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Tom Joy Elementary School

Q: Is Tom Joy Elementary School a good school?

Tom Joy Elementary School ranks in the bottom 2.8% of Tennessee elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Tom Joy Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 423 students attended Tom Joy Elementary School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Tom Joy Elementary School?

Students at Tom Joy Elementary School are 48% African American, 40% Hispanic, 8% White, 4% Two or more races.

Q: What schools do graduates of Tom Joy Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Tom Joy Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Jere Baxter Middle School High : Maplewood High School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

990^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,019 Tennessee Elementary Schools

Better than 3% of Tennessee elementary schools

Summary

Tom Joy Elementary School is a PK–5 public school in Nashville, TN, serving 423 students as part of Metro Nashville Public Schools, and it has ranked in the bottom 3% of Tennessee elementary schools for over a decade. The school’s proficiency rates are dramatically below state averages: in 2025–2026, only 12.9% of students were proficient in math and English language arts, and 15.3% in science, compared with state averages of 43%, 40.6%, and 46.9%. Chronic absenteeism is also a major concern, affecting 31.6% of students—well above the state rate of 18.3% and the district average of 23.3%.

Tom Joy’s performance is far lower than every comparable elementary school within three miles. For example, math proficiency at Hattie Cotton Elementary School is 20.4%, Ida B. Wells Elementary School posts 27.1%, and Inglewood Elementary School reaches 22.9%. Higher-performing peers like Dan Mills Elementary School (66.7%) and Purpose Prep School (61%) are about five times higher. Despite spending $19,963 per student—more than Dan Mills and Purpose Prep—Tom Joy remains a 0-star school, while those neighbors earn 4 stars and rank in the 78th–87th percentiles statewide. Chronic absenteeism at Tom Joy (31.6%) is more than double the rates at Dan Mills (10.4%) and Nashville Classical East School (13.8%), showing that attendance is a key addressable challenge.

There are a few encouraging signs. In 2025–2026, 4th-grade students scored noticeably higher than 3rd and 5th graders across all subjects, and certain student subgroups have made slow progress in state rankings over the past two years. Math proficiency improved from 7.2% in 2022–2023 to 12.9% in 2025–2026, and science rose steadily from 11% to 15.3%. However, reading and writing proficiency has declined, and the school’s overall rank has stayed flat. Tom Joy’s stark contrast with Dan Mills—just over two miles away, with similar funding and demographics—highlights how school-level leadership, instruction, and attendance culture can drive very different outcomes within the same district.

423

Students ?

12.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,963

Per pupil spending ?

94.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2201 Jones Avenue
Nashville, TN 37207

(615) 262-6724

District: Metro Nashville Public Schools

Students who attend Tom Joy Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Jere Baxter Middle School
High:	Maplewood High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

48.2%

Hispanic:

40.2%

White:

7.6%

See top rated Tennessee elementary schools

Compare Tom Joy Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 4th percentile in 2011 → 3rd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (14% vs 43% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (3rd percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (32% vs 18% Tennessee)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school14%

District avg33%

Tennessee avg43%

990^th of 1,019

Tennessee public elementary schools ?

Bottom 3%▲ up 3 pts since 2018

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

74^th of 79Elementary Schools in the Metro Nashville Public Schools

126^th of 141Metro Nashville Public 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	5.9	990 of 1019	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	6.5	978 of 1009	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.2	989 of 1018	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.5	994 of 1020	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	4.8	995 of 997	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	11.1	822 of 855	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	5.3	834 of 853	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	10.2	828 of 846	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	8.4	792 of 820	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	10.8	784 of 818	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	21.2	693 of 809	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	21.9	402 of 498	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.6	416 of 498	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.7	483 of 498	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.8	488 of 500	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	23.3	194 of 211	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	20.8	170 of 178	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	39.3	100 of 164	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	16.4	165 of 165	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	8.4	952 of 986	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.2	949 of 990	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.5	969 of 989	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.0	923 of 926	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	10.1	454 of 458	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	13.2	413 of 424	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	21.7	361 of 415	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.6	323 of 387	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.8	363 of 363	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.6	246 of 250	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	17.8	738 of 823	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.5	809 of 843	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.3	795 of 853	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.5	848 of 865	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	6.1	963 of 984	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.5	940 of 991	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.7	967 of 987	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2023	2.3	852 of 852	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.4	840 of 841	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)19th percentile+16 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)10th percentile+7 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)8th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2025)3rd percentile~ school

Male (2025)2nd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)1st percentile~ school

