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DeKalb Middle School

Q: Is DeKalb Middle School a good school?

DeKalb Middle School ranks 370 th of 594 Tennessee middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

370^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 594 Tennessee Middle Schools

Better than 38% of Tennessee middle schools

Summary

DeKalb Middle School is a public middle school in Smithville, Tennessee, serving 534 students in grades 6–8 as part of DeKalb County Schools in rural Middle Tennessee. The school currently holds a 2-star state rating and ranks 370th out of 594 Tennessee middle schools, placing it in the 38th percentile — a modest improvement from the prior year, though still below the statewide median.

Academically, DeKalb Middle School presents a mixed picture. English Language Arts is the clearest weakness, with only 26.9% of students proficient compared to roughly 41% statewide — a gap that has persisted for years, though the trend is gradually improving. Math and science also trail state averages, but both are trending upward, and 8th grade math proficiency of 39.6% actually surpasses the state average of 38.3%. Social studies is the school's relative strength: overall proficiency of 47.8% sits close to the state mark, and 7th graders exceeded the state average by several points.

Attendance and special education outcomes deserve parents' attention. Chronic absenteeism affects 19.3% of students, slightly above the state average, and special education results rank near the bottom in Tennessee — an area the school will need to prioritize urgently. DeKalb spends about $12,342 per student, comparable to nearby Watertown Middle School and Smith County Middle School, which rank in the 84th and 74th percentiles respectively. DeKalb sits alongside Warren County Middle School and Cannon County Middle School in the lower-middle tier, but the steady upward trend in math, social studies, and overall ranking suggests the school is heading in the right direction.

534

Students ?

14.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,342

Per pupil spending ?

72.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1132 West Broad Street
Smithville, TN 37166

(615) 597-7987

District: DeKalb County Schools

Students who attend DeKalb Middle School usually attend:

High:	De Kalb County Adult High School
	De Kalb County High School

Feeder schools for DeKalb Middle School:

Elementary:	DeKalb West Elementary School
	Northside Elementary School
	Smithville Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.6%

Hispanic:

20.0%

Two or more races:

5.2%

See top rated Tennessee middle schools

Compare DeKalb Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 30th percentile in 2023 → 38th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 38th (2026) from a 30th-percentile low (2023)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (35% vs 45% meeting standards)

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

!English Language Arts scores 14 pts below the Tennessee average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school35%

District avg38%

Tennessee avg45%

370^th of 594

Tennessee public middle schools ?

Bottom 38%▬ steady since 2017

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

96^th of 141DeKalb 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	39.6	370 of 594	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.8	401 of 583	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.4	383 of 587	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.6	414 of 594	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.4	348 of 569	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.9	389 of 576	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.6	281 of 574	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.3	169 of 563	70.0%	★★★★☆
2017	45.0	224 of 362	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	56.4	243 of 492	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	50.8	256 of 485	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	54.5	260 of 475	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	38.2	316 of 466	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	37.9	313 of 462	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	35.7	313 of 435	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	63.2	106 of 328	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.1	125 of 312	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	21.1	262 of 318	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	35.6	363 of 546	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.2	353 of 554	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.7	360 of 560	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.3	377 of 552	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.6	404 of 538	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	47.0	262 of 529	50.5%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2021	51.4	27 of 39	30.8%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	41.9	169 of 302	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.5	184 of 286	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.9	195 of 285	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.4	212 of 285	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	36.1	165 of 275	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.7	174 of 261	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.1	161 of 228	29.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.6	97 of 219	55.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	47.8	236 of 478	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	31.8	352 of 490	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	47.6	241 of 510	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	36.1	318 of 514	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.2	304 of 495	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.5	266 of 483	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.4	280 of 490	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	60.5	139 of 481	71.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	28.5	406 of 550	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.8	389 of 560	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.5	416 of 557	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	39.1	319 of 540	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.4	314 of 529	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.5	290 of 523	44.6%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	18.2	336 of 349	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	13.7	328 of 332	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	20.6	280 of 288	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	20.1	229 of 238	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	31.1	167 of 222	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.2	179 of 279	35.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	27.9	388 of 494	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.4	406 of 492	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.2	388 of 504	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.9	405 of 503	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.4	362 of 500	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.5	386 of 496	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.1	275 of 484	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	55.9	171 of 481	64.4%	★★★☆☆

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)

African American (2026)68th percentile+30 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)51st percentile+13 vs school

