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Karns Elementary School

Q: Is Karns Elementary School a good school?

Karns Elementary School ranks 440 th of 1019 Tennessee elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

440^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,019 Tennessee Elementary Schools

Better than 57% of Tennessee elementary schools

Summary

Karns Elementary School, located at 8108 Beaver Ridge Road in Knoxville, TN, serves 931 students in grades PK-5 and is part of Knox County Schools, a district that overall carries a 2-star rating. Karns itself currently holds a 3-star rating and ranks 440th out of 1,019 Tennessee elementary schools (57th percentile), a meaningful recovery from its post-pandemic low in 2021-22 when it sat in the 32nd percentile.

In math and English language arts, Karns has beaten both district and state averages for three consecutive years. In 2025-26, 47.8% of students scored proficient in math (state: 43.0%) and 45.6% in ELA (state: 40.6%). Science is the relative weak spot at 46.2% proficiency, now below both the district (50.9%) and state (46.9%) averages. Grade-level results show 4th grade is a clear strength, while 3rd-grade math stands out as a concern at 34.3% proficiency — nearly 10 points below the state average. Compared with nearby schools, Karns sits in the middle of the field. It trails top performers like Farragut Intermediate School, Hardin Valley Elementary School, Ball Camp Elementary School, and Mill Creek Elementary School by substantial margins, but it outperforms Cedar Bluff Elementary School, Pleasant Ridge Elementary School, and Claxton Elementary School.

Chronic absenteeism is a bright spot: Karns has cut its rate from 23.7% in 2021-22 to 13.9% in 2024-25, well below the district (19.4%) and state (18.3%) averages. The school also spends more per pupil ($13,915) than several higher-performing nearby schools, suggesting that instructional quality and student supports matter more than spending level alone. The biggest challenges going forward are early-grade math support, stronger 5th-grade literacy and science instruction, and closing achievement gaps for students from low-income households and English learners. On a positive note, African American students have shown sharp recent improvement, moving from the 35th percentile statewide in 2023-24 to the 64th percentile in 2025-26, while special education students have also been served well relative to state peers.

931

Students ?

15.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,915

Per pupil spending ?

36%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8108 Beaver Ridge Road
Knoxville, TN 37931

(865) 539-7767

District: Knox County Schools

Students who attend Karns Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Karns Middle School
High:	Karns High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.8%

Hispanic:

14.6%

Two or more races:

6.7%

See top rated Tennessee elementary schools

Compare Karns Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 32nd percentile in 2022 → 57th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 57th (2026) from a 32nd-percentile low (2022)

✓Above the Tennessee median (57th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school47%

District avg47%

Tennessee avg43%

440^th of 1,019

Tennessee public elementary schools ?

Top 43%▲ up 20 pts since 2017

From bottom 37% (2017) to top 43% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

26^th 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	54.7	440 of 1019	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.5	345 of 1009	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.1	357 of 1018	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.3	596 of 1020	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.5	682 of 1000	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.7	589 of 983	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.2	540 of 985	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	65.9	255 of 997	74.4%	★★★★☆
2017	40.1	410 of 646	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	66.1	279 of 855	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	60.2	306 of 853	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	74.5	198 of 846	76.6%	★★★★☆
2012	72.6	218 of 820	73.4%	★★★★☆
2011	66.9	265 of 818	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	82.3	127 of 809	84.3%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	57.8	179 of 498	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	38.6	299 of 498	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.7	324 of 498	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.2	270 of 500	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.5	323 of 483	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.3	173 of 411	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.1	160 of 404	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.9	148 of 450	67.1%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	39.1	126 of 211	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.1	75 of 178	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	28.3	139 of 165	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	48.8	38 of 95	60.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	56.6	380 of 986	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.0	311 of 990	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	37.9	607 of 989	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.7	683 of 975	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.1	545 of 945	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.4	504 of 926	45.6%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	42.4	265 of 458	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	56.2	164 of 424	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.8	216 of 415	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.3	311 of 387	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.6	276 of 363	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.6	260 of 324	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.7	168 of 250	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	59.3	107 of 319	66.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	42.2	504 of 823	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.0	639 of 843	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.1	576 of 853	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.8	624 of 865	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.1	685 of 858	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.0	458 of 823	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	27.0	671 of 821	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	66.7	176 of 877	79.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	62.6	310 of 984	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.6	419 of 991	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.2	552 of 987	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.9	666 of 980	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.8	611 of 941	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.8	538 of 916	41.3%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	43.9	299 of 641	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	42.5	299 of 618	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.0	176 of 582	69.8%	★★★★☆
2023	34.7	347 of 528	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.2	310 of 447	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.7	249 of 369	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	27.4	203 of 255	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.7	263 of 395	33.4%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	48.8	403 of 849	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.4	307 of 840	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.4	316 of 847	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	33.3	593 of 852	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.6	691 of 844	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.7	586 of 844	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.8	569 of 812	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	60.8	261 of 841	69.0%	★★★☆☆

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)

Male (2025)68th percentile+3 vs school

African American (2026)64th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2025)61st percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2026)53rd percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)53rd percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2026)42nd percentile-15 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)40th percentile-26 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)39th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics48%+5 vs state

