Summary
Haywood Middle School in Brownsville, TN, is a 7th-8th grade school serving 345 students as part of Haywood County Schools, a district ranked 140th out of 141 districts statewide.
Haywood currently ranks in the bottom 10% of Tennessee middle schools (533 out of 594), with proficiency rates far below state averages in every subject: 11.1% in math, 15.0% in English Language Arts, 21.3% in science, and 24.4% in social studies. It trails nearby Ripley Middle School and Crockett County Middle School in every core subject. Crockett County Middle School, in particular, achieves roughly four times Haywood's math proficiency. The picture isn't all bleak, though: Haywood improved in every subject from 2024-25 to 2025-26 and earned its first 1-star state rating since 2018-19.
One of the most striking findings is a spending paradox. Haywood spends about $15,798 per student — more than Ripley Middle School ($12,845) and Crockett County Middle School ($10,129) — yet has the lowest scores of the three. Within its own district, Sunny Hill Intermediate School spends a similar amount and outperforms Haywood in most subjects. Chronic absenteeism is actually below the state average (13.5% vs. 18.3%), so attendance is not the main driver of low achievement.
Looking inside the school, 8th grade stands out as a critical point. ELA proficiency drops from 18.8% in 7th grade to 11.0% in 8th grade, with similar declines in social studies and science, while math improves. Results by student group are uneven: Hispanic students have the school's strongest outcomes (2 stars, 33rd percentile statewide), while special education and low-income students rank among the lowest in Tennessee. The encouraging trends in attendance, the recent academic gains, and the demonstrated strength with certain student groups give Haywood a foundation to build on — but the school clearly has significant work ahead to close the gap with its regional peers.
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