Hispanic (2026)44th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2025)34th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2021)31st percentile~ school

Male (2025)26th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)21st percentile-16 vs school

Special Education (2026)4th percentile-34 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies48%-4 vs state

Science33%-14 vs state

Mathematics32%-11 vs state

English Language Arts27%-14 vs state

★

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Schools Near DeKalb Middle 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 Algebra I (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 (2020)	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 5th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 6th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	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 Algebra I 8th Grade	TNReady Algebra I All Grades	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
DeKalb Middle School	Public	6-8	1132 West Broad Street	Smithville	37166	DeKalb County	DeKalb County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 597-7987	558	38	14.8		407 (72.9%)	11 (2.0%)	116 (20.8%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (3.4%)	39.6	370^th of 594 public middle schools	37.7%		32.8	401^st of 583 public middle schools	31.2%	31		25.9	31.0	39.6	32.4		24.1	30.6	26.2	26.9				31.0	34.0	34.7	33.3	38.6	59.6	45.5	47.8	$12,342	$2,061	$9,313
Cannon County Middle School	Public	6-8	511 Annie Cox Drive	Woodbury	37190	Cannon County	Cannon County Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(629) 218-3220	405	22	18.6		362 (89.4%)	5 (1.2%)	19 (4.7%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (3.5%)	34.9	406^th of 594 public middle schools	31.6%		18.1	488^th of 583 public middle schools	16.3%	82		30.2	27.0	22.7	26.4		38.7	27.0	20.3	28.1				49.1	37.3	20.3	34.7	46.2	42.9	35.2	41.1	$10,233	$1,070	$8,682
Watertown Middle School	Public	6-8	515 W. Main Street	Watertown	37184	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(615) 237-4000	326	26	12.7	41.0%	285 (87.4%)	5 (1.5%)	24 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.1%)	77.4	97^th of 594 public middle schools	83.7%		78.6	89^th of 583 public middle schools	84.7%	8		44.8	52.9	53.7	50.2		40.0	45.2	38.6	41.3	94.7	94.7		61.9	60.6	55.4	59.4	57.1	70.2	70.3	65.8	$13,157	$414	$12,037
Smith County Middle School	Public	5-8	134 Smith County Middle School	Carthage	37030	Smith County	Smith County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 735-8277	313	20	15.6	62.5%	257 (82.1%)	5 (1.6%)	25 (8.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (8.0%)	69.5	152^nd of 594 public middle schools	74.4%		49.2	284^th of 583 public middle schools	51.3%	132	40.4	58.2	54.1	56.5	51.4	34.8	35.8	54.1	26.1	37.1			57.3	52.2	54.1	40.6	51.4	55.2	75.0	48.5	59.0	$12,297	$1,022	$10,182
Upperman Middle School	Public	5-8	6700 Nashville Highway	Baxter	38544	Putnam County	Putnam County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 858-6601	847	54	15.8	54.2%	748 (88.3%)	21 (2.5%)	57 (6.7%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	16 (1.9%)	46	320^th of 594 public middle schools	46.1%		43.6	329^th of 583 public middle schools	43.6%	9	50.8	41.3	39.5	51.7	46.2	37.2	31.6	33.5	22.8	31.2	≥ 95%	≥ 95%	43.1	39.8	39.9	34.7	39.3	43.4	52.7	29.2	41.7	$11,592	$909	$10,038
Warren County Middle School	Public	6-8	200 Caldwell Street	McMinnville	37110	Warren County	Warren County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 473-6557	767	60	12.7		496 (64.7%)	33 (4.3%)	196 (25.6%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (5.1%)	35.9	398^th of 594 public middle schools	33.0%		38	369^th of 583 public middle schools	36.7%	29		28.0	29.1	19.5	25.8		27.2	25.0	22.6	25.0				37.7	34.7	37.2	36.4	47.5	53.7	37.6	46.7	$12,031	$1,384	$9,554

Frequently Asked Questions about DeKalb Middle School

What is the racial makeup of DeKalb Middle School?

Students at DeKalb Middle School are 71% White, 20% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% African American.

What district is DeKalb Middle School in?

DeKalb County Schools

Is DeKalb Middle School a good school?

DeKalb Middle School ranks 370^th of 594 Tennessee middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend DeKalb Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 534 students attended DeKalb Middle School.

What high school do graduates of DeKalb Middle School attend?

Students who attend DeKalb Middle School usually go on to attend De Kalb County Adult High School

Rate DeKalb Middle 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.