Washburn School

Washburn School is an alternative public school serving grades PK-12 in Washburn, Tennessee, part of the Grainger County School District, which is ranked 88 out of 139 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. With 483 students, Washburn School faces significant challenges in terms of student outcomes.

The school's graduation rates have been variable, ranging from 83.8% to 95.3% for the 4-year graduation rate, which is lower than the state average of around 90%. Dropout rates have also been higher than the state average, ranging from 2.0% to 8.1%. Chronic absenteeism is a major issue, with rates between 18.9% and 24.1% in recent years, significantly higher than the state average. Academically, Washburn School consistently underperforms the Grainger County and Tennessee state averages across a variety of subject areas and grade levels on the TNReady assessments, with only 27.2% projected proficiency in Math in 2024-2025, compared to 36.5% for Grainger County and 42.2% for the state.

Despite spending more per student, between $10,583 and $13,734, than the state average, and having a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 12.7 to 13.6, Washburn School's academic performance remains significantly below the district and state levels. This suggests the school may need to examine its instructional practices, student support services, and overall educational model to address the challenges it faces. Nearby alternative schools, such as Hamblen County Alternative School and Claiborne Virtual Learning Academy, also show academic struggles, indicating these issues may be common among alternative schools in the region.