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Carter Elementary School

Q: Is Carter Elementary School a good school?

Carter Elementary School ranks 553 rd of 1019 Tennessee elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

553^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,019 Tennessee Elementary Schools

Better than 46% of Tennessee elementary schools

Summary

Carter Elementary School in Knoxville, TN, serves 530 students in grades PK-5 as part of Knox County Schools, a district ranked 78th out of 141 in Tennessee. Carter itself ranked 553rd out of 1,019 Tennessee elementary schools in 2025-2026, placing it in the 46th percentile with a 2-star rating—consistent with its recent history of ranking between the 39th and 47th percentiles since 2020-2021. It is not a high-flyer, but it is also not a struggling outlier. In a local landscape where nearby schools range widely in performance, Carter is a stable, middle-of-the-pack option.

Carter's math proficiency has improved notably, rising from 28.6% in 2023-2024 to 39.5% in 2025-2026, narrowing the gap with the district average from 12 points to 5.5 points. However, early-grade math remains the school's clearest challenge: only 24.4% of 3rd graders are proficient compared to 44.1% district-wide, while 5th grade math sits at 51.8%, nearly matching the district rate of 52.9% and competitive with Boyds Creek Elementary School (50.8%). ELA proficiency is 41.8%, above the state average, and science is 44.1%. Chronic absenteeism is a genuine bright spot at 15.8%, below both the district rate of 19.4% and the state rate of 18.3%, and lower than most nearby schools including East Knox Elementary School (28.2%) and Spring Hill Elementary School (21.0%).

Compared to its neighbors, Carter outperforms several same-district schools by wide margins—Sarah Moore Greene Magnet Technology Academy, Spring Hill Elementary School, East Knox Elementary School, Chilhowee Intermediate School, and Ritta Elementary School all rank below Carter, while New Hopewell Elementary School, Gap Creek Elementary School, and Boyds Creek Elementary School rank higher. Carter also spends less per student ($14,808) than several lower-performing nearby schools, pointing to relatively efficient use of resources. Outcomes for Hispanic students have improved dramatically, rising from the 6th to the 86th percentile between 2021-2022 and 2025-2026. The biggest opportunity for growth is 3rd grade math, where proficiency lags far behind district expectations and represents the clearest path to raising the school's overall performance.

530

Students ?

14.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,808

Per pupil spending ?

63.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8455 Strawberry Plains PIKE
Knoxville, TN 37924

(865) 933-4172

District: Knox County Schools

Students who attend Carter Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Carter Middle School
High:	Carter High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.0%

Hispanic:

8.1%

Two or more races:

4.2%

See top rated Tennessee elementary schools

Compare Carter Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 49th percentile in 2015 → 46th in 2026

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school42%

District avg47%

Tennessee avg43%

553^rd of 1,019

Tennessee public elementary schools ?

Bottom 46%▲ up 29 pts since 2017

From bottom 17% (2017) to bottom 46% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

31^st of 50Elementary Schools in the Knox County Schools

78^th of 141Knox 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	45.7	553 of 1019	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.1	539 of 1009	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.0	589 of 1018	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.5	541 of 1020	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.1	607 of 1000	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.5	592 of 983	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.8	546 of 985	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.4	406 of 997	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	26.9	538 of 646	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	52.7	438 of 855	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	42.6	538 of 853	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	53.7	486 of 846	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	39.4	555 of 820	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2011	42.5	524 of 818	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2010	32.4	601 of 809	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	48.3	489 of 986	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	39.5	597 of 990	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.1	474 of 989	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.6	548 of 975	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.4	590 of 945	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.8	553 of 926	40.3%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	82.0	62 of 458	86.5%	★★★★☆
2022	19.2	342 of 363	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	42.5	173 of 324	46.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	29.7	634 of 823	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	53.8	344 of 843	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	33.7	595 of 853	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.9	479 of 865	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.5	434 of 858	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.4	632 of 823	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.8	498 of 821	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.7	464 of 877	47.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	40.9	587 of 984	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.2	556 of 991	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.7	582 of 987	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.5	654 of 980	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.6	562 of 941	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.6	462 of 916	49.6%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	27.8	489 of 641	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	38.0	350 of 618	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.9	472 of 582	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.3	324 of 528	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.8	333 of 447	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.3	253 of 255	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	22.8	351 of 395	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	30.7	627 of 849	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.5	591 of 840	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.7	618 of 847	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.3	583 of 852	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.3	648 of 844	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.8	633 of 844	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.5	557 of 812	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.1	454 of 841	46.0%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)86th percentile+41 vs school

Female (2025)50th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)40th percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)26th percentile-20 vs school

Special Education (2026)24th percentile-22 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)23rd percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Science44%-3 vs state

