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Carter Middle School

Q: Is Carter Middle School a good school?

Carter Middle School ranks 348 th of 594 Tennessee middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Carter Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 604 students attended Carter Middle School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Carter Middle School?

Students at Carter Middle School are 81% White, 8% Hispanic, 7% African American, 3% Two or more races.

Q: What high school do graduates of Carter Middle School attend?

Students who attend Carter Middle School usually go on to attend Carter High School

Public Grades 6-8

348^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 594 Tennessee Middle Schools

Better than 41% of Tennessee middle schools

Summary

Carter Middle School serves 604 students in grades 6-8 in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, as part of Knox County Schools. The school has a mixed academic record, with proficiency rates in math (29.5%) and English language arts (30.4%) that trail both the district and state averages. Science (34.8%) and social studies (50.1%) are closer to state benchmarks, and the school made broad gains in the most recent school year. Carter's overall state ranking improved from the 28th to the 41st percentile, a meaningful one-year jump.

One of the biggest challenges is chronic absenteeism. About 30.1% of students miss enough school to be considered chronically absent, compared to 19.4% for the district and 18.3% statewide. That rate is also much higher than Gibbs Middle School, a nearby Knox County school with a 20.9% absenteeism rate and stronger test scores. Another concern is the grade-level slide: math proficiency drops from 38.7% in 6th grade to just 19.9% in 8th grade, meaning many students fall further behind during middle school. Even Carter's Algebra I results, while above the all-grades district average, are far below what is typical for 8th graders taking the course — 54.3% versus 83.2% for the district.

There are bright spots. Social studies is Carter's strongest subject, and the school performs well for several student subgroups, including African American and special education students. It also spends less per student than many neighboring schools — $13,470 compared to $19,838 at Vine Middle/Magnet School — yet outperforms them on most measures. The most promising path forward is to improve attendance, strengthen math instruction, and build on the success in social studies to help every student succeed.

604

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,470

Per pupil spending ?

62.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

204 North Carter School Road
Strawberry Plains, TN 37871

(865) 933-3426

District: Knox County Schools

Students who attend Carter Middle School usually attend:

High:

Carter High School

Feeder schools for Carter Middle School:

Elementary:	Carter Elementary School
	Chilhowee Intermediate School
	East Knox Elementary School
	Sunnyview Primary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.5%

Hispanic:

7.8%

African American:

7.1%

See top rated Tennessee middle schools

Compare Carter Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 36th percentile in 2015 → 41st in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (37% vs 44% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (30% vs 18% Tennessee)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg48%

Tennessee avg44%

348^th of 594

Tennessee public middle schools ?

Bottom 41%▲ up 35 pts since 2017

From bottom 7% (2017) to bottom 41% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

12^th of 17Middle 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	41.8	348 of 594	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.5	417 of 583	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.2	343 of 587	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.7	387 of 594	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.3	350 of 569	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.9	321 of 576	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.8	278 of 574	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	33.9	393 of 563	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	16.3	337 of 362	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	46.5	316 of 492	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	32.8	377 of 485	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	40.8	360 of 475	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	37.6	322 of 466	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	47.0	267 of 462	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	34.6	318 of 435	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	50.2	140 of 328	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	37.4	181 of 312	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.1	219 of 318	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.5	227 of 316	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.3	189 of 299	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.0	168 of 293	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	22.9	230 of 284	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	30.7	396 of 546	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	41.3	317 of 554	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.6	400 of 560	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.0	338 of 552	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.5	303 of 538	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.7	248 of 529	53.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	35.3	197 of 302	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.1	196 of 286	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.2	98 of 285	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.6	126 of 285	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.8	109 of 275	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	68.3	45 of 261	82.8%	★★★★☆
2019	21.6	200 of 228	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	51.5	93 of 219	57.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	44.1	264 of 478	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	31.2	356 of 490	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.5	343 of 510	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.3	398 of 514	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.3	415 of 495	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.1	256 of 483	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.9	284 of 490	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.2	360 of 481	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	30.5	395 of 550	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.7	360 of 560	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.8	345 of 557	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.7	350 of 540	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.4	315 of 529	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.2	297 of 523	43.2%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	43.7	152 of 349	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	30.6	222 of 332	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.5	233 of 299	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.4	240 of 288	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.8	228 of 260	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.7	194 of 222	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.5	193 of 279	30.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	28.9	376 of 494	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.2	426 of 492	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.1	364 of 504	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.8	396 of 503	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.1	373 of 500	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.4	351 of 496	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.5	303 of 484	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.1	367 of 481	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2026)57th percentile+16 vs school

Special Education (2026)56th percentile+15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)45th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)35th percentile-7 vs school

Male (2025)28th percentile~ school

Female (2025)27th percentile~ school

White (2026)24th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I54%+22 vs state