Science46%~ state avg

English Language Arts46%+5 vs state

5.0

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Schools Near Karns 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)				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 (2020)	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 All Grades	TNReady English Language Arts 3rd Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 4th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 5th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts All Grades	TNReady Science 3rd Grade	TNReady Science 4th Grade	TNReady Science 5th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Karns Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8108 Beaver Ridge Road	Knoxville	37931	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 539-7767	1,047	67	15.5	36.0%	755 (72.1%)	66 (6.3%)	142 (13.6%)	14 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.3%)	67 (6.4%)	54.7	440^th of 1019 public elementary schools	56.8%		61.5	345^th of 1009 public elementary schools	65.8%	95	34.3	52.4	54.9		47.8	41.1	54.8	40.1	45.6	40.8	52.4	44.4	46.2	$13,915	$799	$12,305
Ball Camp Elementary School	Public	K-5	9801 Middlebrook Pike	Knoxville	37931	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 539-7888	562	36	15.5	28.7%	398 (70.8%)	31 (5.5%)	57 (10.1%)	23 (4.1%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (8.9%)	77.1	177^th of 1019 public elementary schools	82.6%		78.3	166^th of 1009 public elementary schools	83.5%	11	56.3	60.8	65.4		60.4	54.8	51.5	67.1	56.9	55.8	56.9	67.9	59.5	$13,270	$674	$11,956
Amherst Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5101 Schaad Road	Knoxville	37931	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 560-7001	692	53	13.0	44.7%	434 (62.7%)	57 (8.2%)	123 (17.8%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	75 (10.8%)	53.8	452^nd of 1019 public elementary schools	55.6%		60.1	353^rd of 1009 public elementary schools	65.0%	99	40.3	50.0	61.1		49.5	45.4	47.9	47.8	46.9	38.7	42.7	44.4	41.6	$15,020	$933	$13,240
Mill Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10515 Coward Mill Road	Knoxville	37931	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(865) 539-7767	301	26	11.5		211 (70.1%)	10 (3.3%)	42 (14.0%)	18 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.6%)	70.9	242^nd of 1019 public elementary schools	76.3%		59	363^rd of 1009 public elementary schools	64.0%	121	55.5	47.7	60.0		54.1	60.2	42.4	58.2	53.2	61.7	52.3	62.7	58.6	$12,211	$675	$11,044
Cedar Bluff Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	705 North Cedar Bluff Road	Knoxville	37923	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 539-7721	1,053	73	14.4	45.7%	607 (57.6%)	100 (9.5%)	227 (21.6%)	16 (1.5%)	2 (0.2%)	18 (1.7%)	83 (7.9%)	47.3	524^th of 1019 public elementary schools	48.6%		52.8	452^nd of 1009 public elementary schools	55.2%	72	34.0	48.9	37.7		40.5	38.7	47.5	35.2	40.7	43.6	53.8	43.2	47.1	$13,155	$726	$11,885
Claxton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2218 Clinton Highway	Powell	37849	Knox County	Anderson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(865) 945-2222	449	38	11.6		350 (78.0%)	19 (4.2%)	55 (12.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.6%)	35.5	686^th of 1019 public elementary schools	32.7%		42.9	566^th of 1009 public elementary schools	43.9%	120	39.1	45.6	28.4		37.7	34.8	39.7	37.3	37.3	27.5	47.1	31.3	35.3	$15,017	$1,733	$12,359
West Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	409 Vanosdale Road	Knoxville	37919	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 539-7850	721	50	14.4		406 (56.3%)	86 (11.9%)	131 (18.2%)	22 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	72 (10.0%)	59.2	375^th of 1019 public elementary schools	63.2%		66.7	277^th of 1009 public elementary schools	72.5%	98	52.3	44.4	42.1		46.4	51.4	47.9	34.7	45.1	54.2	65.0	43.2	54.9	$14,596	$1,030	$12,819
Hardin Valley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	11445 Hardin Valley Road	Knoxville	37932	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 470-2088	1,211	72	16.7	18.3%	968 (79.9%)	40 (3.3%)	77 (6.4%)	80 (6.6%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (3.6%)	84.5	122^nd of 1019 public elementary schools	88.0%		86.9	108^th of 1009 public elementary schools	89.3%	14	50.6	70.3	65.5		62.6	57.1	65.3	63.4	62.1	58.3	71.4	69.7	66.8	$12,643	$735	$11,448
Powell Elementary School	Public	K-5	1711 Spring Street	Powell	37849	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 938-2048	842	54	15.6	43.2%	610 (72.4%)	23 (2.7%)	148 (17.6%)	8 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (6.2%)	58.5	389^th of 1019 public elementary schools	61.8%		57.6	383^rd of 1009 public elementary schools	62.0%	6	43.1	49.3	47.9		46.8	49.2	51.1	43.0	47.9	54.0	51.8	43.0	49.7	$12,580	$790	$11,089
Pleasant Ridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3013 Walnoaks Road	Knoxville	37921	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 594-1354	297	25	11.8		154 (51.9%)	33 (11.1%)	69 (23.2%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (12.8%)	46	546^th of 1019 public elementary schools	46.4%		65.5	291^st of 1009 public elementary schools	71.2%	255	20.0	48.9	28.2		33.1	40.0	48.9	33.3	41.1	42.5	55.6	53.8	50.8	$16,582	$1,207	$14,347

Frequently Asked Questions about Karns Elementary School

How many students attend Karns Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 931 students attended Karns Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Karns Elementary School?

Students at Karns Elementary School are 71% White, 15% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 6% African American, 1% Asian.

Is Karns Elementary School a good school?

Karns Elementary School ranks 440^th of 1019 Tennessee elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Karns Elementary School in?

Knox County Schools

What schools do graduates of Karns Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Karns Middle School
High : Karns High 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.