English Language Arts42%~ state avg

Mathematics40%-4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Carter 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	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2016)	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
Carter Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8455 Strawberry Plains PIKE	Knoxville	37924	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 933-4172	517	36	14.5	63.4%	426 (82.4%)	18 (3.5%)	38 (7.4%)	9 (1.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.6%)	45.7	553^rd of 1019 public elementary schools	45.7%		45.1	539^th of 1009 public elementary schools	46.6%	14	24.4	43.2	51.8				39.5	38.9	46.6	39.8				41.8	40.0	48.9	43.4				44.1					$14,808	$868	$13,080
Sunnyview Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	412 Bagwell Road	Knoxville	37924	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(865) 594-1173	284	18	15.4	63.4%	185 (65.1%)	51 (18.0%)	25 (8.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (8.1%)								(n/a)																										$19,526	$1,425	$16,772
Rush Strong Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	3081 W Old Andrew Johnson High	Strawberry Plains	37871	Jefferson County	Jefferson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(865) 933-5313	489	33	14.7	60.4%	434 (88.8%)	3 (0.6%)	38 (7.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.7%)	32.1	733^rd of 1019 public elementary schools	28.1%		49	497^th of 1009 public elementary schools	50.7%	236	53.7	38.6	41.7	17.9	34.4	28.2	34.6	37.0	39.7	18.4	19.4	30.1	23.3	27.9	50.0	40.4	29.2	22.7	43.0	23.9	35.0	32.8	49.5	29.6	38.5	$11,942	$855	$10,282
East Knox Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9315 Rutledge Pike	Mascot	37806	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(865) 933-3493	489	38	13.0	72.4%	425 (86.9%)	15 (3.1%)	38 (7.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.8%)	39	644^th of 1019 public elementary schools	36.8%		34.8	680^th of 1009 public elementary schools	32.6%	36	31.3	36.8	38.2				35.8	35.8	43.4	32.6				37.1	36.8	47.4	43.8				42.9					$16,544	$1,493	$14,030
Chilhowee Intermediate School	Public	3-5	5005 Asheville Highway	Knoxville	37914	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(865) 594-1285	234	15	15.2	69.7%	140 (59.8%)	56 (23.9%)	18 (7.7%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (7.7%)	41.9	613^th of 1019 public elementary schools	39.8%		29	750^th of 1009 public elementary schools	25.7%	137	31.6	52.4	44.2				42.9	30.4	32.9	45.5				36.1	37.2	38.3	48.0				41.0					$15,263	$1,183	$13,071
Gap Creek Elementary School	Public	K-5	1920 Kimberlin Hts Road	Knoxville	37920	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 577-4860	76	11	7.2	68.4%	66 (86.8%)	1 (1.3%)	3 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (6.6%)	71.2	238^th of 1019 public elementary schools	76.6%		83.1	133^rd of 1009 public elementary schools	86.8%	105	50.0						58.6	50.0						51.7	58.3						48.3					$25,099	$1,063	$22,990
Ritta Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6228 Washington Pike	Knoxville	37918	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 689-1496	567	39	14.6	53.3%	359 (63.3%)	82 (14.5%)	77 (13.6%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (7.6%)	42.7	600^th of 1019 public elementary schools	41.1%		46.4	527^th of 1009 public elementary schools	47.8%	73	38.2	47.3	44.7				43.6	36.8	38.0	39.0				38.0	36.8	45.1	39.5				40.7					$14,142	$834	$12,494
Boyds Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1729 Indian Warpath	Sevierville	37876	Sevier County	Sevier County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 774-8285	437	34	12.8	53.9%	354 (81.0%)	12 (2.7%)	58 (13.3%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.4%)	68.9	265^th of 1019 public elementary schools	74.0%		65.3	294^th of 1009 public elementary schools	70.9%	29	49.3	51.5	50.8	54.5			51.4	49.3	60.6	48.4	43.6			50.8	44.0	63.6	54.7	58.2			54.6	58.2			58.2	$15,698	$708	$14,080
Spring Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4711 Mildred Drive	Knoxville	37914	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(865) 594-1365	433	33	13.0	88.9%	123 (28.4%)	163 (37.6%)	93 (21.5%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	48 (11.1%)	12.9	910^th of 1019 public elementary schools	10.7%		13.2	909^th of 1009 public elementary schools	9.9%	1	8.6	14.0	33.3				17.8	15.2	20.0	24.6				19.7	14.8	25.6	37.3				24.8					$16,846	$2,331	$13,478
Sarah Moore Greene Magnet Technology Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	3001 Brooks Road	Knoxville	37914	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(865) 594-1328	481	44	11.0	92.1%	61 (12.7%)	310 (64.4%)	62 (12.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	46 (9.6%)	7	976^th of 1019 public elementary schools	4.2%		10.2	938^th of 1009 public elementary schools	7.0%	38	13.3	14.7	14.7				14.2	17.3	22.1	6.7				15.1	21.3	18.8	12.2				17.4					$17,881	$2,120	$14,602

Frequently Asked Questions about Carter Elementary School

Is Carter Elementary School a good school?

Carter Elementary School ranks 553^rd of 1019 Tennessee elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Carter Elementary School in?

Knox County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Carter Elementary School?

Students at Carter Elementary School are 83% White, 8% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% African American, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Carter Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Carter Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Carter Middle School
High : Carter High School

How many students attend Carter Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 530 students attended Carter 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.