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Dodson Branch Elementary School

Q: Is Dodson Branch Elementary School a good school?

Dodson Branch Elementary School ranks 622 nd of 1019 Tennessee elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

622^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,019 Tennessee Elementary Schools

Better than 39% of Tennessee elementary schools

Summary

Dodson Branch Elementary School is a small PK-8 school in Cookeville, Tennessee, serving 250 students within Jackson County Schools. In 2025-2026, the school ranked 622nd out of 1,019 Tennessee elementary schools, placing it in the 39th percentile with a 2-star rating. This represents a sharp drop from the previous two years, when it ranked in the 73rd and 76th percentiles with 4-star ratings. Historically, the school has been volatile, ranging from the 12th percentile in 2016-2017 to the 76th percentile in 2024-2025.

Academically, Dodson Branch shows a distinctive split: strong math and science, particularly in middle school grades, but English language arts proficiency that trails the state. In 2025-2026, math proficiency was 57.6% versus 43.0% statewide, and science was 54.3% versus 46.9% statewide. However, only 35.1% of students were proficient in ELA, below the state average of 40.6%. The grade-level profile is striking: 3rd grade math proficiency is just 27.8% versus 42.6% statewide, but by 8th grade, 82.1% of students are proficient in math—more than double the state average of 38.3%. Among nearby PK-8 schools, Dodson Branch leads in math and science, outperforming Rickman Elementary School and Hilham Elementary School.

The school has notable strengths in serving special education students, ranking in the 80th percentile statewide for three consecutive years. Chronic absenteeism, however, has risen sharply from 6.2% in 2022-2023 to 13.7% in 2024-2025, though it remains below district and state rates. Spending per student is $13,779, mid-range compared with nearby schools. Within the same district, Gainesboro Elementary School ranked much higher overall—205th versus Dodson Branch's 622nd—with the gap especially wide in 3rd grade. Dodson Branch's volatile ranking and small enrollment make its long-term trajectory difficult to predict.

250

Students ?

14.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,779

Per pupil spending ?

30.0%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

16221 Dodson Branch Highway
Cookeville, TN 38501

(931) 268-0761

District: Jackson County Schools

Students who attend Dodson Branch Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Jackson County Middle School
High:	Jackson County High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

95.2%

Hispanic:

2.0%

Two or more races:

2.0%

See top rated Tennessee elementary schools

Compare Dodson Branch Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 53rd percentile in 2015 → 39th in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school49%

District avg41%

Tennessee avg45%

Elementary school

622^nd of 1,019

Tennessee public elementary schools ?

Bottom 39%▲ up 27 pts since 2017

From bottom 12% (2017) to bottom 39% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

94^th of 594

Tennessee public middle schools ?

Top 16%▲ up 55 pts since 2017

From bottom 29% (2017) to top 16% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Elementary Schools in the Jackson County Schools

