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South Fentress Elementary School

Q: Is South Fentress Elementary School a good school?

South Fentress Elementary School ranks 723 rd of 1019 Tennessee elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

723^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,019 Tennessee Elementary Schools

Better than 29% of Tennessee elementary schools

Summary

South Fentress Elementary School in Grimsley, TN, is a rural PK–8 school in the Fentress County Schools district serving 561 students. The school's state ranking has been volatile: after reaching the 57th and 54th percentiles in 2022–2023 and 2023–2024, it fell to the 43rd percentile in 2024–2025 and then to the 29th percentile (1 star) in 2025–2026. The district overall ranks 110th out of 141 Tennessee districts, but several nearby schools — including Allardt Elementary School and Pine Haven Elementary School — currently rank higher, while York Elementary School ranks lower.

On the positive side, attendance has improved dramatically. After three straight years with chronic absenteeism above 21%, the rate dropped to 16.1% in 2024–2025 — better than the district average (19.1%), the state average (18.3%), and nearby schools like York Elementary School (20.9%) and Allardt Elementary School (21.4%). Science is another bright spot: 43.1% of students are proficient, above the district average and close to the state's 46.9%. The school also enters 3rd grade on solid footing, with ELA proficiency (41.5%) and math proficiency (35.4%) both above district averages, though still below state averages.

The main concern is a steep decline in upper-elementary math. Proficiency falls from 35.4% in 3rd grade to 25.9% in 4th grade and just 13.3% in 5th grade — while Allardt Elementary School actually improves by 5th grade. Social studies (37.5%) and ELA (32.4%) also trail state averages. South Fentress spends less per student than any nearby school ($11,983 vs. $16,325 at Wilson Elementary School), and despite recent spending increases and better attendance, overall scores have declined. Female students have consistently outperformed male students by 10 to 20 percentile points across recent years, a gap that may deserve attention.

561

Students ?

18.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,983

Per pupil spending ?

34.4%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

5018 Wilder Road
Grimsley, TN 38565

(931) 863-3131

District: Fentress County Schools

Students who attend South Fentress Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Clarkrange High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

92.7%

Hispanic:

4.8%

Two or more races:

1.6%

See top rated Tennessee elementary schools

Compare South Fentress Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 57th percentile in 2023 → 29th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (34% vs 45% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 57th-percentile peak (2023) to 29th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school34%

District avg35%

Tennessee avg45%

Elementary school

723^rd of 1,019

Tennessee public elementary schools ?

Bottom 29%▲ up 17 pts since 2017

From bottom 12% (2017) to bottom 29% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

392^nd of 594

Tennessee public middle schools ?

Bottom 34%▼ down 6 pts since 2018

From bottom 40% (2018) to bottom 34% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 4Elementary Schools in the Fentress County Schools

110^th of 141Fentress 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	33.0	723 of 1019	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	42.5	579 of 1009	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.0	472 of 1018	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.9	438 of 1020	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.4	576 of 1000	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.9	599 of 983	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.5	516 of 985	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.3	583 of 997	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	21.9	569 of 646	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	33.0	672 of 855	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	36.7	612 of 853	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	42.0	642 of 846	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	33.4	612 of 820	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	27.1	664 of 818	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	28.3	640 of 809	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	46.2	521 of 986	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.2	391 of 990	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.4	364 of 989	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.4	525 of 975	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.8	524 of 945	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.0	526 of 926	43.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	45.3	458 of 823	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.6	486 of 843	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.6	355 of 853	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.1	176 of 865	79.7%	★★★★☆
2022	57.6	283 of 858	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.3	411 of 823	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.0	199 of 821	75.8%	★★★★☆
2018	44.1	485 of 877	44.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	37.8	623 of 984	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.6	553 of 991	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.8	506 of 987	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.6	624 of 980	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.5	577 of 941	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.1	499 of 916	45.5%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	33.8	411 of 641	35.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	17.7	765 of 849	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.6	672 of 840	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.9	554 of 847	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.0	519 of 852	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.3	632 of 844	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.7	660 of 844	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.5	574 of 812	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.4	625 of 841	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	36.9	392 of 594	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.3	263 of 583	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.8	320 of 587	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.6	332 of 594	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.9	401 of 569	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.1	351 of 576	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.6	303 of 574	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.4	339 of 563	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	52.6	267 of 492	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2014	50.5	259 of 485	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	52.6	282 of 475	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	29.4	366 of 466	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	12.3	433 of 462	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	51.1	262 of 546	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.0	281 of 554	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.2	329 of 560	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.5	383 of 552	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.5	290 of 538	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.9	274 of 529	48.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	49.4	225 of 478	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.7	123 of 490	74.9%	★★★★☆
2024	54.2	193 of 510	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.8	137 of 514	73.3%	★★★★☆
2022	38.1	292 of 495	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.6	191 of 483	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.9	179 of 490	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.9	225 of 481	53.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	48.4	273 of 550	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.2	337 of 560	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.5	290 of 557	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.8	393 of 540	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.9	352 of 529	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.0	316 of 523	39.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	22.4	425 of 494	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	38.9	297 of 492	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.9	339 of 504	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.6	355 of 503	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.4	428 of 500	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.9	377 of 496	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.9	313 of 484	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.2	358 of 481	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆

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

Female (2025)47th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)44th percentile+15 vs school

Male (2025)37th percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2026)36th percentile+7 vs school

White (2026)10th percentile-19 vs school

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)53rd percentile+19 vs school

Female (2025)52nd percentile-3 vs school

Male (2025)50th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)14th percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Science43%-4 vs state

