Copper Basin Elementary School

Copper Basin Elementary School serves 321 students in grades PK-6 in Copperhill, Tennessee, a small town in the southeastern corner of the state within Polk County Schools. The school has seen a concerning decline in recent years, dropping from the 43rd percentile of Tennessee elementary schools in 2023-24 to just the 16th percentile in 2025-26. Current proficiency rates trail the district and state averages in every core subject, with math at 28%, ELA at 27.4%, science at 21.4%, and social studies at just 15.6% — a staggering 36-point gap behind the state average of 51.4%.

The school's grade-level results tell a story of uneven performance. Fourth grade math is a genuine bright spot, with 61.5% of students proficient — well above the state average of 49.4%. However, that success doesn't carry into upper grades: only 9.4% of 6th graders are proficient in math, and ELA and science also decline sharply by 5th and 6th grade. This is especially significant because Copper Basin is the only nearby elementary school that serves 6th grade; both Benton Elementary and South Polk Elementary stop at 5th grade. Social studies is another major concern — Copper Basin's 15.6% proficiency is more than 27 points behind the Polk County Schools district average.

Chronic absenteeism likely plays a role. At 23.9%, nearly one in four Copper Basin students is chronically absent, well above the state rate of 18.3%. The comparison with South Polk Elementary is telling: South Polk spends about $1,200 less per student yet outperforms Copper Basin in math (39.6% vs. 28%), ELA (43.1% vs. 27.4%), and science (38% vs. 21.4%), while also posting a much healthier absenteeism rate of 14.9%. There are pockets of success to build on — including a one-year special education ranking in the 66th percentile — but the overall pattern suggests that improving attendance and strengthening upper-grade instruction should be top priorities.