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Selmer Middle School

Q: Is Selmer Middle School a good school?

Selmer Middle School ranks 261 st of 594 Tennessee middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

261^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 594 Tennessee Middle Schools

Better than 56% of Tennessee middle schools

Summary

Selmer Middle School is a small public school in Selmer, Tennessee, serving 197 students in grades 6–8 as part of McNairy County Schools. Despite a district that ranks in the bottom third of Tennessee, the school consistently earns 3-star ratings and places in the upper half of state middle schools, ranking 261st out of 594 in 2025–2026. It is considerably smaller than nearby Chester County Junior High School (626 students) and Hardin County Middle School (643 students), yet spends far more per student—$16,099 versus about $9,000 at Chester County and $12,800 at Hardin County.

Academically, Selmer shows clear strengths in science, 6th grade performance, and attendance. About 50% of students scored proficient in TNReady Science, above both the district (45.8%) and state (46.9%) averages and matching Chester County. Sixth graders excel across all subjects, with proficiency rates in ELA (48%), math (44%), science (52.7%), and social studies (59.5%) all exceeding district and state levels. Chronic absenteeism has become a standout positive, falling to 9.5%—far below the district rate of 16.8%, the state rate of 18.3%, and both neighboring schools, a major improvement from 21.7% a few years ago.

The main concern is a sharp decline by 8th grade, particularly in English Language Arts, where just 16.4% of 8th graders scored proficient compared with 32.3% statewide. Math (30.9%) and social studies (32.7%) also fall well below state averages. This pattern of strong 6th grade results followed by weak 8th grade scores suggests a challenging middle-school transition or cumulative learning gaps. Notably, Chester County Junior High School outperforms Selmer in math, ELA, and social studies while spending far less per student, raising useful questions about where additional dollars have the most impact.

197

Students ?

9.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

33.0%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

635 East Poplar Avenue
Selmer, TN 38375

(731) 645-7977

District: McNairy County Schools

Students who attend Selmer Middle School usually attend:

High:

McNairy Central High School

Feeder schools for Selmer Middle School:

Elementary:

Selmer Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.6%

African American:

14.7%

Hispanic:

4.6%

See top rated Tennessee middle schools

Compare Selmer Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 66th percentile in 2015 → 56th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Tennessee median (56th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 10 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school42%

District avg43%

Tennessee avg45%

261^st of 594

Tennessee public middle schools ?

Top 44%▲ up 33 pts since 2017

From bottom 23% (2017) to top 44% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

92^nd of 141McNairy 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2018	52.2	423 of 997	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	64.6	298 of 855	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	64.2	264 of 853	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	81.6	114 of 846	86.5%	★★★★☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	54.3	261 of 594	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.5	236 of 583	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.6	286 of 587	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.2	280 of 594	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.8	207 of 569	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.1	250 of 576	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.5	253 of 574	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.9	293 of 563	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	35.0	277 of 362	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	65.4	166 of 492	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	59.9	182 of 485	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	73.9	104 of 475	78.1%	★★★★☆
2012	76.5	99 of 466	78.8%	★★★★☆
2011	65.1	160 of 462	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	51.0	209 of 435	52.0%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	58.3	117 of 328	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.2	91 of 312	70.8%	★★★★☆
2024	34.1	185 of 318	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.1	214 of 316	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.3	159 of 299	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.7	129 of 277	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.7	127 of 293	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	31.6	187 of 284	34.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	50.2	266 of 546	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.9	337 of 554	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.9	268 of 560	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.2	207 of 552	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.4	228 of 538	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	42.5	308 of 529	41.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	58.0	164 of 478	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	45.6	261 of 490	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.4	252 of 510	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	37.1	309 of 514	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.8	214 of 495	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.5	252 of 483	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.2	273 of 490	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.0	333 of 481	30.8%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	56.8	207 of 550	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.7	202 of 560	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.5	246 of 557	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.1	199 of 540	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.7	241 of 529	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.7	214 of 523	59.1%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2019	23.4	204 of 222	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	26.4	231 of 279	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	40.9	290 of 494	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.4	226 of 492	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.2	271 of 504	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.3	233 of 503	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.1	180 of 500	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.5	214 of 496	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	42.9	261 of 484	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.8	278 of 481	42.2%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)66th percentile+10 vs school

African American (2026)64th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2025)62nd percentile+3 vs school

Female (2025)51st percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)41st percentile-15 vs school

Special Education (2019)8th percentile-48 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Science50%+3 vs state

Social Studies48%-3 vs state

Mathematics38%-5 vs state

English Language Arts34%-6 vs state

4.0

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What people are saying

by a student
Thursday, November 7, 2019

I am a a student here and i love my school so much and i care for the people in it!!! :} '... Close Quote

Schools Near Selmer 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 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	Directly certified (2024-25)	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 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
Selmer Middle School	Public	6-8	635 East Poplar Avenue	Selmer	38375	McNairy County	McNairy County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 645-7977	206	23	9.0	33.0%	150 (72.8%)	31 (15.0%)	12 (5.8%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.9%)	54.3	261^st of 594 public middle schools	56.1%		54.5	236^th of 583 public middle schools	59.5%	25	44.0	35.8	30.9	37.6	48.0	33.3	16.4	34.2	52.7	55.2	40.0	50.0	59.5	47.8	32.7	48.0	$16,099	$1,269	$13,961
Hardin County Middle School	Public	6-8	299 Lacefield Drive	Savannah	38372	Hardin County	Hardin County Schools	No	No	No	No	(731) 925-9037	648	49	13.3	33.9%	557 (86.0%)	24 (3.7%)	32 (4.9%)	11 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.5%)	45.9	321^st of 594 public middle schools	46.0%		44.2	323^rd of 583 public middle schools	44.6%	2	31.2	32.1	37.1	33.4	27.3	37.1	31.6	31.9	40.7	47.4	42.8	43.6	37.3	50.3	41.7	43.0	$12,837	$691	$11,315
Chester County Junior High School	Public	6-8	930 East Main Street	Henderson	38340	Chester County	Chester County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 989-8135	604	33	18.5	27.8%	471 (78.0%)	77 (12.7%)	28 (4.6%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.1%)	63.2	195^th of 594 public middle schools	67.2%		52.8	249^th of 583 public middle schools	57.3%	54	64.1	38.2	29.8	44.7	47.7	39.3	29.7	39.3	55.8	59.9	35.9	51.0	52.1	66.0	40.8	53.4	$8,997	$463	$8,003

Frequently Asked Questions about Selmer Middle School

How many students attend Selmer Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 197 students attended Selmer Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Selmer Middle School?

Students at Selmer Middle School are 77% White, 15% African American, 5% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What district is Selmer Middle School in?

McNairy County Schools

What high school do graduates of Selmer Middle School attend?

Students who attend Selmer Middle School usually go on to attend McNairy Central High School

Is Selmer Middle School a good school?

Selmer Middle School ranks 261^st of 594 Tennessee middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Selmer Middle School!

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Latest Tennessee data All new data »

2025–26 graduation ratesNewOct 29, 2026

2025–26 TNReady test scoresAug 25, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesApr 2, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataFeb 27, 2026

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.