Social Studies50%~ state avg

Science35%-12 vs state

English Language Arts30%-10 vs state

Mathematics30%-14 vs state

★

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Schools Near Carter Middle 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 Algebra I (2026)			TNReady Biology I (2026)		TNReady English I (2026)		TNReady English II (2026)		TNReady Geometry (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 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 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 Algebra I 8th Grade	TNReady Algebra I 9th Grade	TNReady Algebra I All Grades	TNReady Biology I 9th Grade	TNReady Biology I All Grades	TNReady English I 9th Grade	TNReady English I All Grades	TNReady English II 9th Grade	TNReady English II All Grades	TNReady Geometry 8th Grade	TNReady Geometry 9th Grade	TNReady Geometry All Grades	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 Middle School	Public	6-8	204 North Carter School Road	Strawberry Plains	37871	Jefferson County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 933-3426	587	41	14.4	62.7%	483 (82.3%)	36 (6.1%)	50 (8.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.7%)	41.8	348^th of 594 public middle schools	41.4%		30.5	417^th of 583 public middle schools	28.5%	69			38.7	26.6	19.9	29.5			33.7	33.3	24.8	30.4	54.3		54.3												41.2	26.6	35.9	34.8	54.3	51.4	44.9	50.1	$13,470	$756	$12,106
Northview Intermediate School	Public	4-6	3295 Douglas Dam Road	Kodak	37764	Sevier County	Sevier County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(865) 933-7985	407	28	14.5	76.8%	322 (79.1%)	11 (2.7%)	62 (15.2%)	5 (1.2%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)								(n/a)	34.1	33.9	29.1			32.4	36.2	35.2	23.6			31.8													33.3	38.8	27.6			33.2	19.2			19.2	$14,438	$845	$12,775
Holston Middle School	Public	6-8	600 Chilhowee Drive	Knoxville	37924	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(865) 594-1300	476	36	13.2	44.4%	238 (50.0%)	153 (32.1%)	51 (10.7%)	8 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.5%)	40.4	362^nd of 594 public middle schools	39.1%		40.5	344^th of 583 public middle schools	41.0%	18			32.9	33.6	9.2	25.7			37.7	33.3	19.9	30.0	76.0		76.0												39.7	37.5	34.6	37.2	44.5	48.6	44.9	46.0	$15,855	$1,513	$13,493
Northview Junior Academy	Public	7-9	2723 Northview Academy Lane	Kodak	37764	Sevier County	Sevier County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(865) 933-9994	632	51	12.3	68.7%	520 (82.3%)	11 (1.7%)	81 (12.8%)	7 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.1%)	33.7	413^th of 594 public middle schools	30.5%		28.9	427^th of 583 public middle schools	26.8%	14				32.5	41.7	36.9				29.3	15.3	22.6		28.3	28.3	41.5	41.5	28.0	28.0				78.7	78.7				33.0	32.2	32.6		33.2	38.4	35.6	$13,754	$475	$12,510
Seymour Junior High School	Public	7-9	306 North Pitner Road	Seymour	37865	Sevier County	Sevier County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 579-0730	722	49	14.6	45.6%	656 (90.9%)	6 (0.8%)	41 (5.7%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (1.9%)	57.8	233^rd of 594 public middle schools	60.8%		59.7	204^th of 583 public middle schools	65.0%	29				50.4	60.3	55.5				35.2	36.3	35.8		36.9	36.9	49.5	49.5	37.6	37.6				93.5	93.5				37.6	43.9	40.8		46.1	39.6	42.8	$13,642	$475	$12,345
Seymour Intermediate School	Public	4-6	737 Boyds Creek Highway	Seymour	37865	Sevier County	Sevier County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 609-0030	548	35	15.8	49.1%	483 (88.1%)	14 (2.6%)	30 (5.5%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.1%)								(n/a)	50.6	47.9	49.1			49.2	61.3	40.4	42.6			48.0													50.6	50.3	59.6			53.5	55.1			55.1	$14,516	$726	$12,912
Tennessee School for the Deaf Middle School	Public	6-8	2527 Island Home Boulevard	Knoxville	37920	Knox County	Tennessee Schools for the Deaf	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(865) 579-2507	0																		(n/a)			< 5%			< 5%			< 5%			8.3															10.0			12.5	20.0			26.1
Gibbs Middle School	Public	6-8	7625 Tazewell	Corryton	37901	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 594-1800	614	34	18.0		551 (89.7%)	10 (1.6%)	22 (3.6%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.6%)	56.5	245^th of 594 public middle schools	58.8%		53.3	247^th of 583 public middle schools	57.6%	2			39.1	31.7	24.2	31.9			42.1	40.2	29.0	36.9	77.8		77.8												46.2	47.6	37.2	43.5	59.4	60.6	57.8	59.2	$12,774	$730	$11,390
Vine Middle/Magnet School	Public, Magnet	6-8	1807 Martin Luther King Jr AVE	Knoxville	37915	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(865) 594-4461	393	35	11.3	89.5%	61 (15.5%)	234 (59.5%)	68 (17.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	28 (7.1%)	10.7	540^th of 594 public middle schools	9.1%		7.6	562^nd of 583 public middle schools	3.6%	22			6.4	18.3	< 5%	8.5			13.8	5.4	8.3	9.1	72.7		72.7												22.3	25.0	20.8	22.5	19.4	30.8	19.3	22.8	$19,838	$2,151	$16,777
Whittle Springs Middle School	Public	6-8	2700 White Oak Lane	Knoxville	37917	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(865) 594-4474	467	38	12.2	83.6%	147 (31.5%)	92 (19.7%)	190 (40.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (7.9%)	30.9	429^th of 594 public middle schools	27.8%		24.8	455^th of 583 public middle schools	22.0%	26			26.9	23.6	17.1	22.4			25.5	28.6	13.9	22.0	53.8		53.8												32.4	54.3	27.4	36.9	44.8	48.0	31.1	40.6	$16,459	$1,952	$13,660

Frequently Asked Questions about Carter Middle School

What district is Carter Middle School in?

Knox County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Carter Middle School?

Students at Carter Middle School are 81% White, 8% Hispanic, 7% African American, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend Carter Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 604 students attended Carter Middle School.

Is Carter Middle School a good school?

Carter Middle School ranks 348^th of 594 Tennessee middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Carter Middle School attend?

Students who attend Carter Middle School usually go on to attend Carter High School

Rate Carter Middle 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.