73^rd of 141Jackson 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	41.6	622 of 1019	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	69.2	247 of 1009	75.5%	★★★★☆
2024	65.4	276 of 1018	72.9%	★★★★☆
2023	48.9	488 of 1020	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.5	312 of 1000	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.3	353 of 983	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.8	383 of 985	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.5	529 of 997	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	22.1	566 of 646	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	55.9	398 of 855	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	49.0	452 of 853	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	43.6	620 of 846	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	10.8	780 of 820	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	81.2	130 of 818	84.1%	★★★★☆
2010	58.6	343 of 809	57.6%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	84.8	110 of 986	88.8%	★★★★☆
2024	74.9	189 of 990	80.9%	★★★★☆
2023	47.5	497 of 989	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	62.1	301 of 975	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.7	318 of 945	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.1	275 of 926	70.3%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2024	78.7	88 of 853	89.7%	★★★★☆
2023	47.3	429 of 865	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	71.1	164 of 858	80.9%	★★★★☆
2021	66.8	158 of 823	80.8%	★★★★☆
2019	46.3	425 of 821	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.6	330 of 877	62.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	54.6	402 of 984	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.7	272 of 991	72.6%	★★★★☆
2023	48.4	470 of 987	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.3	389 of 980	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.7	397 of 941	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.7	541 of 916	40.9%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	64.9	129 of 641	79.9%	★★★★☆
2025	67.4	113 of 618	81.7%	★★★★☆
2024	74.3	84 of 582	85.6%	★★★★☆
2023	58.9	128 of 528	75.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	29.7	638 of 849	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	58.9	287 of 840	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.4	303 of 847	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.9	563 of 852	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.5	385 of 844	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.0	374 of 844	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.9	463 of 812	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.9	621 of 841	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	77.6	94 of 594	84.2%	★★★★☆
2025	81.2	78 of 583	86.6%	★★★★☆
2024	83.5	69 of 587	88.2%	★★★★☆
2023	79.7	83 of 594	86.0%	★★★★☆
2022	74.8	96 of 569	83.1%	★★★★☆
2021	69.1	111 of 576	80.7%	★★★★☆
2019	57.6	193 of 574	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.5	116 of 563	79.4%	★★★★☆
2017	39.8	256 of 362	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	64.3	176 of 492	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2014	49.1	267 of 485	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	56.2	246 of 475	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	32.5	355 of 466	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	58.5	200 of 462	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	49.2	219 of 435	49.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	75.9	93 of 546	83.0%	★★★★☆
2024	75.3	101 of 554	81.8%	★★★★☆
2023	79.8	75 of 560	86.6%	★★★★☆
2022	80.6	63 of 552	88.6%	★★★★☆
2021	76.8	76 of 538	85.9%	★★★★☆
2019	66.8	122 of 529	76.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	85.6	23 of 490	95.3%	★★★★★
2024	95.8	6 of 510	98.8%	★★★★★
2022	86.0	20 of 495	96.0%	★★★★★
2021	76.9	43 of 483	91.1%	★★★★★
2019	47.4	235 of 490	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	81.4	25 of 481	94.8%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	88.8	40 of 550	92.7%	★★★★★
2024	86.4	49 of 560	91.3%	★★★★★
2023	75.8	92 of 557	83.5%	★★★★☆
2022	59.1	188 of 540	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.9	281 of 529	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	61.5	154 of 523	70.6%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	68.7	121 of 494	75.5%	★★★★☆
2025	77.3	84 of 492	82.9%	★★★★☆
2024	76.5	89 of 504	82.3%	★★★★☆
2023	74.0	99 of 503	80.3%	★★★★☆
2022	68.1	116 of 500	76.8%	★★★★☆
2021	63.4	140 of 496	71.8%	★★★★☆
2019	53.0	187 of 484	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.9	139 of 481	71.1%	★★★★☆

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

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)90th percentile+17 vs school

Female (2025)89th percentile+13 vs school

Special Education (2026)80th percentile+41 vs school

Male (2025)59th percentile-16 vs school

White (2026)25th percentile-14 vs school

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)95th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2025)93rd percentile+6 vs school

Female (2025)83rd percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)76th percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics58%+15 vs state

