Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Powell Middle School

Q: Is Powell Middle School a good school?

Powell Middle School ranks 188 th of 594 Tennessee middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

188^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 594 Tennessee Middle Schools

Better than 68% of Tennessee middle schools

Summary

Powell Middle School is a grades 6–8 school in Powell, Tennessee, serving 810 students as part of Knox County Schools, and it currently ranks in the 68th percentile of Tennessee middle schools with a 3-star rating. That places it in the upper third of the state and makes it one of the stronger options in northeast Knox County. The contrast with nearby schools is striking: Northwest Middle School, only about 3.6 miles away, ranks in the 16th percentile, and Whittle Springs Middle School sits in the 28th percentile. Only Bearden Middle School (72nd percentile) ranks higher among local schools, and Bearden's edge comes almost entirely from English Language Arts—Powell actually posts higher math scores.

Powell's clearest academic strengths are science (51.4% proficient), social studies (59.1% proficient), and 8th grade math (39.0% proficient, which leads all nearby schools). The school also shines in advanced math: 93.6% of Powell students taking the Algebra I exam scored proficient in 2024–25, compared to just 28.7% across Knox County Schools. Notably, Powell achieves these results while spending about $12,502 per student—roughly the same as Halls Middle School, Karns Middle School, and Cedar Bluff Middle School, but far less than the $15,000–$16,000 per student spent by lower-performing Northwest and Whittle Springs.

The main areas for improvement are English Language Arts and attendance. ELA proficiency stands at 38.2%, below the district average of 44.7%, and chronic absenteeism is a concern at 26.4%—well above the district rate of 19.4% and higher than Bearden's 19.7%. On the positive side, the school has shown strong recent gains for English learners and African American students. Powell has not returned to its pre-2020 peak of the 87th percentile, but with moderate improvements in literacy and attendance, it has a realistic path back to the top quartile of Tennessee middle schools.

810

Students ?

15.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,502

Per pupil spending ?

39%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3329 West Emory Road
Powell, TN 37849

(865) 938-9008

District: Knox County Schools

Students who attend Powell Middle School usually attend:

High:

Powell High School

Feeder schools for Powell Middle School:

Elementary:

Powell Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.5%

Hispanic:

13.3%

African American:

4.9%

See top rated Tennessee middle schools

Compare Powell Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 74th percentile in 2015 → 68th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Tennessee median (68th percentile)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (26% vs 18% Tennessee)

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school47%

District avg48%

Tennessee avg44%

188^th of 594

Tennessee public middle schools ?

Top 32%▲ up 7 pts since 2017

From top 39% (2017) to top 32% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^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	63.9	188 of 594	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.8	183 of 583	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.4	181 of 587	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.7	206 of 594	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.6	198 of 569	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.0	183 of 576	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.8	163 of 574	71.6%	★★★★☆
2018	78.0	76 of 563	86.5%	★★★★☆
2017	57.6	141 of 362	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	71.3	128 of 492	74.0%	★★★★☆
2014	69.6	110 of 485	77.3%	★★★★☆
2013	69.5	143 of 475	69.9%	★★★★☆
2012	52.7	240 of 466	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	67.3	143 of 462	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	63.7	148 of 435	66.0%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	63.1	107 of 328	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	70.5	67 of 312	78.5%	★★★★☆
2024	46.1	136 of 318	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.9	123 of 316	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.5	128 of 299	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.6	109 of 277	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.3	135 of 293	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.0	61 of 284	78.5%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	61.3	22 of 100	78.0%	★★★★☆
2024	41.5	39 of 73	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.3	30 of 42	28.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	55.5	225 of 546	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.5	164 of 554	70.4%	★★★★☆
2023	55.4	225 of 560	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.3	186 of 552	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.1	162 of 538	69.9%	★★★★☆
2019	57.9	188 of 529	64.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	39.9	180 of 302	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.8	148 of 286	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.0	136 of 285	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.6	151 of 285	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.1	132 of 275	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.2	128 of 261	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.0	112 of 228	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.2	94 of 219	57.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	42.6	272 of 478	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.1	246 of 490	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	56.5	169 of 510	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.8	257 of 514	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.8	224 of 495	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.3	151 of 483	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.9	189 of 490	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.8	155 of 481	67.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	67.3	148 of 550	73.1%	★★★★☆
2024	60.3	189 of 560	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.5	188 of 557	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.4	216 of 540	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.3	190 of 529	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.0	140 of 523	73.2%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	40.2	13 of 22	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.3	16 of 20	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	35.4	204 of 349	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.0	200 of 332	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.2	213 of 299	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.1	143 of 288	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	25.7	224 of 260	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.1	182 of 238	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.4	133 of 222	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	71.5	18 of 279	93.5%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	55.6	192 of 494	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.0	198 of 492	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.1	184 of 504	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.6	211 of 503	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.4	201 of 500	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.4	187 of 496	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.9	162 of 484	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.1	100 of 481	79.2%	★★★★☆

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)

English Language Learner (2025)78th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2025)73rd percentile+4 vs school

African American (2026)67th percentile~ school

White (2026)61st percentile-7 vs school

Female (2025)59th percentile-10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)43rd percentile-25 vs school

Special Education (2026)42nd percentile-27 vs school

Military Connected (2025)41st percentile-28 vs school

Hispanic (2026)40th percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies59%+8 vs state

Science51%+4 vs state

English Language Arts38%~ state avg

Mathematics38%-5 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Powell Middle School and help other families decide.

