Knoxville Preparatory School

Knoxville Preparatory School is a small public middle school in Knoxville, TN, serving just 91 students in grades 6 and 7 as part of Knox County Schools. What stands out most is the stark disconnect between what the school spends and what students achieve: it spends a remarkable $30,780 per student — the highest of any nearby school by a wide margin — yet its academic results place it among the lowest-performing schools in the state.

On 2025-2026 TNReady assessments, proficiency rates at Knoxville Preparatory School are far below district and state averages. For example, just 16.4% of students are proficient in math and 14.5% in English language arts, compared with district averages of 45% and 44.7%. Among nearby schools, only Vine Middle/Magnet School scores lower in most subjects, while schools like Bearden Middle School and Halls Middle School post proficiency rates two to three times higher with far less funding per student. Even Tennessee Virtual Middle School, which spends just $5,608 per student, outperforms this school. In fact, Knoxville Preparatory School ranks in the 12th percentile statewide, placing it in the bottom tier of Knox County middle schools.

Results also vary sharply across student groups. White students at the school rank in the 70th percentile statewide, while students receiving special education services rank near the very bottom (1st percentile) and low-income students rank in the 3rd percentile. Chronic absenteeism is elevated at 27.8%, compared with 19.4% for the district. Although proficiency does improve somewhat from 6th to 7th grade — math rises from 11.4% to 19.4% — students still finish far behind state expectations. With only one year of ranking data available, it’s unclear whether the school is improving. For parents, the bottom line is that Knoxville Preparatory School spends more than any nearby school yet delivers consistently low academic outcomes, especially for its most vulnerable students.