Houston County Middle School

Houston County Middle School serves about 265 students in grades 6–8 in the small rural community of Erin, TN, and is the only middle school in Houston County Schools. The school currently ranks 455th out of 594 Tennessee middle schools, placing it at the 23rd percentile (1 star) — a steady decline from 2019, when it ranked at the 52nd percentile with 3 stars.

Academically, Houston County Middle School trails most nearby schools by wide margins. On the most recent TNReady tests, math proficiency was just 17.6% — less than half the state average and roughly one-third the rate at Stewart County Middle School (46.1%) and Montgomery Central Middle School (39.9%), both located less than 20 miles away. ELA proficiency (23.1%) is similarly far behind those two 4-star schools, though essentially tied with Waverly Junior High School (22.5%). Math stands out as the biggest concern: proficiency has hovered around 20% for four straight years, and the school does not report any Algebra I scores, while Stewart County (72%) and Montgomery Central (95%) show strong results. Science and social studies are relative bright spots, reaching about 70–74% of the state average.

Despite the low scores, there are positive signs. Chronic absenteeism improved to 14.0% — better than the state average (18.3%) and most neighboring schools. Per-student spending climbed to $12,967, about 35% higher than four years ago and higher than what Stewart County Middle School spends ($11,461). Special education students improved dramatically, from the 1st to the 57th percentile in two years. Yet stronger attendance and funding have not translated into better test scores — math proficiency actually declined during the same period. The fact that a similar rural school just 13 miles away achieves far better results suggests the potential for meaningful improvement exists.