Rate Powell Middle School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Powell Middle School

Load more schools when map is moved

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 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 (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 6th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	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 7th Grade	TNReady Algebra I 8th Grade	TNReady Algebra I All Grades	TNReady Geometry 8th Grade	TNReady Geometry All Grades	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
Powell Middle School	Public	6-8	3329 West Emory Road	Powell	37849	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 938-9008	797	53	15.1	39.0%	638 (80.1%)	31 (3.9%)	90 (11.3%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (4.1%)	63.9	188^th of 594 public middle schools	68.4%		63.8	183^rd of 583 public middle schools	68.6%	5	35.8	39.3	39.0	38.0	44.1	37.8	32.2	38.2		≥ 95%	≥ 95%			48.0	55.6	50.0	51.4	56.7	64.0	55.9	59.1	$12,502	$833	$11,044
Northwest Middle School	Public	6-8	5301 Pleasant Ridge Road	Knoxville	37912	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(865) 594-1345	808	64	12.5		221 (27.4%)	177 (21.9%)	333 (41.2%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	72 (8.9%)	17	499^th of 594 public middle schools	16.0%		16.1	496^th of 583 public middle schools	14.9%	3	22.0	18.7	12.7	18.0	22.0	17.8	12.9	17.6		≥ 95%	≥ 95%			26.4	27.5	24.2	26.0	29.9	33.3	24.9	29.3	$15,150	$1,988	$12,439
Karns Middle School	Public	6-8	2925 Gray Hendrix Road	Knoxville	37931	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 539-7732	957	61	15.6	36.8%	661 (69.1%)	85 (8.9%)	126 (13.2%)	9 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	72 (7.5%)	60.7	210^th of 594 public middle schools	64.6%		52.6	251^st of 583 public middle schools	56.9%	41	42.0	41.2	23.3	36.1	39.3	34.6	28.3	34.0		56.9	56.9			56.9	49.2	42.4	49.4	60.3	67.7	61.2	63.0	$12,591	$831	$11,230
Bearden Middle School	Public	6-8	1000 Francis Road	Knoxville	37909	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 539-7839	1,243	72	17.1	41.0%	755 (60.7%)	203 (16.3%)	198 (15.9%)	18 (1.4%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	66 (5.3%)	66.8	169^th of 594 public middle schools	71.5%		65.6	171^st of 583 public middle schools	70.7%	2	41.1	39.7	23.3	35.5	44.5	45.0	40.6	43.2		87.6	88.2			52.8	52.9	50.6	52.0	53.5	62.5	58.8	58.2	$12,022	$833	$10,711
Gresham Middle School	Public	6-8	500 Gresham Road	Knoxville	37918	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 689-1430	801	48	16.6		463 (57.8%)	141 (17.6%)	121 (15.1%)	6 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (8.6%)	55.6	250^th of 594 public middle schools	57.9%		50.8	268^th of 583 public middle schools	54.0%	18	43.3	37.2	26.0	36.2	41.9	33.5	31.9	35.9		≥ 95%	≥ 95%			51.3	41.8	39.5	44.3	56.3	55.2	49.6	53.7	$12,673	$1,164	$10,905
Tennessee Virtual Middle School	Public, Virtual	6-8	1924 Dutch Valley Drive	Knoxville	37918	Knox County	Union County Schools	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(865) 992-9026	914	41	22.5		512 (56.0%)	252 (27.6%)	58 (6.3%)	11 (1.2%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	76 (8.3%)	21.2	479^th of 594 public middle schools	19.4%		22	464^th of 583 public middle schools	20.4%	15	9.9	12.3	16.9	13.2	23.5	19.4	24.1	22.3						34.0	35.4	34.1	34.5	19.7	33.2	28.5	27.4	$5,608	$151	$5,446
Cedar Bluff Middle School	Public	6-8	707 North Cedar Bluff Road	Knoxville	37923	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 539-7891	547	33	16.8	40.1%	315 (57.6%)	58 (10.6%)	112 (20.5%)	8 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (0.9%)	48 (8.8%)	59.5	221^st of 594 public middle schools	62.8%		53.6	245^th of 583 public middle schools	58.0%	24	39.0	41.1	23.7	36.0	43.0	32.6	31.4	35.5		66.7	67.4			51.6	51.7	45.9	49.8	50.9	65.6	54.1	57.2	$12,523	$792	$10,984
Clinton Middle School	Public	6-8	110 N Hicks Street	Clinton	37716	Anderson County	Anderson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 457-3451	613	45	13.6		525 (85.6%)	28 (4.6%)	36 (5.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (3.4%)	43.9	334^th of 594 public middle schools	43.8%		44.1	324^th of 583 public middle schools	44.4%	10	29.0	42.8	14.9	29.5	31.5	38.3	19.8	29.6		75.9	75.9			34.0	51.6	30.0	39.0	39.2	64.3	37.5	48.0	$13,020	$662	$11,651
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		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
Knoxville Preparatory School	Public, Charter	6-7	967 Irwin Street	Knoxville	37917	Knox County	Knox County Schools	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(865) 394-8989	0											12.7	520^th of 594 public middle schools	12.5%					(n/a)	11.4	19.4		16.4	11.4	16.4		14.5						18.2	28.4		24.6	22.7	26.0		24.8	$30,780	$4,548	$25,319

Frequently Asked Questions about Powell Middle School

How many students attend Powell Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 810 students attended Powell Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Powell Middle School attend?

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

What district is Powell Middle School in?

Knox County Schools

Is Powell Middle School a good school?

Powell Middle School ranks 188^th of 594 Tennessee middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Powell Middle School?

Students at Powell Middle School are 77% White, 13% Hispanic, 5% African American, 4% Two or more races.

Rate Powell Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

TNTennessee Middle School Rankings

TNTennessee District Rankings

Schools in Powell, TN

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Powell Middle School!

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.