Science54%+7 vs state

Social Studies49%~ state avg

English Language Arts35%-6 vs state

★

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Schools Near Dodson Branch 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
Dodson Branch Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	16221 Dodson Branch Highway	Cookeville	38501	Putnam County	Jackson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 268-0761	277	20	14.2	30.0%	259 (93.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.2%)	41.6	622^nd of 1019 public elementary schools	39.0%		69.2	247^th of 1009 public elementary schools	75.5%	375	27.8	43.8	46.2	66.7	66.7	82.1	57.6	22.2	40.6	34.6	16.7	38.9	43.6	35.1	22.2	43.8	34.6	72.2	66.7	76.9	54.3	44.4	55.6	48.7	49.3	$13,779	$1,500	$11,059
Gainesboro Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	611 Main Street	Gainesboro	38562	Jackson County	Jackson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 268-9775	331	24	13.7	35.9%	312 (94.3%)	4 (1.2%)	9 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	74	205^th of 1019 public elementary schools	79.9%		64.3	312^th of 1009 public elementary schools	69.1%	107	62.5						62.5	50.0						50.0	52.4						52.4					$12,948	$1,390	$10,536
Jere Whitson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	178 East Jere Whitson Road	Cookeville	38501	Putnam County	Putnam County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 526-6575	317	27	11.5	66.4%	92 (29.0%)	10 (3.2%)	208 (65.6%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	38.4	651^st of 1019 public elementary schools	36.1%		35.5	671^st of 1009 public elementary schools	33.5%	20	36.4	64.4					50.9	29.1	32.2					30.7	29.1	44.1					36.8					$14,550	$1,537	$11,687
Hilham Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	2305 Hilham Highway	Hilham	38568	Overton County	Overton County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 823-6816	296	24	12.5	24.3%	283 (95.6%)	3 (1.0%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.4%)	38.8	648^th of 1019 public elementary schools	36.4%		44.1	548^th of 1009 public elementary schools	45.7%	100	35.7	20.0	48.0	39.3	29.6	44.8	35.9	39.3	36.7	44.0	28.6	37.0	31.0	35.9	32.1	30.0	68.0	39.3	48.1	55.2	44.9	28.6	59.3	27.6	38.1	$12,883	$1,078	$10,915
Sycamore Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	452 Ellis Avenue	Cookeville	38501	Putnam County	Putnam County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 526-9322	310	24	12.9	56.7%	205 (66.1%)	17 (5.5%)	69 (22.3%)	5 (1.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.2%)	60.9	359^th of 1019 public elementary schools	64.8%		37.4	636^th of 1009 public elementary schools	37.0%	277	51.8	54.7					53.3	53.6	50.0					51.7	46.4	45.3					45.8					$15,570	$1,784	$12,760
Rickman Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	631 Rickman Monterey Highway	Rickman	38580	Overton County	Overton County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 498-2825	712	44	16.3	16.7%	692 (97.2%)	3 (0.4%)	11 (1.5%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	58.5	390^th of 1019 public elementary schools	61.7%		64.4	310^th of 1009 public elementary schools	69.3%	80	33.3	51.4	56.7	33.3	40.9	31.2	40.4	42.9	50.0	39.4	46.0	31.8	29.9	40.2	33.3	58.6	58.2	52.9	53.0	49.4	50.6	60.9	57.6	44.2	54.3	$10,608	$882	$9,394
Algood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	2525 Old Walton Road	Cookeville	38506	Putnam County	Putnam County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 303-0362	507	38	13.2	46.7%	435 (85.8%)	15 (3.0%)	45 (8.9%)	10 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	82.9	135^th of 1019 public elementary schools	86.8%		82.3	140^th of 1009 public elementary schools	86.1%	5	77.9	72.3					75.0	50.5	71.3					61.2	52.6	65.3					59.2					$14,165	$745	$12,499
Cane Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1500 West Jackson Street	Cookeville	38501	Putnam County	Putnam County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 520-1173	432	32	13.7	53.5%	345 (79.9%)	9 (2.1%)	70 (16.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.4%)	54	450^th of 1019 public elementary schools	55.8%		57.3	390^th of 1009 public elementary schools	61.3%	60	50.7	64.8					57.9	37.7	40.8					39.3	33.3	56.3					45.0					$14,481	$1,424	$11,767
Northeast Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	575 N Old Kentucky Road	Cookeville	38501	Putnam County	Putnam County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 526-2978	453	31	14.7	53.6%	327 (72.2%)	10 (2.2%)	103 (22.7%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.8%)	70.2	250^th of 1019 public elementary schools	75.5%		68.7	251^st of 1009 public elementary schools	75.1%	1	55.6	70.6					63.7	41.7	61.2					52.2	40.3	63.5					52.9					$13,119	$831	$11,384
Capshaw Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1 Cougar Lane	Cookeville	38501	Putnam County	Putnam County Schools	No	No	No	No	(931) 526-2414	522	34	15.5	29.3%	440 (84.3%)	8 (1.5%)	43 (8.2%)	24 (4.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.1%)	93.5	60^th of 1019 public elementary schools	94.1%		96.3	37^th of 1009 public elementary schools	96.3%	23	70.1	88.5					79.3	68.0	78.1					73.1	63.9	77.1					70.5					$13,284	$390	$12,098

Frequently Asked Questions about Dodson Branch Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Dodson Branch Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Dodson Branch Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Jackson County Middle School
High : Jackson County High School

What is the racial makeup of Dodson Branch Elementary School?

Students at Dodson Branch Elementary School are 95% White, 2% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Is Dodson Branch Elementary School a good school?

Dodson Branch Elementary School ranks 622^nd of 1019 Tennessee elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Dodson Branch Elementary School in?

Jackson County Schools

How many students attend Dodson Branch Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 250 students attended Dodson Branch Elementary School.

Rate Dodson Branch 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.