620^th of 1019 public elementary schools	39.2%		34.4	687^th of 1009 public elementary schools	31.9%	67	14.3	47.8	17.1				26.9	46.9	54.3	22.9				43.1	51.0	56.5	14.3				43.1					$15,170	$1,610	$12,440
Valley Forge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1485 Riverview Drive	Elizabethton	37643	Carter County	Carter County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 547-4085	214	15	14.7	86.1%	203 (94.9%)	3 (1.4%)	4 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)	63.9	319^th of 1019 public elementary schools	68.7%		71.9	223^rd of 1009 public elementary schools	77.9%	96	56.7	50.0	63.6				56.6	40.0	54.2	63.6				51.3	36.7	50.0	59.1				47.4					$15,155	$1,779	$12,241
Hampton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	408 Hwy 321	Hampton	37658	Carter County	Carter County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 725-5220	622	43	14.6	85.8%	591 (95.0%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (1.6%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.4%)	46.2	540^th of 1019 public elementary schools	47.0%		41.8	586^th of 1009 public elementary schools	41.9%	46	26.3	41.4	48.4	39.7	37.7	58.1	42.5	39.7	44.1	39.1	31.7	22.1	21.6	32.2	43.9	53.4	46.9	23.8	33.8	35.1	38.9	52.4	46.8	45.9	48.1	$12,548	$1,155	$10,203
West Side Elementary School	Public	K-5	1310 Burgie Street	Elizabethton	37643	Carter County	Elizabethton City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 547-8030	362	21	16.9	42.6%	324 (89.5%)	9 (2.5%)	12 (3.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.4%)	90.6	82^nd of 1019 public elementary schools	92.0%		93.6	59^th of 1009 public elementary schools	94.2%	23	56.0	76.5	67.6				67.7	70.0	82.4	60.3				71.0	60.0	88.2	70.6				74.2					$13,724	$759	$12,338
Doe Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	7164 Highway 67 West	Mountain City	37683	Johnson County	Johnson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 727-2682	224	19	11.7	76.5%	213 (95.1%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.6%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	18.9	865^th of 1019 public elementary schools	15.1%		20.5	837^th of 1009 public elementary schools	17.0%	28	23.8	40.0	19.2	8.7			24.0	14.3	26.7	26.9	8.7			20.0	33.3	46.7	23.1	13.0			30.0	< 5%			< 5%	$18,288	$1,957	$15,556
Bluff City Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	282 Maple Drive	Bluff City	37618	Sullivan County	Sullivan County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(423) 354-1825	544	33	16.4	66.9%	508 (93.4%)	3 (0.6%)	16 (2.9%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.6%)	41.6	623^rd of 1019 public elementary schools	38.9%		38.2	627^th of 1009 public elementary schools	37.9%	4	39.7	46.4	37.5				41.2	37.2	38.1	44.3				40.0	43.6	40.5	31.8				38.4					$13,452	$857	$11,659

Frequently Asked Questions about Unaka Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Unaka Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Unaka Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Happy Valley Middle School
High : Cloudland High School
High : Hampton High School
High : Happy Valley High School
High : Unaka High School

What is the racial makeup of Unaka Elementary School?

Students at Unaka Elementary School are 93% White, 4% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

Is Unaka Elementary School a good school?

Unaka Elementary School ranks in the bottom 20.9% of Tennessee elementary schools.

What district is Unaka Elementary School in?

Carter County Schools

How many students attend Unaka Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 194 students attended Unaka Elementary School.

Rate Unaka 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.