Summary
South Middle School is a public middle school in Cowan, Tennessee, a small town in Franklin County, serving 361 students in grades 6–8 as part of Franklin County Schools. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Tennessee middle schools, placing 459th out of 594 (23rd percentile) with a 1-star rating for the 2025–2026 school year. State assessments show proficiency rates well below state averages in all four core subjects: math (19.5% vs. 43% statewide), English language arts (23.7% vs. 40.6%), science (38.2% vs. 46.9%), and social studies (27.7% vs. 51.4%).
Despite the overall low performance, parents should know there are some bright spots. Science is the school's relative strength, with 38.2% proficiency—nearly double the math rate. Sixth graders perform reasonably well in ELA and science, but scores fall sharply by 7th grade, with 7th grade math proficiency at just 12.8% versus 39.2% statewide. Chronic absenteeism is improving and sits below the state average at 17.4%, so attendance is not the main driver of low achievement. Special education students are served comparatively well, ranking in the 45th percentile statewide. However, per-pupil spending has declined to $12,796, down about 11% over two years, at a time when the school could benefit from additional supports.
Compared to nearby schools, South Middle's results are mixed. North Middle School, in the same district, ranks slightly higher and achieves comparable or better results in most subjects despite spending about $820 less per student. West Middle School in Tullahoma City Schools outperforms South by wide margins in math (36.4% vs. 19.5%) and ELA (33.0% vs. 23.7%). East Middle School, also in Tullahoma City Schools, is the standout—ranked in the 72nd percentile with a 4-star rating, it posts more than double South's proficiency in every subject. These comparisons show that stronger outcomes are achievable for a middle school in the same region.
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