Social Studies38%-14 vs state

English Language Arts32%-8 vs state

Mathematics26%-17 vs state

★

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Schools Near South Fentress 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	Directly certified (2024-25)	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
South Fentress Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	5018 Wilder Road	Grimsley	38565	Fentress County	Fentress County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 863-3131	595	32	18.4	34.4%	561 (94.3%)	4 (0.7%)	26 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	33	723^rd of 1019 public elementary schools	29.0%		42.5	579^th of 1009 public elementary schools	42.6%	144	35.4	25.9	13.3	21.1	27.0	26.7	25.6	41.5	31.5	31.1	31.6	32.4	22.2	32.4	35.9	51.9	42.2	42.1	43.2	44.4	43.1	28.1	45.9	35.6	37.5	$11,983	$1,959	$9,054
Wilson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	2210 Hanging Limb Highway	Crawford	38554	Overton County	Overton County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 445-3335	183	15	12.2	33.5%	178 (97.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.6%)	58.3	392^nd of 1019 public elementary schools	61.5%		65	298^th of 1009 public elementary schools	70.5%	94	38.5	62.5	52.9	20.0	38.9	36.4	42.7	46.2	37.5	47.1	20.0	22.2	9.1	29.2	53.8	68.8	58.8	40.0	44.4	36.4	50.0	50.0	61.1	40.9	50.0	$16,325	$1,359	$12,523
Allardt Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	220 Portland Avenue	Allardt	38504	Fentress County	Fentress County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 879-9515	394	25	15.8	25.1%	377 (95.7%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (2.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.0%)	46.2	539^th of 1019 public elementary schools	47.1%		59.4	361^st of 1009 public elementary schools	64.2%	178	22.5	37.5	41.7	34.0	28.9	39.2	34.1	17.5	47.5	63.9	42.0	42.1	23.5	38.4	25.0	57.5	55.6	44.0	52.6	45.1	46.3	42.0	65.8	45.1	49.6	$13,107	$1,985	$10,174
York Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	218 School Avenue	Jamestown	38556	Fentress County	Fentress County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 879-5832	456	32	14.1	41.5%	435 (95.4%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	21.5	839^th of 1019 public elementary schools	17.7%		34.2	689^th of 1009 public elementary schools	31.7%	150	10.4	43.6	29.4	5.4	15.7	18.8	19.9	37.5	33.3	26.5	16.2	23.5	25.0	27.4	25.0	46.2	35.3	13.5	15.7	21.9	25.7	16.2	31.4	25.0	25.0	$14,982	$3,155	$10,778
North Cumberland Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	7657 Hwy 127 North	Crossville	38571	Cumberland County	Cumberland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 484-5174	540	33	16.5	54.3%	503 (93.1%)	5 (0.9%)	23 (4.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.3%)	47.8	520^th of 1019 public elementary schools	49.0%		34.7	681^st of 1009 public elementary schools	32.5%	161	39.2	39.5	26.8	42.0	26.3	41.4	35.5	46.0	47.4	30.4	46.0	29.8	29.3	37.2	33.3	52.6	35.7	58.0	40.4	43.1	43.2	50.0	52.6	53.4	52.1	$12,062	$874	$9,783
Pine Haven Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	800 N York Highway	Jamestown	38556	Fentress County	Fentress County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 879-9525	577	32	18.1	34.4%	556 (96.4%)	5 (0.9%)	12 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	46	547^th of 1019 public elementary schools	46.3%		51.5	468^th of 1009 public elementary schools	53.6%	79	40.3	54.8	27.9	43.8	24.4	22.5	36.9	35.5	43.5	23.0	33.3	39.0	26.8	33.7	38.7	61.3	31.1	43.8	51.2	36.6	43.8	62.5	58.5	31.7	51.5	$12,007	$2,109	$9,123
Burks Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	300 Crossville Street	Monterey	38574	Putnam County	Putnam County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 839-7641	530	39	13.5	64.5%	324 (61.1%)	5 (0.9%)	197 (37.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	57.6	402^nd of 1019 public elementary schools	60.5%		64.4	308^th of 1009 public elementary schools	69.5%	94	46.8	58.8	58.8	50.0			53.4	54.4	41.2	22.1	39.1			39.8	45.6	50.0	45.6	40.6			45.5	54.7			54.7	$13,434	$1,112	$11,164
Stone Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	1219 Cook Road	Crossville	38571	Cumberland County	Cumberland County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 456-5636	638	37	17.4	58.9%	533 (83.5%)	15 (2.4%)	72 (11.3%)	5 (0.8%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	8 (1.3%)	40.1	633^rd of 1019 public elementary schools	37.9%		39.1	618^th of 1009 public elementary schools	38.8%	15	31.9	42.3	42.7	36.8	28.0	25.4	34.4	40.6	30.8	40.0	29.4	26.7	28.8	32.9	24.6	36.5	45.3	39.7	42.7	42.4	38.7	48.5	38.7	39.0	42.1	$14,042	$1,154	$11,456

Frequently Asked Questions about South Fentress Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of South Fentress Elementary School?

Students at South Fentress Elementary School are 93% White, 5% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of South Fentress Elementary School attend?

Students who attend South Fentress Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Clarkrange High School

What district is South Fentress Elementary School in?

Fentress County Schools

How many students attend South Fentress Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 561 students attended South Fentress Elementary School.

Is South Fentress Elementary School a good school?

South Fentress Elementary School ranks 723^rd of 1019 Tennessee elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Rate South Fentress 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.