White (2023)<1st percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

Science15%-32 vs state

Mathematics13%-30 vs state

English Language Arts13%-28 vs state

★

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Schools Near Tom Joy 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 Integrated Math I (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	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 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th 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 6th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 7th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 8th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts All Grades	TNReady Integrated Math I 8th Grade	TNReady Integrated Math I All Grades	TNReady Science 3rd Grade	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
Tom Joy Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2201 Jones Avenue	Nashville	37207	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 262-6724	450	35	12.8		38 (8.4%)	237 (52.7%)	154 (34.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.4%)	5.9	990^th of 1019 public elementary schools	2.8%		6.5	978^th of 1009 public elementary schools	3.1%	12	6.5	23.5	10.0				12.9	9.7	15.7	14.0				12.9			8.1	23.5	16.0				15.3					$19,963	$1,907	$16,970
Rocketship Nashville Northeast Elementary School	Public, Charter	K-5	2526 Dickerson PIKE	Nashville	37207	Davidson County	Tennessee Public Charter School Commission	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(615) 650-5560	0											5.1	1004^th of 1019 public elementary schools	1.5%					(n/a)	9.6	17.9	5.9				11.9	18.1	15.6	5.9				14.0			17.8	9.0	6.0				11.4					$18,898	$953	$17,945
Shwab Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1500 Dickerson Road	Nashville	37207	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 262-6725	317	22	14.4		19 (6.0%)	102 (32.2%)	187 (59.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.8%)	46.2	541^st of 1019 public elementary schools	46.9%		31.4	718^th of 1009 public elementary schools	28.8%	177	51.1	43.2	54.8				49.6	44.4	36.8	41.9				41.2			37.8	26.3	41.9				35.1					$21,137	$2,001	$17,952
Hattie Cotton Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1033 West Greenwood Avenue	Nashville	37206	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(615) 262-6981	216	19	11.6		22 (10.2%)	148 (68.5%)	41 (19.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)	10.6	930^th of 1019 public elementary schools	8.7%		9.2	951^st of 1009 public elementary schools	5.7%	21	19.4	10.5	34.5				20.4	22.2	13.2	20.7				18.4			22.2	10.5	17.2				16.5					$22,896	$1,456	$20,187
Murrell at Glenn School	Public	K-8	322 Cleveland Street	Nashville	37207	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 262-6682	34	14	2.4		7 (20.6%)	23 (67.6%)	2 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.9%)								(n/a)																							12.0				7.1	$130,350	$34,814	$92,957
Inglewood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1700 Riverside Drive	Nashville	37216	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(615) 262-6697	222	21	10.5		55 (24.8%)	135 (60.8%)	21 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.0%)	27.2	782^nd of 1019 public elementary schools	23.3%		13.5	905^th of 1009 public elementary schools	10.3%	123	30.6	20.8	13.0				22.9	41.7	29.2	8.7				28.9			47.2	37.5	21.7				37.3					$21,441	$1,353	$18,762
Nashville Classical East School	Public, Charter	K-8	2000 Greenwood Avenue	Nashville	37206	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(615) 538-5841	537	22	24.4		149 (27.7%)	317 (59.0%)	47 (8.8%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.7%)	80.6	151^st of 1019 public elementary schools	85.2%		58.9	366^th of 1009 public elementary schools	63.7%	215	52.9	64.7	65.0	41.2	28.3	46.3	51.5	81.4	67.6	70.0	47.1	21.3	37.5	57.7			67.1	61.8	70.0	39.2	36.2	34.1	54.0	62.7	57.4	56.1	59.0	$19,133	$1,453	$17,181
East End Preparatory School	Public, Charter	K-8	1460 McGavock PIKE	Nashville	37216	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(615) 630-7470	756	30	25.2		34 (4.5%)	602 (79.6%)	96 (12.7%)	8 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.0%)	39.5	637^th of 1019 public elementary schools	37.5%		51	474^th of 1009 public elementary schools	53.0%	163	55.4	49.5	29.0	26.2	49.1	28.8	40.1	37.0	35.1	22.4	42.7	38.9	21.5	33.3	55.0	55.0	40.2	36.1	21.5	47.6	40.7	35.4	36.9	46.6	55.6	30.4	45.5	$25,770	$1,702	$23,245
Ida B. Wells Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	244 Foster Street	Nashville	37207	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(615) 291-6361	204	18	11.6		6 (2.9%)	178 (87.3%)	13 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.9%)	12.6	914^th of 1019 public elementary schools	10.3%		18.4	855^th of 1009 public elementary schools	15.3%	59	31.6	24.4	25.7				27.1	25.6	20.0	14.3				20.2			23.1	13.3	11.4				16.0					$20,928	$1,588	$18,155
Dan Mills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4106 Kennedy Avenue	Nashville	37216	Davidson County	Metro Nashville Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(615) 262-6677	604	38	15.8		411 (68.0%)	59 (9.8%)	106 (17.5%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.0%)	83.4	130^th of 1019 public elementary schools	87.2%		80.7	152^nd of 1009 public elementary schools	84.9%	22	67.7	66.0	66.3				66.7	67.0	61.3	55.7				61.5			61.3	62.3	57.3				60.4					$17,384	$837	$15,737

Frequently Asked Questions about Tom Joy Elementary School

Is Tom Joy Elementary School a good school?

Tom Joy Elementary School ranks in the bottom 2.8% of Tennessee elementary schools.

What district is Tom Joy Elementary School in?

Metro Nashville Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Tom Joy Elementary School?

Students at Tom Joy Elementary School are 48% African American, 40% Hispanic, 8% White, 4% Two or more races.

How many students attend Tom Joy Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 423 students attended Tom Joy Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Tom Joy Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Tom Joy Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Jere Baxter Middle School
High : Maplewood High School

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Latest Tennessee data All new data »

2025–26 TNReady test scoresNewAug 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.